Grow iNews vs Pen
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Pen leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #742, ahead of Grow iNews at #7,705. Over the last 7 days Pen slipped 6 places and Grow iNews slipped 9 places. Pen has the largest install base, roughly 100× the next: 2K+ active installs against 20+ for Grow iNews. Downloads this week: Pen 58 and Grow iNews 7.
| Metric | Grow iNews | Pen |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #7,705 ▼ 9 | #742 ▼ 6 |
| Active installs | 20+ | 2K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 7 | 58 |
| Rating | no ratings | 5★ (49) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Feb 24, 2026 | Apr 3, 2025 |
| Current version | 1.0.3 | 1.4.8 |
| Best rank on record | #7,292 | #713 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2024 | May 2019 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Grow iNews or Pen?
By active installs, Pen: 2K+ sites run it against 20+ for Grow iNews, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 29, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Grow iNews or Pen?
Pen, at #742 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Grow iNews at #7,705. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Grow iNews a block theme or a classic theme? And Pen?
Grow iNews is a classic theme, Pen is a classic theme. Block themes are built for the Site Editor; classic themes use the Customizer and widget areas.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each theme’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the themes have moved over time rather than a single day.