Hestia vs Shams Solar
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Hestia leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #30, ahead of Shams Solar at #6,330. Over the last 7 days Hestia slipped 2 places and Shams Solar climbed 3 places. Hestia has the largest install base, roughly 700× the next: 70K+ active installs against 100+ for Shams Solar. Downloads this week: Hestia 7,265 and Shams Solar 22. Ratings: Hestia 4.8★ from 563 and Shams Solar 4.6★ from 11 reviews.
| Metric | Hestia | Shams Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #30 ▼ 2 | #6,330 ▲ 3 |
| Active installs | 70K+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 7,265 | 22 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (563) | 4.6★ (11) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.3.8 | 8.5.8 |
| Best rank on record | #26 | #6,113 |
| Days in the top 50 | 762 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2017 | Mar 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, Hestia or Shams Solar?
By active installs, Hestia: 70K+ sites run it against 100+ for Shams Solar, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 25, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Hestia or Shams Solar?
Hestia, at #30 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Shams Solar at #6,330. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Hestia a block theme or a classic theme? And Shams Solar?
Hestia is a classic theme, Shams Solar 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.