Hestia vs Starter Blog
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 #28, ahead of Starter Blog at #4,803. Over the last 7 days Hestia held its place and Starter Blog slipped 148 places. Hestia has the largest install base, roughly 350× the next: 70K+ active installs against 200+ for Starter Blog. Downloads this week: Hestia 19,819 and Starter Blog 18. Ratings: Hestia 4.8★ from 563 and Starter Blog 5★ from 9 reviews.
| Metric | Hestia | Starter Blog |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #28 ▬ | #4,803 ▼ 148 |
| Active installs | 70K+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 19,819 | 18 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (563) | 5★ (9) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 15, 2026 | Jul 26, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.3.8 | 2.1.6 |
| Best rank on record | #26 | #4,584 |
| Days in the top 50 | 754 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2017 | Feb 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 Starter Blog?
By active installs, Hestia: 70K+ sites run it against 200+ for Starter Blog, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Hestia or Starter Blog?
Hestia, at #28 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Starter Blog at #4,803. 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 Starter Blog?
Hestia is a classic theme, Starter Blog 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.