Highlight vs Kale
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Highlight leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #201, ahead of Kale at #307. Over the last 7 days Highlight slipped 6 places and Kale climbed 3 places. Highlight has the largest install base: 8K+ active installs against 7K+ for Kale. Downloads this week: Highlight 199 and Kale 156. Ratings: Highlight 4.9★ from 29 and Kale 4.9★ from 206 reviews.
| Metric | Highlight | Kale |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #201 ▼ 6 | #307 ▲ 3 |
| Active installs | 8K+ | 7K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 199 | 156 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (29) | 4.9★ (206) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Aug 12, 2026 | Jul 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.69 | 2.9 |
| Best rank on record | #195 | #305 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Dec 2018 | Feb 2017 |
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, Highlight or Kale?
By active installs, Highlight: 8K+ sites run it against 7K+ for Kale, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Highlight or Kale?
Highlight, at #201 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Kale at #307. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Highlight a block theme or a classic theme? And Kale?
Highlight is a classic theme, Kale 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.