Hillstar 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
Kale leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #312, ahead of Hillstar at #507. Over the last 7 days Kale slipped 3 places and Hillstar climbed 7 places. Kale has the largest install base, roughly 7× the next: 7K+ active installs against 1K+ for Hillstar. Downloads this week: Kale 194 and Hillstar 58.
| Metric | Hillstar | Kale |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #507 ▲ 7 | #312 ▼ 3 |
| Active installs | 1K+ | 7K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 58 | 194 |
| Rating | no ratings | 4.9★ (206) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Aug 12, 2026 | Jul 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.45 | 2.9 |
| Best rank on record | #47 | #304 |
| Days in the top 50 | 13 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2024 | 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, Hillstar or Kale?
By active installs, Kale: 7K+ sites run it against 1K+ for Hillstar, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 22, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Hillstar or Kale?
Kale, at #312 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Hillstar at #507. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Hillstar a block theme or a classic theme? And Kale?
Hillstar 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.