Iconic One vs The Paper 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
The Paper Blog leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #213, ahead of Iconic One at #365. Over the last 7 days The Paper Blog slipped 14 places and Iconic One climbed 17 places. Iconic One has the largest install base, roughly 80× the next: 8K+ active installs against 100+ for The Paper Blog. Downloads this week: Iconic One 1,555 and The Paper Blog 33.
| Metric | Iconic One | The Paper Blog |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #365 ▲ 17 | #213 ▼ 14 |
| Active installs | 8K+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,555 | 33 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (80) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 22, 2026 | Aug 12, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.5 | 1.0 |
| Best rank on record | #365 | #130 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2013 | Aug 2026 |
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, Iconic One or The Paper Blog?
By active installs, Iconic One: 8K+ sites run it against 100+ for The Paper Blog, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 23, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Iconic One or The Paper Blog?
The Paper Blog, at #213 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Iconic One at #365. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Iconic One a block theme or a classic theme? And The Paper Blog?
Iconic One is a classic theme, The Paper 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.