Kale vs Newspapers X
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 #314, ahead of Newspapers X at #7,481. Over the last 7 days Kale slipped 2 places and Newspapers X slipped 48 places. Kale has the largest install base, roughly 175× the next: 7K+ active installs against 40+ for Newspapers X. Downloads this week: Kale 268 and Newspapers X 11.
| Metric | Kale | Newspapers X |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #314 ▼ 2 | #7,481 ▼ 48 |
| Active installs | 7K+ | 40+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 268 | 11 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (206) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jul 22, 2026 | Aug 27, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.9 | 1.0.49 |
| Best rank on record | #304 | #7,067 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Feb 2017 | Dec 2022 |
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, Kale or Newspapers X?
By active installs, Kale: 7K+ sites run it against 40+ for Newspapers X, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 29, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Kale or Newspapers X?
Kale, at #314 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Newspapers X at #7,481. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Kale a block theme or a classic theme? And Newspapers X?
Kale is a classic theme, Newspapers X 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.