Kanso vs Poesis
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Kanso leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,396, ahead of Poesis at #3,946. Over the last 7 days Kanso slipped 7 places and Poesis slipped 91 places. Kanso has the largest install base, roughly 3× the next: 300+ active installs against 100+ for Poesis. Downloads this week: Poesis 44 and Kanso 15.
| Metric | Kanso | Poesis |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,396 ▼ 7 | #3,946 ▼ 91 |
| Active installs | 300+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 15 | 44 |
| Rating | 5★ (2) | no ratings |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Nov 22, 2024 | Sep 15, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.5 | 1.0.6 |
| Best rank on record | #1,308 | #3,834 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2024 | May 2024 |
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, Kanso or Poesis?
By active installs, Kanso: 300+ sites run it against 100+ for Poesis, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Kanso or Poesis?
Kanso, at #1,396 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Poesis at #3,946. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Kanso a block theme or a classic theme? And Poesis?
Kanso is a block theme, Poesis is a block 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.