LocalNews vs NewsCircuit
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
NewsCircuit leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #77, ahead of LocalNews at #2,313. Over the last 7 days NewsCircuit slipped 1 place and LocalNews climbed 4 places. NewsCircuit has the largest install base, roughly 2.3× the next: 900+ active installs against 400+ for LocalNews. Downloads this week: NewsCircuit 175 and LocalNews 9.
| Metric | LocalNews | NewsCircuit |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #2,313 ▲ 4 | #77 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 400+ | 900+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 9 | 175 |
| Rating | 5★ (3) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 27, 2026 | Oct 25, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.19 | 2.1.17 |
| Best rank on record | #2,129 | #62 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2022 | Jun 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, LocalNews or NewsCircuit?
By active installs, NewsCircuit: 900+ sites run it against 400+ for LocalNews, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 29, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, LocalNews or NewsCircuit?
NewsCircuit, at #77 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with LocalNews at #2,313. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is LocalNews a block theme or a classic theme? And NewsCircuit?
LocalNews is a classic theme, NewsCircuit 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.