Magways 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 #80, ahead of Magways at #5,171. Over the last 7 days NewsCircuit slipped 1 place and Magways climbed 30 places. NewsCircuit has the largest install base, roughly 11× the next: 900+ active installs against 80+ for Magways. Downloads this week: NewsCircuit 182 and Magways 8.
| Metric | Magways | NewsCircuit |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #5,171 ▲ 30 | #80 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 80+ | 900+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 8 | 182 |
| Rating | 5★ (2) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | May 30, 2025 | Oct 25, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.2.2 | 2.1.17 |
| Best rank on record | #4,875 | #62 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2024 | 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, Magways or NewsCircuit?
By active installs, NewsCircuit: 900+ sites run it against 80+ for Magways, according to WordPress.org figures captured on November 1, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Magways or NewsCircuit?
NewsCircuit, at #80 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Magways at #5,171. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Magways a block theme or a classic theme? And NewsCircuit?
Magways 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.