Mantra vs NewsCard
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
NewsCard leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #239, ahead of Mantra at #650. Over the last 7 days NewsCard slipped 2 places and Mantra climbed 1 place. NewsCard has the largest install base, roughly 1.4× the next: 7K+ active installs against 5K+ for Mantra. Downloads this week: NewsCard 147 and Mantra 68. Ratings: Mantra 4.5★ from 72 and NewsCard 4.7★ from 42 reviews.
| Metric | Mantra | NewsCard |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #650 ▲ 1 | #239 ▼ 2 |
| Active installs | 5K+ | 7K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 68 | 147 |
| Rating | 4.5★ (72) | 4.7★ (42) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Feb 6, 2026 | Jun 15, 2025 |
| Current version | 3.3.4 | 1.5 |
| Best rank on record | #645 | #234 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2011 | Nov 2018 |
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, Mantra or NewsCard?
By active installs, NewsCard: 7K+ sites run it against 5K+ for Mantra, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Mantra or NewsCard?
NewsCard, at #239 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Mantra at #650. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Mantra a block theme or a classic theme? And NewsCard?
Mantra is a classic theme, NewsCard 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.