Masthead 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
Masthead leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #617, ahead of Poesis at #3,946. Over the last 7 days Masthead slipped 90 places and Poesis slipped 91 places. Poesis has the largest install base, roughly 5× the next: 100+ active installs against 20+ for Masthead. Downloads this week: Poesis 44 and Masthead 20.
| Metric | Masthead | Poesis |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #617 ▼ 90 | #3,946 ▼ 91 |
| Active installs | 20+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 20 | 44 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Sep 23, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.6264.1804 | 1.0.6 |
| Best rank on record | #469 | #3,834 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2026 | 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, Masthead or Poesis?
By active installs, Poesis: 100+ sites run it against 20+ for Masthead, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Masthead or Poesis?
Masthead, at #617 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 Masthead a block theme or a classic theme? And Poesis?
Masthead 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.