Metro Magazine vs Newspaperly Plus
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Newspaperly Plus leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,376, ahead of Metro Magazine at #1,927. Over the last 7 days Newspaperly Plus slipped 9 places and Metro Magazine slipped 5 places. Metro Magazine has the largest install base, roughly 1.7× the next: 1K+ active installs against 600+ for Newspaperly Plus. Downloads this week: Metro Magazine 64 and Newspaperly Plus 16.
| Metric | Metro Magazine | Newspaperly Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,927 ▼ 5 | #1,376 ▼ 9 |
| Active installs | 1K+ | 600+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 64 | 16 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (31) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Apr 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.4.3 | 2.1 |
| Best rank on record | #1,903 | #1,297 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2016 | Jul 2023 |
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, Metro Magazine or Newspaperly Plus?
By active installs, Metro Magazine: 1K+ sites run it against 600+ for Newspaperly Plus, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 26, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Metro Magazine or Newspaperly Plus?
Newspaperly Plus, at #1,376 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Metro Magazine at #1,927. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Metro Magazine a block theme or a classic theme? And Newspaperly Plus?
Metro Magazine is a classic theme, Newspaperly Plus 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.