MW Small vs NewsNation
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
NewsNation leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,058, ahead of MW Small at #8,446. Over the last 7 days NewsNation slipped 9 places and MW Small held its place. NewsNation has the largest install base, roughly 6.7× the next: 200+ active installs against 30+ for MW Small. Downloads this week: NewsNation 10 and MW Small 7.
| Metric | MW Small | NewsNation |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #8,446 ▬ | #1,058 ▼ 9 |
| Active installs | 30+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 7 | 10 |
| Rating | 5★ (1) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jul 22, 2025 | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.4.0 | 1.0.9 |
| Best rank on record | #8,113 | #587 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2015 | Nov 2025 |
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, MW Small or NewsNation?
By active installs, NewsNation: 200+ sites run it against 30+ for MW Small, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 22, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, MW Small or NewsNation?
NewsNation, at #1,058 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with MW Small at #8,446. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is MW Small a block theme or a classic theme? And NewsNation?
MW Small is a classic theme, NewsNation 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.