NewsCard vs Zen Magazine
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 #242, ahead of Zen Magazine at #1,087. Over the last 7 days NewsCard slipped 4 places and Zen Magazine slipped 10 places. NewsCard has the largest install base, roughly 12× the next: 7K+ active installs against 600+ for Zen Magazine. Downloads this week: NewsCard 145 and Zen Magazine 12.
| Metric | NewsCard | Zen Magazine |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #242 ▼ 4 | #1,087 ▼ 10 |
| Active installs | 7K+ | 600+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 145 | 12 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (42) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jun 15, 2025 | Jan 31, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| Best rank on record | #234 | #1,035 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2018 | Jan 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, NewsCard or Zen Magazine?
By active installs, NewsCard: 7K+ sites run it against 600+ for Zen Magazine, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 24, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, NewsCard or Zen Magazine?
NewsCard, at #242 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Zen Magazine at #1,087. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is NewsCard a block theme or a classic theme? And Zen Magazine?
NewsCard is a classic theme, Zen Magazine 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.