NewsCircuit vs Newsmatic
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Newsmatic leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #63, ahead of NewsCircuit at #75. Over the last 7 days Newsmatic held its place and NewsCircuit climbed 5 places. Newsmatic has the largest install base, roughly 13× the next: 10K+ active installs against 800+ for NewsCircuit. Downloads this week: Newsmatic 268 and NewsCircuit 239.
| Metric | NewsCircuit | Newsmatic |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #75 ▲ 5 | #63 ▬ |
| Active installs | 800+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 239 | 268 |
| Rating | no ratings | 4.8★ (87) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 13, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.1.16 | 1.5.1 |
| Best rank on record | #62 | #36 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 487 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jun 2026 | Jan 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, NewsCircuit or Newsmatic?
By active installs, Newsmatic: 10K+ sites run it against 800+ for NewsCircuit, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, NewsCircuit or Newsmatic?
Newsmatic, at #63 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with NewsCircuit at #75. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is NewsCircuit a block theme or a classic theme? And Newsmatic?
NewsCircuit is a classic theme, Newsmatic 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.