NewsCircuit vs Pubnews 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
NewsCircuit leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #78, ahead of Pubnews Plus at #714. Over the last 7 days NewsCircuit slipped 4 places and Pubnews Plus slipped 6 places. NewsCircuit has the largest install base, roughly 1.3× the next: 800+ active installs against 600+ for Pubnews Plus. Downloads this week: NewsCircuit 116 and Pubnews Plus 15.
| Metric | NewsCircuit | Pubnews Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #78 ▼ 4 | #714 ▼ 6 |
| Active installs | 800+ | 600+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 116 | 15 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 13, 2026 | Nov 26, 2024 |
| Current version | 2.1.16 | 1.0.0 |
| Best rank on record | #62 | #39 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 19 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jun 2026 | Nov 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, NewsCircuit or Pubnews Plus?
By active installs, NewsCircuit: 800+ sites run it against 600+ for Pubnews Plus, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 24, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, NewsCircuit or Pubnews Plus?
NewsCircuit, at #78 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Pubnews Plus at #714. 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 Pubnews Plus?
NewsCircuit is a classic theme, Pubnews 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.