Newstory Lite vs PaperoNews
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
PaperoNews leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #444, ahead of Newstory Lite at #7,872. Over the last 7 days PaperoNews slipped 39 places and Newstory Lite slipped 22 places. PaperoNews has the largest install base, roughly 9× the next: 90+ active installs against 10+ for Newstory Lite. Downloads this week: PaperoNews 23 and Newstory Lite 7.
| Metric | Newstory Lite | PaperoNews |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #7,872 ▼ 22 | #444 ▼ 39 |
| Active installs | 10+ | 90+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 7 | 23 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 25, 2024 | Aug 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.3 | 1.0.0 |
| Best rank on record | #7,429 | #182 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2024 | Aug 2026 |
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, Newstory Lite or PaperoNews?
By active installs, PaperoNews: 90+ sites run it against 10+ for Newstory Lite, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 24, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Newstory Lite or PaperoNews?
PaperoNews, at #444 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Newstory Lite at #7,872. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Newstory Lite a block theme or a classic theme? And PaperoNews?
Newstory Lite is a classic theme, PaperoNews 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.