Niche Blog vs Shams Solar
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Niche Blog leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,817, ahead of Shams Solar at #6,349. Over the last 7 days Niche Blog climbed 5 places and Shams Solar slipped 19 places. Niche Blog has the largest install base, roughly 4× the next: 400+ active installs against 100+ for Shams Solar. Downloads this week: Shams Solar 22 and Niche Blog 12. Ratings: Niche Blog 5★ from 3 and Shams Solar 4.6★ from 11 reviews.
| Metric | Niche Blog | Shams Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,817 ▲ 5 | #6,349 ▼ 19 |
| Active installs | 400+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 12 | 22 |
| Rating | 5★ (3) | 4.6★ (11) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jun 29, 2026 | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 0.1.5 | 8.5.8 |
| Best rank on record | #1,778 | #6,113 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2023 | Mar 2019 |
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, Niche Blog or Shams Solar?
By active installs, Niche Blog: 400+ sites run it against 100+ for Shams Solar, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 24, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Niche Blog or Shams Solar?
Niche Blog, at #1,817 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Shams Solar at #6,349. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Niche Blog a block theme or a classic theme? And Shams Solar?
Niche Blog is a classic theme, Shams Solar 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.