Papanek vs Prime FSE
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Prime FSE leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #988, ahead of Papanek at #2,000. Over the last 7 days Prime FSE slipped 7 places and Papanek slipped 3 places. Prime FSE has the largest install base, roughly 1.8× the next: 700+ active installs against 400+ for Papanek. Downloads this week: Prime FSE 16 and Papanek 8.
| Metric | Papanek | Prime FSE |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #2,000 ▼ 3 | #988 ▼ 7 |
| Active installs | 400+ | 700+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 8 | 16 |
| Rating | 4.6★ (10) | no ratings |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Jun 5, 2025 | Jan 16, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.2.5 | 1.1.2 |
| Best rank on record | #1,878 | #947 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2023 | Nov 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, Papanek or Prime FSE?
By active installs, Prime FSE: 700+ sites run it against 400+ for Papanek, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 19, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Papanek or Prime FSE?
Prime FSE, at #988 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Papanek at #2,000. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Papanek a block theme or a classic theme? And Prime FSE?
Papanek is a block theme, Prime FSE is a block 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.