Pen vs Responsive
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Responsive leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #152, ahead of Pen at #738. Over the last 7 days Responsive held its place and Pen climbed 5 places. Responsive has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 20K+ active installs against 2K+ for Pen. Downloads this week: Responsive 8,465 and Pen 39. Ratings: Pen 5★ from 49 and Responsive 4.7★ from 559 reviews.
| Metric | Pen | Responsive |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #738 ▲ 5 | #152 ▬ |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 20K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 39 | 8,465 |
| Rating | 5★ (49) | 4.7★ (559) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Apr 3, 2025 | Oct 12, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.4.8 | 6.4.8 |
| Best rank on record | #713 | #149 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2019 | Mar 2012 |
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, Pen or Responsive?
By active installs, Responsive: 20K+ sites run it against 2K+ for Pen, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Pen or Responsive?
Responsive, at #152 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Pen at #738. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Pen a block theme or a classic theme? And Responsive?
Pen is a classic theme, Responsive 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.