Pen vs W3CSSPress
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Pen leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #740, ahead of W3CSSPress at #5,956. Over the last 7 days Pen slipped 5 places and W3CSSPress slipped 24 places. Pen has the largest install base, roughly 22× the next: 2K+ active installs against 90+ for W3CSSPress. Downloads this week: Pen 55 and W3CSSPress 15.
| Metric | Pen | W3CSSPress |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #740 ▼ 5 | #5,956 ▼ 24 |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 90+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 55 | 15 |
| Rating | 5★ (49) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Apr 3, 2025 | May 2, 2025 |
| Current version | 1.4.8 | 2025.1 |
| Best rank on record | #713 | #5,749 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2019 | Apr 2022 |
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 W3CSSPress?
By active installs, Pen: 2K+ sites run it against 90+ for W3CSSPress, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 26, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Pen or W3CSSPress?
Pen, at #740 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with W3CSSPress at #5,956. 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 W3CSSPress?
Pen is a classic theme, W3CSSPress 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.