Starter Templates vs Essential Blocks
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
These aren’t all alternatives to each other — they do different jobs — so this page compares popularity only, not features.
At a glance
Starter Templates leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #32, ahead of Essential Blocks at #280. Over the last 7 days Starter Templates held its place and Essential Blocks slipped 1 place. Starter Templates has the largest install base, roughly 5× the next: 1M+ active installs against 200K+ for Essential Blocks. Downloads this week: Starter Templates 450,940 and Essential Blocks 7,926. Ratings: Starter Templates 4.9★ from 4,745 and Essential Blocks 4.9★ from 213 reviews.
| Metric | Starter Templates | Essential Blocks |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #32 ▬ | #280 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 1M+ | 200K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 450,940 | 7,926 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (4,745) | 4.9★ (213) |
| Last updated | Sep 8, 2026 | Aug 20, 2026 |
| Current version | 4.7.6 | 6.4.3 |
| Best rank on record | #31 | #272 |
| Days in the top 50 | 51 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2017 | Dec 2018 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 21 | 8 |
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
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Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Starter Templates or Essential Blocks?
By active installs, Starter Templates: 1M+ sites run it against 200K+ for Essential Blocks, according to WordPress.org figures captured on September 13, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Starter Templates or Essential Blocks?
Starter Templates, at #32 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Essential Blocks at #280. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Starter Templates or Essential Blocks alternatives to each other?
Not all of them. Some of these plugins do different jobs and many sites run more than one. This page compares their popularity, not their features.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’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 plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.