Essential Blocks vs Genesis Custom 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
Essential Blocks leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #282, ahead of Genesis Custom Blocks at #1,970. Over the last 7 days Essential Blocks held its place and Genesis Custom Blocks slipped 8 places. Essential Blocks has the largest install base, roughly 20× the next: 200K+ active installs against 10K+ for Genesis Custom Blocks. Downloads this week: Essential Blocks 111,689 and Genesis Custom Blocks 325. Ratings: Essential Blocks 4.9★ from 215 and Genesis Custom Blocks 4.5★ from 21 reviews.
| Metric | Essential Blocks | Genesis Custom Blocks |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #282 ▬ | #1,970 ▼ 8 |
| Active installs | 200K+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 111,689 | 325 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (215) | 4.5★ (21) |
| Last updated | Oct 15, 2026 | Apr 20, 2026 |
| Current version | 6.5.0 | 1.7.3 |
| Best rank on record | #272 | #1,954 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Dec 2018 | Sep 2020 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 8 | 0 |
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, Essential Blocks or Genesis Custom Blocks?
By active installs, Essential Blocks: 200K+ sites run it against 10K+ for Genesis Custom Blocks, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Essential Blocks or Genesis Custom Blocks?
Essential Blocks, at #282 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Genesis Custom Blocks at #1,970. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Essential Blocks or Genesis Custom 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.