Theme Editor vs What The File
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
Theme Editor leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #757, ahead of What The File at #887. Over the last 7 days Theme Editor slipped 1 place and What The File held its place. Theme Editor has the largest install base, roughly 1.3× the next: 50K+ active installs against 40K+ for What The File. Downloads this week: Theme Editor 1,203 and What The File 902. Ratings: Theme Editor 4.6★ from 128 and What The File 4.9★ from 883 reviews.
| Metric | Theme Editor | What The File |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #757 ▼ 1 | #887 ▬ |
| Active installs | 50K+ | 40K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,203 | 902 |
| Rating | 4.6★ (128) | 4.9★ (883) |
| Last updated | Mar 19, 2026 | Feb 19, 2026 |
| Current version | 3.2 | 1.6.1 |
| Best rank on record | #730 | #869 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2017 | Aug 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
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- What The File vs Template Kit Import
- What The File vs Hide Admin Bar from Non-Admins
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Theme Editor or What The File?
By active installs, Theme Editor: 50K+ sites run it against 40K+ for What The File, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 21, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Theme Editor or What The File?
Theme Editor, at #757 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with What The File at #887. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Theme Editor or What The File 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.