Prime FSE vs Waterlava
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Prime FSE leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #963, ahead of Waterlava at #2,433. Over the last 7 days Prime FSE climbed 19 places and Waterlava slipped 4 places. Prime FSE has the largest install base, roughly 2.3× the next: 700+ active installs against 300+ for Waterlava. Downloads this week: Prime FSE 25 and Waterlava 12.
| Metric | Prime FSE | Waterlava |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #963 ▲ 19 | #2,433 ▼ 4 |
| Active installs | 700+ | 300+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 25 | 12 |
| Rating | no ratings | 5★ (1) |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Jan 16, 2026 | May 25, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.1.2 | 1.3.0 |
| Best rank on record | #947 | #2,362 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2023 | Jul 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, Prime FSE or Waterlava?
By active installs, Prime FSE: 700+ sites run it against 300+ for Waterlava, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 29, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Prime FSE or Waterlava?
Prime FSE, at #963 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Waterlava at #2,433. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Prime FSE a block theme or a classic theme? And Waterlava?
Prime FSE is a block theme, Waterlava 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.