Smartcube vs TimesNews
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
TimesNews leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,342, ahead of Smartcube at #1,725. Over the last 7 days TimesNews slipped 9 places and Smartcube slipped 4 places. TimesNews has the largest install base, roughly 2× the next: 1K+ active installs against 500+ for Smartcube. Downloads this week: Smartcube 35 and TimesNews 19.
| Metric | Smartcube | TimesNews |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,725 ▼ 4 | #1,342 ▼ 9 |
| Active installs | 500+ | 1K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 35 | 19 |
| Rating | no ratings | 5★ (3) |
| Type | Block theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Aug 10, 2026 | Jun 4, 2025 |
| Current version | 1.1 | 2.0.2 |
| Best rank on record | #1,704 | #1,277 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2022 | Mar 2020 |
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, Smartcube or TimesNews?
By active installs, TimesNews: 1K+ sites run it against 500+ for Smartcube, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Smartcube or TimesNews?
TimesNews, at #1,342 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Smartcube at #1,725. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Smartcube a block theme or a classic theme? And TimesNews?
Smartcube is a block theme, TimesNews is a classic 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.