Square vs Updated News
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Square leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #953, ahead of Updated News at #2,138. Over the last 7 days Square slipped 1 place and Updated News climbed 8 places. Square has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 2K+ active installs against 200+ for Updated News. Downloads this week: Square 59 and Updated News 14.
| Metric | Square | Updated News |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #953 ▼ 1 | #2,138 ▲ 8 |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 59 | 14 |
| Rating | 4.6★ (39) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jan 18, 2026 | Jun 5, 2025 |
| Current version | 2.0.68 | 1.0.3 |
| Best rank on record | #941 | #1,718 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Feb 2016 | Apr 2024 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 1 | 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
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Square or Updated News?
By active installs, Square: 2K+ sites run it against 200+ for Updated News, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 24, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Square or Updated News?
Square, at #953 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Updated News at #2,138. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Square a block theme or a classic theme? And Updated News?
Square is a classic theme, Updated News 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.