Skip to content
Updated today

Most Popular WordPress Themes

Every theme in the WordPress.org directory, ranked by active installs and re-captured every night — with daily rank movement, ratings, download history and how many live sites actually run each one.

Ranking for 2026-09-02 · movement vs 2026-09-01 · 8,545 themes tracked

# Theme Trends (1d / 7d / 30d) Type Rating Active installs Next milestone
8520 AyaBioStoreLite AyaBioStoreLite Updated 3 months ago Classic 0+
8520 Transact Transact Updated 1 week ago Classic 0+
8521 Marketr Marketr Updated 2 weeks ago Classic 0+
8521 Thirteenmag Thirteenmag Updated 3 months ago Classic 4★ (1) 0+
8522 Weather Forecast Weather Forecast Updated 6 days ago Block 0+
8522 ST Cosmetic Surgery ST Cosmetic Surgery Updated 1 month ago Classic 0+
8523 fNews fNews Updated 3 months ago Classic 0+
8523 Ultimate AMP Ultimate AMP Updated 9 months ago Classic 0+
8524 LocalMerchant LocalMerchant Updated 9 months ago Classic 0+
8524 Zypento Business Trove Zypento Business Trove Updated 1 year ago Block 0+
8525 TTSunSolar TTSunSolar Updated 3 weeks ago Classic 0+
8525 Wedding Planner Lite Wedding Planner Lite Updated 3 weeks ago Classic 0+
8526 Goldy Champ Goldy Champ Updated 2 years ago Classic 0+
8526 ZMT Corporate ZMT Corporate Updated 8 months ago Classic 0+
8527 Heena Mehndi Artist Heena Mehndi Artist Updated 2 months ago Classic 0+
8527 graftee graftee Updated 1 year ago Classic 0+
8528 Nestiva Nestiva Updated 1 year ago Classic 0+
8528 ST Golf ST Golf Updated 2 weeks ago Classic 0+
8529 SKT Eatsy SKT Eatsy Updated 4 months ago Classic 0+
8529 Reader WP Lite Reader WP Lite Updated 9 months ago Classic 0+
8530 markito-x markito-x Updated 2 years ago Classic 0+
8530 ZenWind ZenWind Updated 3 months ago Classic 0+
8531 Axismundi Axismundi Updated 1 month ago Classic 0+
8531 Troxy Troxy Updated 12 months ago Classic 0+
8532 Hill Station Hill Station Updated 1 week ago Classic 0+
8532 wp ink wp ink Updated 1 year ago Classic 0+
8533 ZenGardenWedding ZenGardenWedding Updated 3 months ago Classic 0+
8533 Laundry Cleaner Laundry Cleaner Updated 4 days ago Classic 0+
8534 BZ MultiSatilet BZ MultiSatilet Updated 5 months ago Classic 0+
8534 Suziwan Nissalabella Suziwan Nissalabella Updated 1 month ago Classic 0+
8535 Stockist Mini Stockist Mini Updated 1 week ago Classic 0+
8535 Mavix Courier Mavix Courier Updated 2 weeks ago Classic 0+
8536 Betra Betra Updated 2 years ago Classic 0+
8536 Abnomize Abnomize Updated 6 months ago Block 0+
8537 StoryBreeze StoryBreeze Updated 5 months ago Classic 0+
8538 NXT Window Cleaning NXT Window Cleaning Updated 3 months ago Classic 0+
8538 RundizStrap RundizStrap Updated 4 months ago Block 0+
8539 Nimbora Nimbora Updated 10 months ago Block 0+
8540 Virza Virza Updated 3 months ago Block 0+
8541 Tish4 Tish4 Updated 3 months ago Classic 0+
8542 Drilling Services Drilling Services Updated 3 months ago Classic 0+
8543 Travo Nomad Travo Nomad Updated 2 years ago Block 0+
8544 iConvert Electronics iConvert Electronics Updated 2 weeks ago Block 0+
8545 Sen Agency Sen Agency Updated 1 year ago Classic 0+
8546 Glides Glides Updated 1 year ago Classic 0+

About this ranking

The WordPress.org theme directory lists thousands of free themes, but it doesn’t show which ones are gaining or losing ground over time. WP.MD tracks every theme in the directory daily and records each one’s position in the directory’s popularity ranking, so you see movement across 1, 7, and 30 days instead of a single static snapshot. The table above reflects the ranking for 2026-09-02, compared against the previous day.

What the numbers mean

A theme’s position is based on its standing in the WordPress.org “Popular” listing, which is driven largely by active installs and recent download velocity. Active installs (shown in buckets like 1M+ or 500K+) count sites currently running the theme. Downloads per day reflect fresh installs and updates over the last 24 hours — and the two often move independently. A default theme like Twenty Twenty-Five ships with WordPress core, so its download figures are inflated by every new install, whereas a theme like Astra earns its rank from sites that deliberately choose it.

Reading the movement columns

The 1D, 7D, and 30D columns show how far a theme has climbed or dropped over each window. Large short-term jumps — the biggest risers — usually follow a directory feature, a viral tutorial, or a fresh release. Sharp falls often mean a competitor surged rather than the theme itself losing installs. Entries in New in range are themes that broke into the tracked ranking for the first time that week.

Directory popularity vs. real-world usage

Directory rank and real-world usage aren’t the same thing. The “Popular” sort rewards download velocity, which favors bundled and default themes. Surveys of live sites tell a different story, where page-builder foundations like Astra, Kadence, and Hello Elementor punch above their directory rank because they anchor agencies and commercial sites. For the wider market picture — how many WordPress themes exist and which ones lead by real-world install share — see our regularly updated WordPress theme statistics. Comparing those figures with the tracker above is the quickest way to spot a theme that’s quietly dominant despite a modest directory position.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular WordPress theme right now?

As of 2026-09-02, Twenty Twenty-Five leads the WordPress.org popularity ranking, followed by Hello Elementor and Astra. Twenty Twenty-Five ships with WordPress core, so part of its lead reflects bundling rather than deliberate choice.

What’s the difference between active installs and downloads?
Active installs count the sites currently running a theme, shown in ranges like 1M+ or 500K+. Downloads per day count fresh installs and updates over the previous 24 hours. A theme can post high daily downloads while its active-install base stays flat, which is why both columns are worth watching.

How is WordPress theme popularity measured?
Directory popularity comes from the WordPress.org “Popular” listing, driven mainly by active installs and download velocity. Real-world usage comes from surveys of live sites and can rank themes differently. WP.MD tracks both so you can compare the directory view against actual deployment.

How often is this data updated?
The ranking refreshes daily. Each day’s movement is measured against the previous day, with 7-day and 30-day columns showing longer trends across the 250 themes we track.