NewStone
NewStone is a deliberately retro theme for WordPress users who actively avoid modern standards and Gutenberg functionality. With over 25,000 downloads despite zero ratings, it serves a niche audience of legacy system maintainers, but represents technical stagnation rather than practical progress.
Best for: Maintaining decades-old WordPress installations that cannot or will not upgrade beyond WordPress 3.x
Pros
- Extreme backward compatibility with ancient WordPress versions
- Intentional rejection of bloat through minimal Gutenberg support
- Built-in advertising widget zones for monetization
- Lightweight and simple codebase
Cons
- No support for modern WordPress features or block editor
- Zero user ratings suggest poor satisfaction or engagement
- Security vulnerabilities from supporting obsolete WordPress versions
- Two-column layout feels dated compared to modern responsive design
- Lacks ongoing maintenance or development momentum