wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “2 factor”

wp.org orders by popularity, so a plugin a host bundled onto millions of sites, or a big-brand one that's slow and mediocre, can sit at the top. Our ranking is built to answer a different question: which of these is actually worth installing. How this works →

For “2 factor”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 3 plugins are pushed down for signals wp.org ignores: errors, a host-installed base, or removal risk.

wp.org search ranks on

Install count (uncapped), the raw star average, freshness, and support. Popularity dominates, so the biggest install base usually wins regardless of how it got there.

We add

A cap on the install boost, volume-weighted ratings, and signals wp.org can't see: whether it throws errors on current PHP, whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

2-Step Verification by BestWebSoft – WordPress Anti-spam and Anti Hacker Plugin shows at wp.org #14 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 200+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin places #10 on merit, 4.8★ from 8706 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Two Factor 100K+ · 4.7★ (209) wp.org #1 2

WP 2FA – Two-factor authentication for WordPress 100K+ · 4.7★ (184) wp.org #2 3

Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint wp.org #3 4

miniOrange 2FA – Two Factor Authentication for WordPress (OTP, SMS, Email, Google Authenticator) 10K+ · 4.5★ (385) wp.org #4 5

All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #6 1 too low 6

Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #7 1 too low 7

Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ · 4.8★ (1488) wp.org #8 1 too low 8

Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491) wp.org #12 ↑1 4 too low 9

Loginizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1033) not PHP-current wp.org #9 ↑1 10

UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8706) wp.org #16 6 too low 11

FluentAuth – Login Security, Two-Factor Authentication, Passkeys & Social Login 10K+ · 4.1★ (35) wp.org #5 6 too high 12

Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile 200K+ · 4.7★ (262) not PHP-current wp.org #10 ↓1 2 too high 13

WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617) wp.org #21 ↓1 8 too low 14

Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ · 4.8★ (334) wp.org #23 ↓1 9 too low 15

AJAX Login and Registration modal popup + inline form 3K+ · 4.7★ (120) wp.org #17 2 too low 16

Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution 100K+ · 4.4★ (590) heavy footprint wp.org #20 ↓1 3 too low 18 W WP 2-step verification 1K+ · 4.2★ (27) wp.org #11 7 too high 19

Patchstack – WordPress & Plugins Security 100K+ · 4.9★ (61) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #13 ↓1 6 too high 20

Masteriyo LMS – LMS Course Builder, Quizzes & Certificates 6K+ · 4.8★ (184) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint wp.org #18 2 too high 21

Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews wp.org #19 ↓1 2 too high 22

WP Last Login 10K+ · 3.8★ (26) wp.org #22 ↓1 23 W WP-OTP 100+ · 4.0★ (9) thin reviews wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24

2-Step Verification by BestWebSoft – WordPress Anti-spam and Anti Hacker Plugin 200+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #14 10 too high

Merit ranking caps the install boost at 1M (wp.org leaves it uncapped), replaces the raw star average with a volume-weighted Bayesian score and a Wilson lower bound, and keeps wp.org's own freshness and compatibility decays. Method from the plugin-directory source; see Meta Trac #8298. Positions are tracked daily from the first visit to a keyword, so the small arrows show movement since tracking began.