wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “2 step authentication”
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 step authentication”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 2 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
Easy Basic Authentication – Add basic auth to site or admin area shows at wp.org #8 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 800+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More places #6 on merit, 4.8★ from 14387 reviews, but shows at wp.org #12. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
WP 2FA – Two-factor authentication for WordPress 100K+ · 4.7★ (184)
wp.org #1 2 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #2 3 
miniOrange 2FA – Two Factor Authentication for WordPress (OTP, SMS, Email, Google Authenticator) 10K+ · 4.5★ (385)
wp.org #3 4 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #6 ↑1 2 too low 5 
JWT Authentication for WP REST APIs 10K+ · 4.4★ (74)
wp.org #4 1 too high 6 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #12 ↓1 6 too low 7 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #9 2 too low 8 
Bit Form – Contact Form, Payment Forms, Multi Step Forms, Calculator & Custom Form Builder 10K+ · 5.0★ (259)
wp.org #10 ↑4 2 too low 9 
WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – SMTP for Reliable Email Delivery with Gmail, Outlook, Amazon SES, Brevo, Other SMTP & More 4M+ · 4.8★ (5209)
wp.org #15 ↑1 6 too low 10 
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ · 4.8★ (1488)
wp.org #13 ↓1 3 too low 11 
FluentAuth – Login Security, Two-Factor Authentication, Passkeys & Social Login 10K+ · 4.1★ (35)
wp.org #5 6 too high 12 
wpDataTables – WordPress Data Table, Dynamic Tables & Table Charts Plugin 60K+ · 4.5★ (449)
wp.org #16 ↓1 4 too low 13 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #21 ↑2 8 too low 14 W WP 2-step verification 1K+ · 4.2★ (27)
wp.org #7 ↓1 7 too high 15 
SAML Single Sign On – SSO Login 10K+ · 4.9★ (402)
wp.org #23 ↑1 8 too low 16 
Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile 200K+ · 4.7★ (262) not PHP-current
wp.org #19 ↓1 3 too low 17 
Custom Login 10K+ · 3.6★ (97)
wp.org #17 18 
GSheetConnector – CF7 Google Sheets Connector & Save CF7 Entries to Database 40K+ · 4.4★ (129) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #18 ↑3 19 
WP OAuth Server (OAuth Authentication) 3K+ · 3.8★ (41) not PHP-current
wp.org #14 ↓1 5 too high 20 
Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27)
wp.org #22 2 too low 21 
GSheetConnector – Elementor Forms Google Sheet Connector to Sync Submissions to Google Sheets 9K+ · 5.0★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #24 3 too low 22 
WP SAML Auth 7K+ · 4.5★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too high 23 Easy Basic Authentication – Add basic auth to site or admin area 800+ · 5.0★ (3) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #8 15 too high 24 
2-Step Verification by BestWebSoft – WordPress Anti-spam and Anti Hacker Plugin 200+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #11 ↓1 13 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.