wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “access code”
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 “access code”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20.
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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Kaya QR Code Generator shows at wp.org #11 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.4★ average from 38 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 7520 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510)
wp.org #1 2 
WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1917)
wp.org #2 3 
WP Data Access – App Builder for Tables, Forms, Dashboards, Charts & Maps 10K+ · 4.9★ (88)
wp.org #3 ↓1 4 
Header Footer Code Manager 600K+ · 4.9★ (309)
wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too low 5 
FluentSnippets – High-Performance Code Snippets, Header & Footer Code, Custom CSS & PHP Code Manager 50K+ · 4.7★ (78)
wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too high 6 
Head & Footer Code 100K+ · 5.0★ (51)
wp.org #6 ↓1 7 
User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112)
wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too low 8 
Restricted Site Access 10K+ · 4.8★ (62)
wp.org #9 ↓1 1 too low 9 
Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012)
wp.org #10 ↑1 1 too low 10 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #15 5 too low 11 
Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files 10K+ · 4.6★ (297)
wp.org #14 3 too low 12 Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7520)
wp.org #22 10 too low 13 
Captcha Code 100K+ · 3.9★ (35)
wp.org #7 ↓1 6 too high 14 
Remove Dashboard Access 30K+ · 4.6★ (78)
wp.org #13 ↓1 1 too high 15 
UPI QR Code Payment Gateway for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.8★ (256)
wp.org #19 ↓2 4 too low 16 
Controlled Admin Access 10K+ · 4.8★ (45)
wp.org #12 ↓2 4 too high 17 
WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833)
wp.org #21 ↓2 4 too low 18 
Groups – Memberships and Access Control 10K+ · 4.8★ (382)
wp.org #24 6 too low 19 Kaya QR Code Generator 10K+ · 4.4★ (38)
wp.org #11 ↓2 8 too high 20 
Post Types Order 600K+ · 4.5★ (296)
wp.org #17 ↓4 3 too high 21 
Restrict User Access – Ultimate Membership & Content Protection 10K+ · 4.3★ (94)
wp.org #18 3 too high 22 
Code Embed 10K+ · 4.4★ (45)
wp.org #16 6 too high 23 
Category Order and Taxonomy Terms Order 500K+ · 4.5★ (162)
wp.org #23 ↓2 24 
QR Code Composer – Automatic QR code generation 3K+ · 4.2★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #20 4 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.