wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “access manager”
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 manager”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 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
Controlled Admin Access shows at wp.org #9 but places #14 on merit, a gap of 5 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.8★ average from 45 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Ad Inserter – Ad Manager & AdSense Ads places #11 on merit, 4.9★ from 2433 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112)
wp.org #1 2 
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551) not PHP-current
wp.org #2 3 
Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012)
wp.org #3 ↑3 4 
File Manager 1M+ · 4.6★ (1492)
wp.org #4 5 
Download Manager 100K+ · 4.1★ (1006)
wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too low 6 
WP Data Access – App Builder for Tables, Forms, Dashboards, Charts & Maps 10K+ · 4.9★ (88)
wp.org #5 ↑4 1 too high 7 
Advanced File Manager – Ultimate File Manager for WordPress And Document Library Solution 100K+ · 4.8★ (441)
wp.org #7 ↓4 8 
Access Governance for WordPress (aka AAM) 100K+ · 4.2★ (420)
wp.org #8 ↓1 9 
Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463) not PHP-current
wp.org #11 2 too low 10 
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7520)
wp.org #14 ↓2 4 too low 11 Ad Inserter – Ad Manager & AdSense Ads 300K+ · 4.9★ (2433)
wp.org #17 6 too low 12 
WP Event Manager – Events Calendar, Registrations, Sell Tickets with WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.0★ (249)
wp.org #10 2 too high 13 
Permalink Manager Lite 100K+ · 4.8★ (176)
wp.org #12 ↑1 1 too high 14 Controlled Admin Access 10K+ · 4.8★ (45)
wp.org #9 ↓1 5 too high 15 
Easy Updates Manager 300K+ · 4.8★ (726)
wp.org #19 ↓2 4 too low 16 
PublishPress Capabilities: User Role Access Control, Admin Area Permissions 90K+ · 4.7★ (143)
wp.org #15 ↓4 1 too high 17 
Header Footer Code Manager 600K+ · 4.9★ (309) not PHP-current
wp.org #13 ↑1 4 too high 18 
My Calendar – Accessible Event Manager 20K+ · 4.7★ (159)
wp.org #18 ↓3 19 
File Manager Pro – Filester 100K+ · 4.9★ (155)
wp.org #21 2 too low 20 
File Manager 10K+ · 4.3★ (202)
wp.org #22 2 too low 21 
FAZ Cookie Manager 3K+ · 5.0★ (30)
wp.org #16 5 too high 22 
WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory 10K+ · 4.7★ (350) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #20 ↓2 2 too high 23 
FluentSnippets – High-Performance Code Snippets, Header & Footer Code, Custom CSS & PHP Code Manager 50K+ · 4.7★ (78)
wp.org #24 ↓5 1 too low 24 
APCu Manager 10K+ · 4.6★ (20) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↓3 1 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.