wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “activity log”
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 “activity log”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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
Activity Logs, User Activity Tracking, Multisite Activity Log from Logtivity shows at wp.org #7 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Shield Security – Smart Bot Blocking, Brute-Force Login Protection & File Scanning places #10 on merit, 4.8★ from 1039 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.
Activity Log – Monitor User and Agent Changes 200K+ · 4.3★ (74)
wp.org #1 ↑1 2 
WP Activity Log 300K+ · 4.7★ (490)
wp.org #2 ↓1 3 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5038) heavy footprint
wp.org #3 4 
Stream – Activity Log & Audit Trail 70K+ · 4.3★ (76)
wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too low 5 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #6 ↑9 1 too low 6 
Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491)
wp.org #9 3 too low 7 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #12 5 too low 8 
Activity Log Pro – User Activity Log, Audit Log & Security Monitor 400+ · 5.0★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #4 ↑1 4 too high 9 
WP 2FA – Two-factor authentication for WordPress 100K+ · 4.7★ (184)
wp.org #11 ↑8 2 too low 10 Shield Security – Smart Bot Blocking, Brute-Force Login Protection & File Scanning 30K+ · 4.8★ (1039)
wp.org #17 ↓3 7 too low 11 
Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528)
wp.org #15 ↓4 4 too low 12 
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ · 4.5★ (157)
wp.org #10 2 too high 13 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #16 ↑1 3 too low 14 
404 to 301 – Redirect Manager, 301 Redirection, 404 Error Logs & 404 Monitoring 100K+ · 4.7★ (321)
wp.org #21 7 too low 15 
Booking Activities 3K+ · 5.0★ (121)
wp.org #18 ↑4 3 too low 16 
User Activity Tracking and Log 2K+ · 3.5★ (34)
wp.org #8 8 too high 17 
Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012)
wp.org #23 6 too low 18 
Password Protected 300K+ · 4.4★ (142)
wp.org #22 ↑1 4 too low 19 
Debug Log Manager Tool 3K+ · 5.0★ (22) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #13 6 too high 20 
Masteriyo LMS – LMS Course Builder, Quizzes & Certificates 6K+ · 4.8★ (184) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #24 4 too low 21 Activity Logs, User Activity Tracking, Multisite Activity Log from Logtivity 2K+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #7 14 too high 22 
Error Log Viewer by BestWebSoft 5K+ · 4.8★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↓4 2 too high 23 
Who Changed It? – Activity Log & Audit Trail 100+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↑1 4 too high 24 
Logify WP – Activity Log & User Audit Log 300+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #14 ↓1 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.