wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “admin login”
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 “admin login”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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
Admin login URL Change shows at wp.org #9 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 13 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
Temporary Login Without Password places #5 on merit, 5.0★ from 1549 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #1 2 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #2 3 
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ · 4.8★ (1489)
wp.org #3 4 
WPS Hide Login 2M+ · 4.8★ (2111)
wp.org #4 ↑2 5 Temporary Login Without Password 90K+ · 5.0★ (1549)
wp.org #11 6 too low 6 
Admin Custom Login 10K+ · 4.6★ (388)
wp.org #8 ↓3 2 too low 7 
Admin Menu Editor 300K+ · 4.6★ (312)
wp.org #10 3 too low 8 
LoginPress | wp-login Custom Login Page Customizer 200K+ · 4.8★ (1077) not PHP-current
wp.org #12 4 too low 9 
Login Lockdown & Protection 100K+ · 4.3★ (61)
wp.org #7 ↓3 2 too high 10 
All In One Login 60K+ · 3.6★ (35)
wp.org #5 ↑2 5 too high 11 
Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin 200K+ · 4.4★ (1445)
wp.org #16 ↑2 5 too low 12 
Custom Login Page Customizer 80K+ · 4.8★ (410) not PHP-current
wp.org #14 ↑1 2 too low 13 
Force Login 30K+ · 4.8★ (101)
wp.org #15 2 too low 14 
Theme My Login 50K+ · 3.7★ (460)
wp.org #20 ↓6 6 too low 15 
Clean Login 5K+ · 4.7★ (144)
wp.org #22 7 too low 16 
BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #13 ↑3 3 too high 17 
Login as User: See the Site as Any User 30K+ · 4.8★ (41)
wp.org #19 2 too low 18 
Rename wp-admin login 9K+ · 3.9★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #6 ↑2 12 too high 19 
Custom Login 10K+ · 3.6★ (97)
wp.org #21 ↓2 2 too low 20 
Easy Hide Login 20K+ · 4.4★ (43)
wp.org #23 3 too low 21 
WP Last Login 10K+ · 3.8★ (26)
wp.org #18 ↓1 3 too high 22 Admin login URL Change 2K+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #9 13 too high 23 
Simple Login Notification 2K+ · 5.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↓4 6 too high 24 
FluentAuth – Login Security, Two-Factor Authentication, Passkeys & Social Login 10K+ · 4.1★ (35)
wp.org #24 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.