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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “admin username”

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 username”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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

WP Edit Username shows at wp.org #4 but places #12 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 5 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Temporary Login Without Password places #9 on merit, 5.0★ from 1549 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #1 2 Username Changer 40K+ · 4.3★ (77) wp.org #2 3 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too low 4 Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7519) wp.org #7 3 too low 5 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #10 ↑2 5 too low 6 Loginizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1033) wp.org #6 ↑2 7 Admin Custom Login 10K+ · 4.6★ (388) wp.org #12 ↓2 5 too low 8 Change Username 4K+ · 4.6★ (7) wp.org #3 5 too high 9 Temporary Login Without Password 90K+ · 5.0★ (1549) wp.org #23 14 too low 10 Admin Notices Manager 10K+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #8 ↑1 2 too high 11 Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ · 4.8★ (1489) wp.org #21 10 too low 12 WP Edit Username 2K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #4 ↓1 8 too high 13 Admin Bar Editor – Toolbar Customization with User Role based access & Custom menus 3K+ · 4.4★ (24) wp.org #9 ↓1 4 too high 14 Show modified Date in admin lists 6K+ · 4.9★ (32) wp.org #13 1 too high 15 Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ · 4.5★ (157) wp.org #17 2 too low 16 All In One Login 60K+ · 3.6★ (35) wp.org #11 5 too high 17 R Restrict Usernames Emails Characters 1K+ · 4.5★ (25) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #19 ↑1 1 too low 19 Protect WP Admin 10K+ · 3.6★ (50) wp.org #18 1 too high 20 Church Admin 900+ · 4.7★ (17) wp.org #20 ↓1 21 Admin Search 1K+ · 4.5★ (18) wp.org #16 5 too high 22 Admin login URL Change 2K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #15 7 too high 23 WP Admin Audit 1K+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 Edit Usernames 70+ · 5.0★ (1) 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.