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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “adoption”

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 “adoption”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20. 6 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

Usetiful – Digital Adoption Platform shows at wp.org #3 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 18 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Active Directory Integration / LDAP Integration places #11 on merit, 4.9★ from 211 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 All-in-One WP Migration and Backup 5M+ · 4.5★ (7676) wp.org #1 2 Cyr to Lat Enhanced 80K+ · 4.6★ (51) wp.org #2 3 Cookie Compliance for WordPress – Cookie Consent, GDPR & CCPA 800K+ · 4.8★ (3026) wp.org #6 3 too low 4 Happyforms – Form Builder for WordPress: Drag & Drop Contact Forms, Surveys, Payments & Multipurpose Forms 20K+ · 4.4★ (433) wp.org #10 6 too low 5 Ads.txt & App-ads.txt Manager for WordPress 2K+ · 4.8★ (48) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 WCFM – Frontend Manager for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.5★ (286) wp.org #13 ↑1 7 too low 7 Post Category Filter (WP Admin) 1K+ · 5.0★ (25) wp.org #7 ↓2 8 RootsPersona 400+ · 4.6★ (17) wp.org #5 3 too high 9 Dark Mode – Improve Accessibility with AI Powered Dark Theme 20K+ · 4.5★ (391) wp.org #18 ↓1 9 too low 10 Custom Query Blocks 700+ · 4.6★ (25) wp.org #8 ↓1 2 too high 11 Active Directory Integration / LDAP Integration 4K+ · 4.9★ (211) wp.org #22 ↓1 11 too low 12 WCFM Marketplace – Multivendor Marketplace for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.6★ (449) wp.org #16 ↓1 4 too low 13 Sina Extension for Elementor 40K+ · 4.9★ (35) wp.org #9 ↓1 4 too high 14 Multiple Themes 10K+ · 4.7★ (50) wp.org #19 ↓1 5 too low 15 Dual Currency Display 500+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #11 ↓2 4 too high 16 PHP Compatibility Checker 200K+ · 2.7★ (131) wp.org #15 ↓2 1 too high 17 Genealogical Tree – Family Tree & Ancestry for WordPress 600+ · 4.1★ (16) wp.org #12 5 too high 18 Pay With MetaMask For WooCommerce – Cryptocurrency Payment Gateway 400+ · 4.8★ (17) wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too low 19 Opti-Behavior – Self-Hosted Heatmaps, Funnels, A/B Testing & Smart Insights 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #24 ↓1 5 too low 20 EZ Horoscope Professional 300+ · 4.8★ (12) wp.org #23 ↓1 3 too low 21 Usetiful – Digital Adoption Platform 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 18 too high 22 iZooto – Web Push Notifications 900+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too high 23 Zeffy Donate Button 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #17 ↓1 6 too high 24 Pet Adoption Listings 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓3 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.