wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “advanced cache”
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 “advanced cache”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20.
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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Breeze Cache shows at wp.org #10 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 5 places. Its 300K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.6★ average from 133 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Advanced Database Cleaner – Optimize & Clean Database to Speed Up Site Performance places #11 on merit, 4.9★ from 1962 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420)
wp.org #1 2 
Super Page Cache – Cloudflare Cache, Page Speed & Core Web Vitals 70K+ · 4.8★ (517)
wp.org #2 ↓1 3 
Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821)
wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too low 5 
WP Super Cache 1M+ · 4.3★ (1346)
wp.org #3 ↑1 2 too high 6 
Redis Object Cache 500K+ · 4.5★ (179)
wp.org #6 ↓1 7 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #11 4 too low 8 
Docket Cache – Object Cache Accelerator 20K+ · 4.9★ (50)
wp.org #7 ↑1 1 too high 9 
Advanced Editor Tools 1M+ · 4.5★ (354)
wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too high 10 
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051)
wp.org #12 2 too low 11 Advanced Database Cleaner – Optimize & Clean Database to Speed Up Site Performance 100K+ · 4.9★ (1962)
wp.org #21 ↓7 10 too low 12 
Cache Enabler 100K+ · 4.3★ (139)
wp.org #13 1 too low 13 
Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27)
wp.org #9 ↑1 4 too high 14 
Advanced Free Shipping for WooCommerce 40K+ · 4.8★ (122)
wp.org #18 4 too low 15 Breeze Cache 300K+ · 3.6★ (133)
wp.org #10 ↓1 5 too high 16 
Advanced WordPress Backgrounds 30K+ · 4.8★ (44)
wp.org #14 ↑8 2 too high 17 
WP REST Cache 10K+ · 4.9★ (42)
wp.org #15 ↑6 2 too high 18 
SQLite Object Cache 10K+ · 5.0★ (51)
wp.org #17 ↓1 1 too high 19 
Powered Cache – Caching and Optimization for WordPress – Easily Improve PageSpeed & Web Vitals Score 3K+ · 4.8★ (58)
wp.org #16 ↓1 3 too high 20 
Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP 90K+ · 4.9★ (79)
wp.org #24 4 too low 21 C Clear Cache for Me 40K+ · 4.8★ (29)
wp.org #19 ↓2 2 too high 22 
Advanced iFrame 40K+ · 4.4★ (54)
wp.org #22 ↓3 23 
Advanced Popups 60K+ · 4.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↓3 24 
Pantheon Advanced Page Cache 10K+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↓2 4 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.