Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “affiliation”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 4 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

Affilizz shows at wp.org #6 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 200+ 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

SEO Booster places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 54 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 Redis Object Cache 500K+ · 4.5★ (179) wp.org #1 2 Molongui Authorship – Author Boxes, Guest Authors & Co-Authors for WordPress 10K+ · 4.7★ (158) wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too low 3 Glossary 2K+ · 4.7★ (84) wp.org #7 ↓2 4 too low 4 HivePress – Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads Plugin 10K+ · 4.9★ (221) wp.org #12 ↑2 8 too low 5 WEN Logo Slider 1K+ · 4.4★ (10) wp.org #3 ↑1 2 too high 6 Syncee Premium Dropshipping & Wholesale 1K+ · 4.5★ (49) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 LWS Affiliation 600+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 5 too high 8 SEO Booster 800+ · 4.8★ (54) wp.org #22 ↑1 14 too low 9 Payments via PayMongo for WooCommerce 1K+ · 3.5★ (11) wp.org #8 1 too high 10 NextGenThemes jsDelivr CDN 300+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #10 11 Easy Timer 1K+ · 4.3★ (17) wp.org #15 ↑1 4 too low 12 Content Pilot – Autoblogging & Affiliate Marketing Suite 700+ · 3.6★ (36) wp.org #17 5 too low 13 Checkout with Zelle on Woocommerce 3K+ · 3.4★ (5) wp.org #5 ↑14 8 too high 14 TP Education 700+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #16 ↓3 2 too low 15 WPC External Variations for WooCommerce 300+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #13 ↓1 2 too high 16 Content Switcher 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 ↑1 4 too low 17 Affilizz 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 ↑1 11 too high 18 Logo Slider – Infinite Carousel & Marquee Block 300+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 ↑1 1 too low 19 VerifyPass Community ID 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 8 too high 20 Contact Manager 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↑1 6 too high 21 Scholar Publications Fetcher 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↑1 22 Get Cash 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 4 too high 23 Device Detect 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Receive customer payments on Woocommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 1 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.