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← Rankings

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

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 “after”, 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

Before After Image shows at wp.org #6 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall places #10 on merit, 4.7★ from 1720 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Ultimate Before After Image Slider & Gallery – BEAF 30K+ · 4.9★ (107) wp.org #1 2 Resize Image After Upload 80K+ · 4.8★ (56) wp.org #2 3 Add Widget After Content 6K+ · 4.7★ (38) wp.org #3 4 B Before After Image Comparison Slider for Elementor 10K+ · 4.4★ (96) wp.org #4 5 Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions 60K+ · 4.7★ (181) wp.org #8 3 too low 6 S Simple Membership After Login Redirection 10K+ · 4.8★ (15) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420) wp.org #15 8 too low 8 LoginWP (Formerly Peter's Login Redirect) 80K+ · 4.8★ (503) wp.org #17 ↑3 9 too low 9 Twenty20 Image Before-After 20K+ · 4.0★ (54) wp.org #9 10 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #21 ↓6 11 too low 11 Download After Email – Subscribe & Download Form Plugin 7K+ · 4.4★ (30) wp.org #11 ↓1 12 After Login Redirect 1K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #7 5 too high 13 OrderConvo – Vendor & Customer Messages After Orders 200+ · 4.6★ (22) wp.org #16 ↑1 3 too low 14 Before After Image Comparison – Visual Comparison for Two Images 3K+ · 4.2★ (12) wp.org #13 1 too high 15 Before After Image 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #6 9 too high 16 Insert Blocks Before or After Posts Content 1K+ · 4.7★ (6) wp.org #12 4 too high 17 ELEX WooCommerce Product Price Custom Text (Before & After Text) and Discount 2K+ · 4.6★ (10) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 B Boxy WooCommerce Custom Redirect After Checkout 500+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #22 ↓4 4 too low 19 WP Before After Image Slider – Interactive Image and Video Comparison Plugin for WordPress 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 ↑1 9 too high 20 WebChange Detector: Visual Regression Testing & Visual Checks After Updates 200+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #20 ↑2 21 Medical Before After Gallery 30+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 Download PDF After Submit Form 400+ · 3.2★ (6) wp.org #18 ↓2 4 too high 23 Exindium Before/After Compare 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 Before After Image Compare — Gutenberg & Elementor 200+ · 4.0★ (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.