wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “align text”
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 “align text”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20. 2 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
Advanced Custom Fields: Typography Field shows at wp.org #6 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 3K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.6★ average from 5 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Timeline Widget For Elementor (Elementor Timeline, Vertical & Horizontal Timeline) places #10 on merit, 4.8★ from 248 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667)
wp.org #1 2 
Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882)
wp.org #4 2 too low 3 
ResponsiveVoice Text To Speech 7K+ · 3.9★ (34)
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
Image Hover Effects – Elementor Addon 40K+ · 4.9★ (83)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder 800K+ · 4.8★ (807)
wp.org #9 ↓2 4 too low 6 
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051)
wp.org #10 4 too low 7 
Visual CSS Style Editor 30K+ · 4.1★ (90)
wp.org #7 ↑1 8 
Options for Twenty Twenty-One 6K+ · 4.9★ (64)
wp.org #8 ↑1 9 
Starter Templates: AI-Powered Website Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg 1M+ · 4.9★ (4755)
wp.org #16 7 too low 10 Timeline Widget For Elementor (Elementor Timeline, Vertical & Horizontal Timeline) 70K+ · 4.8★ (248)
wp.org #19 9 too low 11 
Options for Twenty Seventeen 8K+ · 4.8★ (57)
wp.org #13 2 too low 12 
AccessiYes Accessibility Widget for ADA, EAA & WCAG Readiness 20K+ · 4.8★ (36)
wp.org #12 13 
Advanced Woo Labels – Product Labels & Badges for WooCommerce 10K+ · 5.0★ (64) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #11 2 too high 14 
Text Typing – grab attention with animated typing headlines 3K+ · 3.8★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #3 11 too high 15 
Accessibility Widget by OneTap – Easy One-Click Accessibility Toolbar 60K+ · 4.9★ (80)
wp.org #21 6 too low 16 
Twenty20 Image Before-After 20K+ · 4.0★ (54)
wp.org #14 2 too high 17 
Page Builder: Pagelayer – Drag and Drop website builder 400K+ · 3.9★ (104)
wp.org #15 2 too high 18 
Secure Custom Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (69) heavy footprint
wp.org #18 19 
Simple Social Icons 100K+ · 4.3★ (92)
wp.org #23 4 too low 20 
Options for Twenty Twenty 3K+ · 4.7★ (31)
wp.org #17 3 too high 21 
Kaya QR Code Generator 10K+ · 4.4★ (38)
wp.org #22 1 too low 22 Advanced Custom Fields: Typography Field 3K+ · 4.6★ (5) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #6 16 too high 23 
Justify for Paragraph Block 3K+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #20 3 too high 24 
Term Description: Rich Text Editor (Powered by TinyMCE) for WooCommerce 700+ · 5.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
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.