Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “api client”

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 “api client”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 of the top 20. 5 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

getLaw WP API Client shows at wp.org #3 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 20 places. Its 600+ 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

Widgets for Google Reviews places #6 on merit, 4.9★ from 2667 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 InfiniteWP Client 200K+ · 4.4★ (177) wp.org #1 2 PixelYourSite – Your smart PIXEL (TAG) & API Manager 400K+ · 4.3★ (281) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) wp.org #7 ↓2 4 too low 4 JWT Authentication for WP REST APIs 10K+ · 4.4★ (74) wp.org #8 4 too low 5 WPVibe – MCP Server for WordPress, works with Claude, ChatGPT & other AI MCP agents 100K+ · 5.0★ (199) wp.org #13 ↑1 8 too low 6 Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667) wp.org #18 12 too low 7 Jetpack CRM – Clients, Leads, Invoices, Billing, Email Marketing, & Automation 30K+ · 4.3★ (152) wp.org #14 ↓2 7 too low 8 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #16 ↑2 8 too low 9 Datafeedr API 4K+ · 4.0★ (13) wp.org #5 ↑1 4 too high 10 Disable XML-RPC-API 100K+ · 4.2★ (43) wp.org #10 11 FluentSMTP – WP Mail SMTP Plugin with Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, Cloudflare, toSend, Gmail and Any SMTP 700K+ · 4.8★ (410) wp.org #22 ↓6 11 too low 12 Contact Form to Any API 8K+ · 5.0★ (28) wp.org #9 3 too high 13 Logo Carousel – Responsive Logo Slider, Logo Showcase, and Clients Logo Gallery 20K+ · 4.7★ (162) wp.org #24 11 too low 14 Custom API for WP 1K+ · 4.8★ (45) wp.org #11 ↑2 3 too high 15 JWT Authentication for WP REST API 60K+ · 4.4★ (53) wp.org #12 ↓1 3 too high 16 WP Consent API 200K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 ↑1 14 too high 17 Easy MCP AI – Connect Claude to WordPress: MCP Server for ChatGPT & AI Agents 30K+ · 4.9★ (16) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 JSON API Auth 600+ · 4.7★ (11) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 SureFeedback Client Site 5K+ · 4.0★ (39) wp.org #23 4 too low 20 JSON API User 1K+ · 3.9★ (21) wp.org #17 3 too high 21 CoCart – Headless REST API for WooCommerce 900+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too high 22 MStore API – Create Native Android & iOS Apps On The Cloud 2K+ · 3.7★ (21) wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too high 23 getLaw WP API Client 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 ↓1 20 too high 24 Pronamic Client 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 ↑1 18 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.