wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “app builder”
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 “app builder”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 7 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
App Builder – Create Native Android & iOS Apps On The Flight shows at wp.org #3 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 500+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.9★ average from 8 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 7519 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
WP Data Access – App Builder for Tables, Forms, Dashboards, Charts & Maps 10K+ · 4.9★ (88)
wp.org #1 ↑1 2 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2143)
wp.org #2 ↓1 3 
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too low 4 
WP Table Builder – Drag & Drop Table Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (681)
wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too low 5 
Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder 500K+ · 4.4★ (1397)
wp.org #8 ↑2 3 too low 6 
FunnelKit – Funnel Builder Plugin for WooCommerce Checkout 30K+ · 5.0★ (1028)
wp.org #12 ↓1 6 too low 7 
WPMobile.App – Android and iOS App Builder 3K+ · 4.8★ (162) not PHP-current
wp.org #7 ↓1 8 Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7519)
wp.org #15 ↓1 7 too low 9 
AppMySite – WordPress & WooCommerce Mobile App Builder (No-Code Android & iOS App Maker) 7K+ · 4.3★ (138) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #6 ↓1 3 too high 10 
WP Chat App 100K+ · 4.9★ (222)
wp.org #13 ↓1 3 too low 11 
WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #9 ↓2 2 too high 12 
Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528)
wp.org #16 ↓7 4 too low 13 
Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528)
wp.org #19 ↑1 6 too low 14 
Ultimate Addons for Beaver Builder (UABB) 20K+ · 5.0★ (332)
wp.org #20 ↑2 6 too low 15 
Masteriyo LMS – LMS Course Builder, Quizzes & Certificates 6K+ · 4.8★ (184) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #10 5 too high 16 
Social Chat – Click To Chat App Button 200K+ · 4.9★ (696) not PHP-current
wp.org #22 6 too low 17 App Builder – Create Native Android & iOS Apps On The Flight 500+ · 3.9★ (8) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #3 ↑11 14 too high 18 
CartFlows – Funnel Builder & Checkout Plugin for WooCommerce 200K+ · 4.8★ (517) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #17 1 too high 19 
Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer 500K+ · 4.5★ (81)
wp.org #18 ↓2 1 too high 20 
MetForm – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Conditional Forms, Form Templates & Custom Form Builder for Elementor 500K+ · 4.7★ (509) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #23 3 too low 21 
WappPress – Convert Site to App Fast – WordPress to Mobile App Builder 1K+ · 3.6★ (39) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #11 ↓2 10 too high 22 
Popup builder with Gamification, Multi-Step Popups, Page-Level Targeting, and WooCommerce Triggers 70K+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #14 ↓1 8 too high 23 
Assistant – Every Day Productivity Apps 4K+ · 4.9★ (15) heavy footprint thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↓3 2 too high 24 
Promolayer – Popup Builder & Abandonment Preventer 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) 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.