wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “application banner”
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 “application banner”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 4 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Hostinger Tools shows at wp.org #16 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 3M+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.5★ average from 40 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
CookieYes – Cookie Banner for Cookie Consent (Easy to setup GDPR/CCPA Compliant Cookie Notice) 1M+ · 4.8★ (3236)
wp.org #1 2 
Cookie Compliance for WordPress – Cookie Consent, GDPR & CCPA 800K+ · 4.8★ (3026)
wp.org #3 1 too low 3 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186)
wp.org #4 5 
Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680)
wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too low 6 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #7 ↓1 1 too low 7 
NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (220)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder 500K+ · 4.4★ (1397)
wp.org #10 ↓1 2 too low 9 
Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (167)
wp.org #9 ↑3 10 
WPVibe – MCP Server for WordPress, works with Claude, ChatGPT & other AI MCP agents 100K+ · 5.0★ (199)
wp.org #11 1 too low 11 
JobWP – Job Board Plugin for WordPress | Job Listings, Career Page & Applications 1K+ · 5.0★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #5 6 too high 12 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #14 ↑1 2 too low 13 
BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security 100K+ · 4.9★ (160)
wp.org #12 ↓2 1 too high 14 
NotificationX – FOMO, Live Sales Notification, WooCommerce Sales Popup, GDPR, Social Proof, Announcement Banner & Floating Notification Bar 30K+ · 4.8★ (228)
wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too low 15 
PWA for WP – Progressive Web Apps Made Simple 10K+ · 4.6★ (230)
wp.org #17 ↓1 2 too low 16 
Affiliate Program Suite — SliceWP Affiliates 10K+ · 4.9★ (111)
wp.org #18 ↑3 2 too low 17 
Simple Job Board 10K+ · 4.7★ (133)
wp.org #19 ↓2 2 too low 18 
FAZ Cookie Manager 3K+ · 5.0★ (30)
wp.org #13 5 too high 19 
WP Job Manager 70K+ · 4.4★ (237)
wp.org #22 ↓2 3 too low 20 
Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA — reCAPTCHA Alternative for All Forms 5K+ · 4.8★ (50)
wp.org #24 4 too low 21 
Affiliates Manager 8K+ · 4.1★ (61)
wp.org #21 ↑1 22 
Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27)
wp.org #23 1 too low 23 
Hafenstudios Ads – Ad Manager, AdSense & Banner Ads 100+ · 5.0★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↓2 3 too high 24 Hostinger Tools 3M+ · 3.5★ (40) host-installed base
wp.org #16 ↓3 8 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.