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

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 “asm”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 3 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

TrackingMore Order Tracking for WooCommerce (Free plan available) shows at wp.org #12 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 600+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Auto Submenu 2K+ · 4.0★ (25) wp.org #1 2

AfterShip Tracking – All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking (Free plan available) 7K+ · 4.8★ (633) wp.org #5 3 too low 3

Code Block Pro – Beautiful Syntax Highlighting 10K+ · 4.8★ (50) wp.org #3 4

Advanced Shipping Manager 40+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #2 2 too high 5

CodeColorer 1K+ · 4.9★ (11) thin reviews wp.org #4 1 too high 6

Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce – Trackora 100+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews wp.org #6 7 W WP-SynHighlight 100+ · 4.6★ (5) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #18 11 too low 8

Checkout Page – Custom checkouts that boost your sales 20+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #7 1 too high 9

Worten Conector – Tracking for Orders 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #8 1 too high 10

Nyambush — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #9 1 too high 11

WPBetterCodeHighlighting — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #10 1 too high 12

Teamgate CRM Forms for WordPress 20+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #11 1 too high 13

Bread 300+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #13 14

Hamail – Send Email via SendGrid — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #14 15

Atomic Site Manager — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #15 16 A Advanced Shipping Methods for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #16 17

Wrapping ShortCode — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #17 18

Deliverea Shipping 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #19 1 too low 19

AS Metabox — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #20 1 too low 20

MSLS Grouping — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #21 1 too low 21 A asm-brush 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #22 1 too low 22

TrackingMore Order Tracking for WooCommerce (Free plan available) 600+ · 4.0★ (2) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #12 10 too high 23 C CodeHighlighter 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #23 24

Before deleting the posts — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk 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.