Plugin Pulse
← Rankings

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

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 “atom”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 3 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

ForthFocus Atom XML Converter for Blogger™ shows at wp.org #1 but places #12 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 100+ 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

Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) places #4 on merit, 5.0★ from 422 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1717) wp.org #3 2 too low 2 Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ · 4.5★ (157) wp.org #2 3 Disable Comments – Remove Comments & Stop Spam [Multi-Site Support] 1M+ · 4.7★ (281) wp.org #8 5 too low 4 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (422) wp.org #13 9 too low 5 XO Security 30K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Disable Feeds WP 10K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 F FeedWordPress 9K+ · 4.2★ (61) wp.org #7 8 Disable Comments & Delete All Comments 9K+ · 5.0★ (41) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 WebSub (FKA. PubSubHubbub) 100K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #4 5 too high 10 Super RSS Reader – Add attractive RSS Feed Widget 9K+ · 4.6★ (66) wp.org #14 4 too low 11 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 2K+ · 5.0★ (20) wp.org #11 12 ForthFocus Atom XML Converter for Blogger™ 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 11 too high 13 Disable Comments 100K+ · 3.8★ (25) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Flow-Flow Social Streams 8K+ · 3.3★ (100) wp.org #23 ↓2 9 too low 15 BtW Importer – Free Blogger/Blogspot Migration 500+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #9 6 too high 16 Import XML and RSS Feeds 2K+ · 3.8★ (24) wp.org #22 6 too low 17 NOWPayments for WooCommerce – Crypto Payment Gateway 4K+ · 4.1★ (16) wp.org #15 ↑1 2 too high 18 Group Chat & Video Chat by AtomChat 200+ · 4.6★ (8) wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too low 19 Open Search Document 200+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #16 ↓1 3 too high 20 Disabler 900+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too high 21 FlyWP Helper – Page Cache, Page Optimization, Emails for FlyWP Server Control Panel 4K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #24 ↓1 3 too low 22 Disable RSS, RDF, and Atom Feeds 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 4 too high 23 RSS Retriever Lite 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 6 too high 24 Feed Importer for Blogger 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 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.