Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “authoring”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20.

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

Experience API for Sensei LMS by GrassBlade shows at wp.org #13 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 20+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

LifterLMS – WP LMS for eLearning, Online Courses, & Quizzes places #2 on merit, 4.8★ from 393 reviews, but shows at wp.org #8. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Create Block Theme 20K+ · 4.8★ (38) wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too low 2 LifterLMS – WP LMS for eLearning, Online Courses, & Quizzes 10K+ · 4.8★ (393) wp.org #8 6 too low 3 Experience API for LearnPress by GrassBlade 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 too high 4 Editoria11y Accessibility Checker 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 WP Document Revisions 2K+ · 3.7★ (23) wp.org #10 5 too low 6 Topic Progression Using Storyline/Captivate for LearnDash 400+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #6 7 Experience API for TutorLMS by GrassBlade 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #3 4 too high 8 Experience API for LifterLMS by Grassblade 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 4 too high 9 Ordessa – FAQ & Accordion Block with Bulk Add 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 2 too high 10 ForthFocus SMS – OTP Verification, Order Notifications & Indian DLT for WooCommerce 20+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #14 ↑1 4 too low 11 Experience API for MasterStudy by GrassBlade 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 2 too high 12 DiviOps Agent 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Experience API for WP Courseware by Grassblade 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 1 too high 14 HyperPress | Hypermedia for WordPress (HTMX or Datastar) 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #22 8 too low 15 Pull Quotes 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 4 too low 16 Pattern Builder 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↑3 1 too high 17 Experience API for GamiPress by Grassblade 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 3 too low 18 EV Puzzles 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 2 too high 19 CourseRelay – SCORM Support for LearnDash LMS 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↓4 2 too high 20 Glyphwell – Visual Equation Editor 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 ExMoment Author — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 ↓1 3 too high 22 AutoCurr – Local Currency Converter — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 Quillvia Docs — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 Experience API for Sensei LMS by GrassBlade 20+ · 2.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↑1 11 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.