wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “auto lock”
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 “auto lock”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 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
Lock My Site shows at wp.org #4 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 60+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection places #11 on merit, 4.6★ from 3992 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Media File Renamer: Rename Images & Files for SEO (AI-Powered) 40K+ · 4.6★ (447)
wp.org #1 2 
Auto-Install Free SSL – Generate & Install Free SSL Certificates 8K+ · 4.9★ (405)
wp.org #2 3 
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ · 4.8★ (1489)
wp.org #3 4 
Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1526)
wp.org #6 2 too low 5 
Revive Social – Social Media Auto Post and Scheduling Automation Plugin 20K+ · 4.0★ (556)
wp.org #5 6 
Meta Box – A Framework for Dynamic Websites 500K+ · 4.8★ (165)
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 
Wallet for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.7★ (188)
wp.org #9 2 too low 8 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #10 2 too low 9 
CartFlows – Funnel Builder & Checkout Plugin for WooCommerce 200K+ · 4.8★ (517)
wp.org #11 ↑1 2 too low 10 
Download Manager 90K+ · 4.1★ (1006)
wp.org #15 ↓1 5 too low 11 Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992)
wp.org #19 ↓3 8 too low 12 
Wbcom Designs – Private Community for BuddyPress 300+ · 4.9★ (25)
wp.org #8 4 too high 13 
File Manager 1M+ · 4.6★ (1492)
wp.org #18 5 too low 14 
BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55)
wp.org #13 ↑4 1 too high 15 
Inactive Logout 10K+ · 4.8★ (106)
wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too low 16 Lock My Site 60+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #4 12 too high 17 
Currency Converter Widget 2K+ · 4.9★ (88)
wp.org #22 5 too low 18 
UiChemy – Convert Figma, Prompts and AI Builds to Elementor, Gutenberg and Bricks 8K+ · 5.0★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #12 ↓1 6 too high 19 
Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↑3 2 too high 20 
WPMasterToolKit (WPMTK) – All in one plugin 5K+ · 5.0★ (28)
wp.org #20 ↓1 21 
WPEPP – Essential Security, Password Protect & Login Page Customizer 3K+ · 4.1★ (19) thin reviews
wp.org #14 ↓1 7 too high 22 
Password Policy Manager 6K+ · 4.4★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #24 2 too low 23 
Advanced Age Verification Popup 700+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #21 2 too high 24 
Menu Visibility Control 700+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #23 1 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.