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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “automatic chat”

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 “automatic chat”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 2 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

Charla Live Chat shows at wp.org #14 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 500+ 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

Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 418 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Tidio – Live Chat & AI Chatbots 70K+ · 4.8★ (395) wp.org #1 2 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots 10K+ · 4.8★ (142) wp.org #2 3 Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962) wp.org #3 ↑1 4 3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging 100K+ · 4.6★ (820) wp.org #4 ↑1 5 Joinchat – Enhanced “click to chat” 700K+ · 4.7★ (189) wp.org #5 ↓2 6 Live Chat by Formilla – Real-time Chat & Chatbots Plugin 2K+ · 4.8★ (116) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Wise Chat 4K+ · 4.4★ (105) wp.org #8 1 too low 8 LiveChat – Live Chat Plugin for WP Websites 10K+ · 4.6★ (98) wp.org #9 1 too low 9 Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418) wp.org #21 12 too low 10 WPZOOM Connect: Social Icons Widget & Block, Share Buttons & Click to Chat 90K+ · 4.9★ (144) wp.org #18 8 too low 11 WP Social Ninja – Embed Social Feeds, User Reviews & Chat Widgets 30K+ · 4.8★ (71) wp.org #17 6 too low 12 ChatHelp – Click to Chat Button, Chat to Order for WooCommerce & Floating Chat Form 2K+ · 4.4★ (9) wp.org #6 6 too high 13 OneClick Chat to Order 30K+ · 4.8★ (84) wp.org #12 1 too high 14 Brevo – Email, SMS, Web Push, Chat, and more. 100K+ · 4.1★ (284) wp.org #22 8 too low 15 Buttonizer – Live Chat, AI Chatbot, Call, Chat, Contact Button 50K+ · 5.0★ (23) wp.org #10 5 too high 16 Linguise – AI Automatic Multilingual Translation 1K+ · 4.9★ (31) wp.org #24 8 too low 17 Better Chat Support for Messenger 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #11 6 too high 18 Contact Form to Chat Apps | Click to Chat to Order – FormyChat 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #13 ↑1 5 too high 19 MxChat – AI Chatbot & Content Generation for WordPress 2K+ · 5.0★ (31) wp.org #23 4 too low 20 RumbleTalk Group Chat for Communities & Live Events 600+ · 3.4★ (21) wp.org #16 4 too high 21 Chatroll Live Chat 200+ · 4.0★ (5) wp.org #20 1 too high 22 Chaport — Live Chat & Chatbots 2K+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #15 7 too high 23 Charla Live Chat 500+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓1 9 too high 24 Tap Chat – Floating Contact Button 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 5 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.