wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “availability date”
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 “availability date”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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
Advanced Datepicker – Restricts Date for WPForms shows at wp.org #3 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 300+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI places #5 on merit, 4.8★ from 27820 reviews, but shows at wp.org #9. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Availability Datepicker – Booking Calendar for Contact Form 7 – Input WP 10K+ · 4.1★ (42)
wp.org #1 2 
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551)
wp.org #4 ↓2 2 too low 3 
WP Simple Booking Calendar 10K+ · 4.8★ (227)
wp.org #6 3 too low 4 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #7 3 too low 5 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27820)
wp.org #9 ↑1 4 too low 6 
Booking Calendar 40K+ · 4.8★ (657)
wp.org #8 2 too low 7 
PI Delivery & Pickup Date Time for WooCommerce 400+ · 4.8★ (90)
wp.org #5 2 too high 8 
Product Delivery Date for WooCommerce – Lite 1K+ · 4.1★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #2 ↑2 6 too high 9 
Booking for Appointments and Events Calendar – Amelia 90K+ · 4.6★ (793)
wp.org #10 ↑1 1 too low 10 
My Calendar – Accessible Event Manager 20K+ · 4.7★ (159)
wp.org #13 ↓4 3 too low 11 
Simply Schedule Appointments 50K+ · 5.0★ (155)
wp.org #15 4 too low 12 
Sucuri Security – Auditing, Malware Scanner and Security Hardening 600K+ · 4.2★ (386)
wp.org #12 ↑1 13 
Appointment Hour Booking – Booking Calendar 10K+ · 4.9★ (524)
wp.org #21 8 too low 14 
WP Booking System – Booking Calendar 10K+ · 4.9★ (344)
wp.org #23 ↑1 9 too low 15 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #24 9 too low 16 
EventPrime – Events Calendar, Bookings, Tickets & AI 7K+ · 4.4★ (85)
wp.org #16 ↓2 17 
Easy Booking – WooCommerce Booking & Reservation Plugin 4K+ · 4.7★ (63)
wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too low 18 
PRENA – Product Pre-Orders for WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.7★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #11 ↑1 7 too high 19 Advanced Datepicker – Restricts Date for WPForms 300+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #3 16 too high 20 
BA Book Everything 10K+ · 4.2★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↓2 21 
Booking Package 10K+ · 4.0★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↑5 4 too high 22 
MJDD Sidrena Cijena 700+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↓3 3 too high 23 
YITH Pre-Order for WooCommerce 6K+ · 3.1★ (16) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↑1 1 too high 24 
Rsilitech Postcode Availability 20+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #14 ↑6 10 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.