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

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 “b”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 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

Accordion – Organize Content into Clean Collapsible Sections shows at wp.org #8 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 600+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.5★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense places #7 on merit, 4.9★ from 1463 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Nelio A/B Testing – AB Tests and Heatmaps for Better Conversion Optimization 4K+ · 4.8★ (99) wp.org #1 2 Loco Translate 1M+ · 4.8★ (453) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Popup Builder & Popup Maker for WordPress – OptinMonster Email Marketing and Lead Generation 1M+ · 4.3★ (821) wp.org #9 5 too low 5 Insert Headers And Footers 200K+ · 5.0★ (135) wp.org #12 7 too low 6 Discount Rules for WooCommerce 100K+ · 4.9★ (1395) wp.org #20 14 too low 7 Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463) wp.org #24 17 too low 8 Advanced Product Fields (Product Addons) for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.8★ (284) wp.org #18 10 too low 9 Carousel Block – Showcase Images in Elegant Sliding Displays 7K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #5 4 too high 10 If-So Dynamic Content – Elementor & All Page Builders Personalization 7K+ · 4.7★ (92) wp.org #23 13 too low 11 EasyTest – Simplify A/B Testing 10K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 9 too high 12 bSlider – Build Sliders That Bring Your Content to Life 5K+ · 4.0★ (11) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Popup builder with Gamification, Multi-Step Popups, Page-Level Targeting, and WooCommerce Triggers 70K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #16 3 too low 14 Opti-Behavior – Self-Hosted Heatmaps, Funnels, A/B Testing & Smart Insights 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #17 3 too low 15 bBlocks – Essential Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns Collection 700+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #22 7 too low 16 Pricing Table – Block – Show Product or Service Pricing in Table Format 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 9 too high 17 Sigmize: A/B Testing, Session Recordings, Heatmaps & Revenue Tracking for WooCommerce, SureCart & EDD 5K+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #6 11 too high 18 My WP A/B Testing 200+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #13 5 too high 19 Timeline – Tell Your Story Through Events and Milestones 2K+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 Social Share Block – Help Visitors Spread Your Content Everywhere 2K+ · 4.3★ (3) wp.org #10 10 too high 21 B Laser Loader – Show Visitors Your Pages Are Loading in Style 90+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 22 Feeds for TikTok – Keep Your Site Fresh with Your Latest Videos 1K+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #19 3 too high 23 Testimonial – Build Trust with Rotating Customer Stories 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 8 too high 24 Accordion – Organize Content into Clean Collapsible Sections 600+ · 3.5★ (2) wp.org #8 16 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.