Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “backdoor scanner”

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 “backdoor scanner”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

Cleverhog Malware Scanner shows at wp.org #7 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 100+ 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

SecuPress with Simple SSL – Simple and Performant Security places #8 on merit, 4.1★ from 106 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) wp.org #1 2 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #2 3 Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ · 4.8★ (334) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 MalCare WordPress Security Plugin – Malware Scanner, Cleaner, Security Firewall 100K+ · 4.4★ (559) wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too low 5 Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (783) wp.org #10 5 too low 6 Quttera ThreatSign – Web Malware Scanner for WordPress 10K+ · 3.9★ (47) wp.org #3 3 too high 7 Security Ninja – WordPress Security & Firewall 7K+ · 4.7★ (101) wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too low 8 SecuPress with Simple SSL – Simple and Performant Security 40K+ · 4.1★ (106) wp.org #14 ↓1 6 too low 9 Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27) wp.org #11 ↑3 2 too low 10 Atlant Security 700+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #16 ↓8 6 too low 11 BitFire Security – Firewall, Malware Scanner, Bot Blocker, Login Protection 300+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #12 ↓1 1 too low 12 DevDome Malware Scanner – WordPress Malware Removal & Security Scanner 300+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #6 ↓1 6 too high 13 SiteFort Security – Malware Scanner, Firewall, Login Security & Hardening 50+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 WebDefender Security – Protection & AntiSpam 1K+ · 4.0★ (18) wp.org #23 9 too low 15 Moatline Malware Scanner 30+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 ↑7 6 too high 16 Site Lockdown Security 700+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #18 ↑1 2 too low 17 Segurium – Free Malware Removal & Auto Cleanup for Hacked Websites, Antivirus Scanner, Vulnerability Alerts 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #19 ↓1 2 too low 18 Cleverhog Malware Scanner 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 11 too high 19 BroodWeb Malware Scanner 10+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↓1 6 too high 20 B Batch REST Guard 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↑1 1 too low 21 Aipatch Security Scanner 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 6 too high 22 Nova Scan Lite – Malware Scanner, Backdoor & File Integrity — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 ScanForge Database Security 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 3 too high 24 Guardian Gaze Security – Malware & Database Scanner, File Integrity Monitoring, IP Blocking 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↓1 2 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.