wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “baltics”
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 “baltics”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 16. 4 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
Swotzy for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #4 but places #9 on merit, a gap of 5 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
MultiParcels Shipping For WooCommerce places #1 on merit, 4.6★ from 62 reviews, but shows at wp.org #7. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
MultiParcels Shipping For WooCommerce 4K+ · 4.6★ (62)
wp.org #7 6 too low 2 
WP Mailster 300+ · 4.9★ (32)
wp.org #9 7 too low 3 
DPD Baltic Shipping 2K+ · 2.7★ (13) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviewslow rating, top placement
wp.org #1 2 too high 4 
SilentShield – Captcha & Anti-Spam for WordPress (CF7, WPForms, Elementor, WooCommerce) 10K+ · 4.7★ (24) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #6 2 too low 5 
MakeCommerce for WooCommerce 3K+ · 3.6★ (8) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #2 3 too high 6 
Baltic Marketplace XML Exporter for WooCommerce 20+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement
wp.org #3 3 too high 7 
CookieBoxs – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent & Google Consent Mode v2 200+ · 4.4★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #10 3 too low 8 
Authentication Plugin for the Baltics and Iceland — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placementstale but ranked
wp.org #5 3 too high 9 Swotzy for WooCommerce 100+ · 0.0★ (0) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviewslow rating, top placement
wp.org #4 5 too high 10 
Posti Shipping 1K+ · 3.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #8 2 too high 11 
EarnestLabs Quote & Catalog for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #12 1 too low 12 
PB Gig Diary — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #13 1 too low 13 
Ovebot – AI Chatbot, Live Chat & Sales Agent — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #14 1 too low 14 
Allparcels.com 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #15 1 too low 15 R Replace diacritics 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #16 1 too low 16 
Swedbank Pay Payment Menu 200+ · 1.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #11 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.