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

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 “bem”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 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.

R

Ranked above its merit

RSS Image Widget shows at wp.org #12 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 60+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Correios Automático – Rastreio, Frete, Etiqueta, Declaração e Devolução places #5 on merit, 5.0★ from 90 reviews, but shows at wp.org #10. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Colibri Page Builder 80K+ · 4.4★ (80) wp.org #4 ↓1 3 too low 2 Bricks Navigator 8K+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 PagBank / PagSeguro e Vindi para WooCommerce 3K+ · 5.0★ (64) wp.org #7 ↑3 4 too low 4 Mortar for Bricks Builder 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #2 ↑1 2 too high 5 Correios Automático – Rastreio, Frete, Etiqueta, Declaração e Devolução 4K+ · 5.0★ (90) wp.org #10 ↓1 5 too low 6 Manda Bem 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 5 too high 7 Autocomplete Address for WooCommerce 7K+ · 4.8★ (24) wp.org #9 ↓2 2 too low 8 Pix Automático com Pagarme para WooCommerce 400+ · 4.8★ (21) wp.org #17 9 too low 9 Multibanco / MB Way / Payshop (by LUSOPAY) for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #6 ↓1 3 too high 10 Darven Preços Parcelados 200+ · 4.5★ (4) wp.org #8 2 too high 11 M Multiple Category Selection Widget 100+ · 2.9★ (14) wp.org #13 2 too low 12 NIBWP – Self-Hosted MCP Server – Connect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor & Any AI Agent via MCP 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #15 ↑1 3 too low 13 Bukza 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #11 2 too high 14 Virtuaria PagBank Split 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 5 too low 15 easypay Gateway Checkout for WooCommerce 600+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #5 ↑1 10 too high 16 Sityn Enhancer for Bricks Builder 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 17 R Researcher Profiles for ORCID 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 AI Thumbnails Maker – auto featured image & force regenerate thumbnails 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 2 too low 19 HUP – Indicadores Económicos (Chile) — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 2 too low 20 F10 Escolar – Captura de Leads — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 2 too low 21 WINTOUCH Cloud — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 GameBrain – Game Review Blocks, Scores & Video Game Info — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 R RSS Image Widget 60+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #12 11 too high 24 Pix 4x sem juros – Pagaleve 100+ · 3.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓1 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.