Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “bf”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Blueforce Manual Payments for TWINT shows at wp.org #8 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its — 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

Simple Link Directory – AI Powered places #10 on merit, 4.8★ from 121 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Cyrlitera – Transliteration of Links and File Names 40K+ · 4.6★ (62) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 BuddyForms 800+ · 4.8★ (180) wp.org #7 5 too low 3 Cyr to Lat Reloaded – Transliteration of Links and File Names 30K+ · 4.5★ (15) wp.org #3 4 Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667) wp.org #10 6 too low 5 CodeColorer 1K+ · 4.9★ (11) wp.org #5 6 Greek Multi Tool 1K+ · 4.6★ (9) wp.org #4 2 too high 7 BF Secret File Downloader 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #1 6 too high 8 Better Badge – Custom Product Badges for WooCommerce 600+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 WPBot – AI ChatBot for Live Support, Lead Generation, WordPress Automation, AI Services 5K+ · 4.7★ (124) wp.org #17 8 too low 10 Simple Link Directory – AI Powered 2K+ · 4.8★ (121) wp.org #20 10 too low 11 Tabbed Category Product Listing for Woocommerce 1K+ · 4.9★ (28) wp.org #16 5 too low 12 Slider Hero with Video Background, Animation 3K+ · 4.8★ (34) wp.org #19 7 too low 13 AI ChatBot for WooCommerce – WoowBot 1K+ · 4.8★ (19) wp.org #18 5 too low 14 Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools 8K+ · 4.1★ (15) wp.org #15 1 too low 15 Voice Audio Widgets – Voice recorder with Forms, AI Powered STT, TTS, Transcriptions, Language Teaching 300+ · 5.0★ (16) wp.org #22 7 too low 16 AI Infographic Maker 600+ · 4.4★ (17) wp.org #21 5 too low 17 Strainovic UID Check Schweiz — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 8 too high 18 WPBot – ChatBot Conversational Forms 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 5 too low 19 Blueforce Manual Payments for TWINT — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 11 too high 20 Blueforce Spam Protect 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 9 too high 21 Bucketforms Lite — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 9 too high 22 W WHA Tours Core — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 9 too high 23 B BF Advanced Images 70+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 9 too high 24 G GF to BF — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24

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.