Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “blind”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 3 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.

A

Ranked above its merit

Alt checker shows at wp.org #13 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 20+ 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

Adminify – White Label, Admin Menu Editor, Login Customizer places #9 on merit, 4.3★ from 109 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 M Chart 3K+ · 4.9★ (28) wp.org #1 2 Auto Image Attributes From Filename With Bulk Updater (Add Alt Text, Image Title For Image SEO) 100K+ · 4.8★ (93) wp.org #2 3 WP-Appbox 2K+ · 4.5★ (63) wp.org #3 4 AWP Classifieds 3K+ · 4.6★ (301) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Accessibility New Window Warnings 1K+ · 4.8★ (17) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 SEO Engine – Smart SEO with AI, Schema & Redirection for WordPress 1K+ · 4.9★ (48) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Bulk Auto Image Alt Text (Alt tag, Alt attribute) optimizer (image SEO) 10K+ · 4.2★ (111) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 ActiveCampaign Postmark for WordPress 50K+ · 4.7★ (30) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 Adminify – White Label, Admin Menu Editor, Login Customizer 6K+ · 4.3★ (109) wp.org #16 ↓1 7 too low 10 Text: AI chatbot, live chat & ticketing for customer service 100+ · 5.0★ (15) wp.org #23 ↓1 13 too low 11 Accessibility Assistant – EAA ADA WCAG AODA 100+ · 4.3★ (9) wp.org #10 1 too high 12 Visual Builder for Contact Form 7 400+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #8 4 too high 13 BlindMatrix e-Commerce 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 7 too high 14 ووسلام – همگام سازی ووکامرس و باسلام 6K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #11 ↑2 3 too high 15 Dashboard and Analytics for WooCommerce 70+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #15 ↓1 16 SiteCare – Vulnerability Scanner 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #17 ↓1 1 too low 17 WDOnline Print All for WooCommerce 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 a3 Responsive Slider 200+ · 2.6★ (8) wp.org #24 ↓1 6 too low 19 BCC All Emails 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too high 20 FetchPriority Featured Image 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓2 1 too low 21 Accessibility Assistant – Readabler 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓2 1 too low 22 A Alt checker 20+ · 3.5★ (2) wp.org #13 ↓2 9 too high 23 Shrinkwell Image Optimizer 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↓1 4 too high 24 Send Emails — Newsletters, Automation & Email Marketing for WordPress 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↑1 4 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.