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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “block grid”

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 “block grid”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20. 5 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

VK Block Patterns shows at wp.org #11 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 100K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Content Views – Post Grid & Filter (Shortcode, Blocks, Elementor Widgets) places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 333 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery 100K+ · 4.7★ (616) wp.org #1 2 The Post Grid – Shortcode, Gutenberg Blocks and Elementor Addon for Post Grid 100K+ · 4.8★ (265) wp.org #2 3 Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor 600K+ · 4.8★ (333) wp.org #3 ↑1 4 Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks 1M+ · 4.7★ (1872) wp.org #4 ↓1 5 Post Grid 30K+ · 4.3★ (163) wp.org #5 6 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) wp.org #6 ↑1 7 Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page Builder for Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns 100K+ · 4.9★ (216) wp.org #7 ↓1 8 Post Grid Addon for Elementor 10K+ · 4.9★ (76) wp.org #9 ↓1 1 too low 9 Responsive Gallery Grid 4K+ · 4.7★ (66) wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too high 10 Nexter Blocks – Gutenberg Blocks, Page Builder & AI Website Builder 9K+ · 4.8★ (90) wp.org #10 11 AnWP Post Grid and Post Carousel Slider for Elementor 20K+ · 4.9★ (84) wp.org #12 1 too low 12 Content Views – Post Grid & Filter (Shortcode, Blocks, Elementor Widgets) 100K+ · 4.8★ (333) wp.org #17 ↑1 5 too low 13 Otter Blocks – Gutenberg Blocks, Page Builder for Gutenberg Editor & FSE 300K+ · 4.7★ (251) wp.org #18 ↑1 5 too low 14 PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls, Block Visibility, Block Permissions 20K+ · 4.7★ (204) wp.org #24 ↓1 10 too low 15 Product Category Slider & Grid for WooCommerce – Reno Product Category 9K+ · 4.8★ (91) wp.org #13 ↑1 2 too high 16 Image Photo Gallery Final Tiles Grid 20K+ · 4.7★ (353) wp.org #19 ↓9 3 too low 17 Spectra Blocks – AI Website Builder for the Block Editor 60K+ · 4.6★ (53) wp.org #23 ↓10 6 too low 18 Video Grid 1K+ · 4.4★ (15) wp.org #15 ↑1 3 too high 19 Smart Grid-Layout Design for Contact Form 7 10K+ · 4.5★ (72) wp.org #22 3 too low 20 WP Ultimate Post Grid 4K+ · 4.4★ (32) wp.org #21 1 too low 21 Better Block Editor (BBE) 6K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #16 ↑1 5 too high 22 FancyPost – Post Blocks, Grids & Sliders for Block Editor and Elementor 500+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #14 ↑1 8 too high 23 VK Blocks 100K+ · 4.8★ (6) wp.org #20 3 too high 24 VK Block Patterns 100K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #11 13 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.