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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “bootstrap main menu”

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

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

Ultimate Bootstrap Elements for Elementor shows at wp.org #3 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 6K+ 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

W3 Total Cache places #3 on merit, 4.4★ from 5420 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WP Sticky Sidebar – Floating Sidebar On Scroll for Any Theme 10K+ · 4.9★ (153) wp.org #4 3 too low 2 Fullscreen Menu 1K+ · 4.7★ (14) wp.org #2 3 W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420) wp.org #11 8 too low 4 GeoDirectory – WP Business Directory Plugin and Classified Listings Directory 10K+ · 4.8★ (716) wp.org #12 8 too low 5 BlockStrap Page Builder – Bootstrap Blocks 2K+ · 4.5★ (4) wp.org #1 4 too high 6 Blog Filter – Post Grid Filter by Category or Tag 7K+ · 4.9★ (81) wp.org #8 2 too low 7 Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP 90K+ · 4.9★ (79) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 Bricks Navigator 8K+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 Ninja Tables – Easy Data Table Builder 70K+ · 4.6★ (472) wp.org #15 6 too low 10 UsersWP – Front-end login form, User Registration, User Profile & Members Directory plugin for WP 20K+ · 4.7★ (183) wp.org #18 ↓1 8 too low 11 JoomSport – for Sports: Team & League, Football, Hockey & more 1K+ · 4.9★ (44) wp.org #13 2 too low 12 Social Preview and Open Graph Tags 50K+ · 4.6★ (122) wp.org #19 ↓1 7 too low 13 WPBruiser Security – No CAPTCHA Anti-Spam & Login Protection 10K+ · 4.6★ (213) wp.org #22 9 too low 14 Web Accessibility (formally known as Ally) – WCAG Scanning, Guided Fixes, Usability Widget 500K+ · 2.9★ (162) wp.org #10 4 too high 15 Filter Gallery 3K+ · 4.6★ (22) wp.org #14 1 too high 16 UnoDock – Mobile Bottom Navigation 700+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #7 9 too high 17 WP Sort Order 6K+ · 4.5★ (17) wp.org #16 1 too high 18 Duplicate PP 10K+ · 4.4★ (19) wp.org #17 1 too high 19 Hide Admin Bar Based on User Roles – Disable the WordPress Toolbar by Role or Capability 20K+ · 3.9★ (20) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too low 20 Ultimate Bootstrap Elements for Elementor 6K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 17 too high 21 NEO Bootstrap Carousel 30+ · 4.0★ (3) wp.org #5 16 too high 22 Dynamic Product Gallery for WooCommerce 1K+ · 3.1★ (37) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 Dynamic Copyright Year 700+ · 3.0★ (3) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 D DS FAQ Plus 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 1 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.