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

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 “bp”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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 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

BP Classic shows at wp.org #5 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 6K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Custom Order Status Manager for WooCommerce places #6 on merit, 4.7★ from 117 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 BuddyPress 90K+ · 4.1★ (375) wp.org #1 2 BP Profile Search 5K+ · 5.0★ (71) wp.org #2 3 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots 10K+ · 4.8★ (142) wp.org #3 4 B BP xProfile Location 500+ · 4.4★ (10) wp.org #4 5 B BuddyPress Xprofile Custom Field Types 3K+ · 4.9★ (16) wp.org #9 ↓1 4 too low 6 Custom Order Status Manager for WooCommerce 30K+ · 4.7★ (117) wp.org #15 ↑2 9 too low 7 BP Birthday Greetings 200+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 BP Distance Search 100+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #7 1 too high 9 Block, Suspend, Report for BuddyPress 500+ · 4.6★ (18) wp.org #13 ↑2 4 too low 10 Wbcom Designs – BuddyPress Member Reviews 200+ · 4.7★ (18) wp.org #16 6 too low 11 B BP Simple Private 400+ · 3.9★ (11) wp.org #8 ↑1 3 too high 12 B BP Messages Tool 100+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too high 13 B BP Group Documents 600+ · 5.0★ (15) wp.org #18 5 too low 14 Verified Member for BuddyPress 2K+ · 4.7★ (15) wp.org #24 ↓4 10 too low 15 Restrictions for BuddyPress 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #12 ↑1 3 too high 16 B BP Bulk Delete 200+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #10 ↑1 6 too high 17 B BP Local Avatars 100+ · 4.1★ (7) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 BP Classic 6K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 13 too high 19 Re-post Activity for BuddyPress 80+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #17 ↑2 2 too high 20 CiviCRM Profile Sync 500+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 ↑2 21 B BP Email Assign Templates 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 ↑2 2 too high 22 BP Custom Functionalities 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 Wbcom Designs – BuddyPress Post from Anywhere 80+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 ↑2 2 too high 24 B BP Premiums for BuddyPress 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↑2 2 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.