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

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 “butler”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 19. 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

Wireless Butler shows at wp.org #10 but places #14 on merit, a gap of 4 places. Its — 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.

merit plugin signals wp.org

WP-Members Membership Plugin 50K+ · 4.6★ (272) wp.org #1 2

Albert – Connect AI Assistants to WordPress 40+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews wp.org #2 3

Show/Hide Content at Set Time 10K+ · 4.9★ (33) closure risk wp.org #11 8 too low 4

Flipdish Ordering System 400+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #4 5

Keywords to Links Converter 600+ · 3.0★ (10) closure risk thin reviewslow rating, top placementstale but ranked wp.org #5 6 W Webs Butler Migration — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #3 3 too high 7

SOUP – Show off Upcoming Posts 70+ · 4.5★ (6) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #12 5 too low 8

BuckyDrop – Branded Dropshipping for WooCommerce 200+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #6 2 too high 9 W WP Butler 10+ · 5.0★ (4) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #16 7 too low 10

Workshop Butler 20+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #7 3 too high 11

WordPass 30+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #8 3 too high 12

Cheyytec Content Warning Blur – Spoiler, NSFW & Trigger Warning Click to Reveal — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #9 3 too high 13

Recent Contributors Widget 10+ · 5.0★ (2) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #13 14

Wireless Butler — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #10 4 too high 15

Mcc Automated — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #14 1 too high 16

Profile Update Notification 10+ · 5.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #15 1 too high 17 C Changes 10+ · 5.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #18 1 too low 18 W WP Export Users Plus 40+ · 0.0★ (0) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #17 1 too high 19 D Default Post Content 70+ · 0.0★ (0) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #19

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.