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

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 “bux”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 4 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

IDPay for Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) shows at wp.org #12 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 30+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Crelly Slider places #3 on merit, 4.9★ from 112 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Revive Social – Social Media Auto Post and Scheduling Automation Plugin 20K+ · 4.0★ (556) wp.org #7 6 too low 2

WP Compress – Instant Performance & Speed Optimization 9K+ · 4.5★ (155) wp.org #6 4 too low 3

Crelly Slider 10K+ · 4.9★ (112) wp.org #13 10 too low 4

Export Media as ZIP 3K+ · 3.7★ (3) thin reviews wp.org #1 3 too high 5

JCH Optimize 4K+ · 4.4★ (69) not PHP-current wp.org #8 3 too low 6

Bux Woocommerce 90+ · 4.4★ (5) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #5 1 too high 7

Web3 Crypto Payments by DePay for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.0★ (12) thin reviews wp.org #10 3 too low 8

API Request Monitor: Monitor Incoming & Outgoing API Requests and Manage Webhooks — · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #2 6 too high 9

IntelliWidget Per Page Custom Menus and Dynamic Content 600+ · 4.7★ (20) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #18 9 too low 10

Kaiizen Mail Log — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #3 7 too high 11

Kaiizen Shelf Life – Product SEO Audit & Content Refresh for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #4 7 too high 12

W3S Connector for WooCommerce and Zoho CRM 20+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #9 3 too high 13

Bolt Checkout for WooCommerce 100+ · 3.0★ (10) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #15 2 too low 14

WooWIB – Payment Gateways Bank Indonesia 30+ · 5.0★ (2) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #17 3 too low 15

BUX.digital Payment Gateway for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #11 4 too high 16

JS Crop 30+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #14 2 too high 17

Any Ipsum 40+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #16 1 too high 18 R RSS No More 80+ · 5.0★ (2) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #21 3 too low 19

Multi Counter 10+ · 0.0★ (0) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #20 1 too low 20

Kripto Para Dönüştürücü ve Döviz Hesaplama 40+ · 3.5★ (2) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #19 1 too high 21

IDPay for Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) 30+ · 1.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #12 9 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.