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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “cache tag”

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 “cache tag”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Aruba HiSpeed Cache shows at wp.org #8 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 100K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 10 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Translate WordPress with GTranslate places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 4962 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778) wp.org #1 2 WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4229) wp.org #2 3 W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420) wp.org #3 4 WP Super Cache 1M+ · 4.3★ (1346) wp.org #4 5 WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 Redis Object Cache 500K+ · 4.5★ (179) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 Cache Enabler 100K+ · 4.3★ (139) wp.org #9 1 too low 9 PixelYourSite – Your smart PIXEL (TAG) & API Manager 400K+ · 4.3★ (281) wp.org #13 4 too low 10 Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962) wp.org #22 12 too low 11 Pixel Manager for WooCommerce – Conversion Tracking, Google Ads, GA4, TikTok, Dynamic Remarketing 40K+ · 4.9★ (399) wp.org #20 9 too low 12 Powered Cache – Caching and Optimization for WordPress – Easily Improve PageSpeed & Web Vitals Score 3K+ · 4.8★ (58) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Social Preview and Open Graph Tags 50K+ · 4.6★ (122) wp.org #15 2 too low 14 Proxy Cache Purge 50K+ · 4.4★ (26) wp.org #10 4 too high 15 atec Cache APCu 3K+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #16 1 too low 16 SpeedyCache – Cache, Optimization, Performance 500K+ · 4.4★ (30) wp.org #12 4 too high 17 Cache Warmer 1K+ · 4.8★ (19) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 Object Cache 4 everyone 5K+ · 4.2★ (30) wp.org #19 1 too low 19 Aruba HiSpeed Cache 100K+ · 3.0★ (10) wp.org #8 11 too high 20 WPGraphQL Smart Cache 5K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #14 6 too high 21 Cache Using Gzip 400+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 Clear Autoptimize Cache Automatically 4K+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 WP Global Site Tag 7K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #17 6 too high 24 Pantheon Advanced Page Cache 10K+ · 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.