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

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 “calculator”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 3 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

EMI Calculator shows at wp.org #11 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 600+ 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

Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 807 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144) wp.org #1 2 Cost Calculator Builder 20K+ · 4.5★ (393) wp.org #2 ↑5 3 Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder 500K+ · 4.4★ (1397) wp.org #3 ↑3 4 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387) wp.org #6 ↓2 2 too low 5 Formidable Forms – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Payment, Calculator Form & Custom Form Builder 300K+ · 4.8★ (1388) wp.org #7 ↓5 2 too low 6 Responsive Mortgage Calculator 7K+ · 4.4★ (21) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 Mortgage Calculator 4K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #4 ↓1 3 too high 8 Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder 800K+ · 4.8★ (807) wp.org #23 ↓5 15 too low 9 Loan Calculator WP 2K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #12 ↓3 3 too low 10 Product page shipping calculator for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.9★ (77) wp.org #20 ↑2 10 too low 11 Calculator Builder – Create an Online Calculator 1K+ · 4.7★ (18) wp.org #15 ↓3 4 too low 12 Campos Checkout Brasileiro para WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.9★ (45) wp.org #18 ↓2 6 too low 13 Flexible Quantity & Price Calculator for WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.3★ (9) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Cost Calculator for Contact Form 7 – Price Calculator Free 5K+ · 3.8★ (15) wp.org #8 ↑3 6 too high 15 Simple Mortgage Calculator 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #9 ↓1 6 too high 16 Mortgage Calculator 1K+ · 3.9★ (13) wp.org #16 17 WP Calorie Calculator 900+ · 4.7★ (12) wp.org #19 ↓4 2 too low 18 Currency Converter Calculator 1K+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #22 ↓3 4 too low 19 BMI Adult & Kid Calculator 700+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #13 6 too high 20 Financial Calculator 400+ · 3.8★ (4) wp.org #21 1 too low 21 Cost Calculator for Elementor 500+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #17 ↓3 4 too high 22 Ovulation Calculator 200+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 Loan Calculator 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 9 too high 24 EMI Calculator 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 ↑6 13 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.