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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “case study”

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 “case study”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

Portfolio Block – The Ultimate Project & Portfolio Builder shows at wp.org #6 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 800+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Ultimate Responsive Image Slider places #8 on merit, 4.5★ from 248 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 All-in-One WP Migration and Backup 5M+ · 4.5★ (7676) wp.org #1 2 Popup Builder & Popup Maker for WordPress – OptinMonster Email Marketing and Lead Generation 1M+ · 4.3★ (821) wp.org #2 3 GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform 100K+ · 4.6★ (708) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 The Post Grid – Shortcode, Gutenberg Blocks and Elementor Addon for Post Grid 100K+ · 4.8★ (265) wp.org #8 ↑1 4 too low 5 Nelio A/B Testing – AB Tests and Heatmaps for Better Conversion Optimization 4K+ · 4.8★ (99) wp.org #7 ↑1 2 too low 6 WooCommerce PayPal Payments 800K+ · 2.9★ (583) wp.org #3 ↑4 3 too high 7 Timetable and Event Schedule by MotoPress 30K+ · 4.3★ (69) wp.org #9 ↑1 2 too low 8 Ultimate Responsive Image Slider 30K+ · 4.5★ (248) wp.org #14 ↑4 6 too low 9 Testimonial – Testimonial Slider and Showcase Plugin 20K+ · 4.6★ (67) wp.org #11 ↑13 2 too low 10 Stylish Price List – Price Table Builder & QR Code Restaurant Menu 3K+ · 4.7★ (117) wp.org #15 ↓1 5 too low 11 Project Showcase – Responsive Portfolio, Case Studies & Filterable Grid Layouts 200+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #5 ↓2 6 too high 12 Popup Builder by Claspo – Email Popup, Spin the Wheel, Exit Intent 1K+ · 5.0★ (40) wp.org #16 ↑7 4 too low 13 Portfolio Grid – Filterable Gallery, Grid & Slider Showcase 800+ · 4.4★ (33) wp.org #13 14 User Private Files – Secure File Sharing and Client Portal Plugin 1K+ · 4.4★ (57) wp.org #18 ↓1 4 too low 15 AI Popup Builder & Popup Maker by OptiMonk 3K+ · 4.7★ (98) wp.org #17 ↓2 2 too low 16 Radius Portfolio – Filterable Grid, Gallery & Slider Portfolio 7K+ · 4.6★ (38) wp.org #19 ↓3 3 too low 17 LLM Markdown – Markdown Endpoints for AI Agents 700+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #10 ↑1 7 too high 18 Responsive Filterable Portfolio Gallery – Media Grid & Video Portfolio 1K+ · 4.6★ (18) wp.org #24 ↓2 6 too low 19 Address Validation and Autocomplete for WooCommerce | Addressfinder 900+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #12 7 too high 20 Post Type Transfer 2K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 Portfolio Block – The Ultimate Project & Portfolio Builder 800+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #6 15 too high 22 Easy Testimonial Blocks – Testimonial Grid, Customer Reviews & Star Ratings 1K+ · 4.5★ (2) wp.org #20 2 too high 23 Fancy Elements for Avada 400+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #22 ↓3 1 too high 24 Card Elements for WPBakery 500+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 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.