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

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 “cashback”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 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

Yandex Pay and Split shows at wp.org #10 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 500+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.3★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Email Marketing for WooCommerce by Omnisend places #4 on merit, 4.9★ from 168 reviews, but shows at wp.org #8. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Wallet for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.7★ (188) wp.org #1 2 Points Management System For Gamification, Ranks, Badges, and Loyalty Rewards Program – myCred 10K+ · 4.6★ (471) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Wallet System for WooCommerce – Digital Wallet, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), Instant Cashback, Referral program, Partial & Subscription Payments 2K+ · 4.9★ (64) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Email Marketing for WooCommerce by Omnisend 40K+ · 4.9★ (168) wp.org #8 4 too low 5 Revolut Gateway for WooCommerce 7K+ · 3.2★ (45) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Product Labels For Woocommerce (Sale Badges) 10K+ · 4.6★ (54) wp.org #6 7 Bonus for Woo 100+ · 4.8★ (22) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Crypto.com Pay Checkout for WooCommerce 300+ · 3.8★ (8) wp.org #14 6 too low 9 KosTeams Payments for Yandex Pay and Yandex Split for WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 10 Coupon API 200+ · 3.4★ (5) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 Wallet & Store Credit for WooCommerce – Cashback, Top-Up, Refund to Wallet — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #12 1 too low 12 Philia Integration with WooCommerce 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 5 too high 13 Dynamic Cart Messages for WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #13 14 Meritocracy – Near-Powered Gamification Plugin for WordPress 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 10 too low 15 IDSource Referral & Cashback Manager — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 16 Starline Cashback Wallet for WooCommerce – Store Credit, Customer Wallet & Cashback Rewards — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 17 PouchFlow – Customer Loyalty Wallet & Cashback for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 Hello Clever Gateway for WooCommerce 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 3 too low 19 W WaffarAD Affiliate Network 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 3 too low 20 FavePay for WooCommerce 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 Splitit for WooCommerce 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too high 22 Yandex Pay and Split 500+ · 2.3★ (3) wp.org #10 12 too high 23 FLIZpay Gateway für WooCommerce 90+ · 3.0★ (1) wp.org #17 6 too high 24 Wallet & Cashback Plugin for WooCommerce — · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #18 6 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.