wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “category menu”
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 “category menu”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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
No Category Parents shows at wp.org #16 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 6K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor places #12 on merit, 4.9★ from 2051 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882)
wp.org #1 2 
Sticky Menu & Sticky Header 90K+ · 4.7★ (763)
wp.org #5 ↓1 3 too low 3 
WPB Accordion Menu – Collapsible Vertical Sidebar Responsive Mobile Menu – WooCommerce Category Accordion 10K+ · 4.4★ (54) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
Iks Menu – WordPress Category Accordion Menu & FAQs 10K+ · 5.0★ (27)
wp.org #4 ↑1 5 
Automatically Hierarchic Categories in Menu 2K+ · 4.6★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #3 2 too high 6 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #8 ↑6 2 too low 7 
List category posts 80K+ · 4.7★ (254)
wp.org #10 3 too low 8 
Category Posts in Custom Menu 2K+ · 4.8★ (43)
wp.org #6 2 too high 9 
No Category Base (WPML) 100K+ · 4.5★ (34)
wp.org #7 2 too high 10 
Category AJAX Filter – Posts, Custom Post Types & Product Filter 6K+ · 4.9★ (158)
wp.org #12 2 too low 11 
Float menu – awesome floating side menu 30K+ · 4.4★ (41)
wp.org #9 2 too high 12 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051)
wp.org #19 ↑3 7 too low 13 
Category Posts Block 40K+ · 4.5★ (79)
wp.org #13 14 
Advanced Sidebar Menu 10K+ · 4.5★ (37)
wp.org #11 3 too high 15 
Category Order and Taxonomy Terms Order 500K+ · 4.5★ (162)
wp.org #18 3 too low 16 
Simple Floating Menu 10K+ · 5.0★ (38)
wp.org #17 1 too low 17 
Product Category Slider & Grid for WooCommerce – Reno Product Category 9K+ · 4.8★ (91) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #14 ↓6 3 too high 18 
Pages with category and tag 50K+ · 4.8★ (28)
wp.org #15 3 too high 19 
Food Menu – Restaurant Menu & Online Ordering for WooCommerce 2K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓3 5 too low 20 
Same Category Posts 3K+ · 4.7★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↑2 2 too low 21 
WP Media Category Management 6K+ · 4.7★ (35) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #23 2 too low 22 
Side Menu Lite – Sticky Floating Side Menu 7K+ · 4.0★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↑2 1 too high 23 
Restaurant Menu and Food Ordering 2K+ · 4.5★ (15) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #20 3 too high 24 No Category Parents 6K+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #16 8 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.