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

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 “cellphone”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 of the top 20. 6 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

TakBull For WooCommerce shows at wp.org #3 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 200+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Smart Marketing SMS and Newsletters Forms places #6 on merit, 5.0★ from 154 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 PDF Builder for WooCommerce. Create invoices,packing slips and more 2K+ · 4.7★ (145) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Campos Checkout Brasileiro para WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.9★ (45) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Colibri Page Builder 80K+ · 4.4★ (80) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Imsanity 200K+ · 4.9★ (291) wp.org #14 ↑1 10 too low 5 Speed Contact Bar 4K+ · 4.6★ (56) wp.org #18 13 too low 6 Smart Marketing SMS and Newsletters Forms 1K+ · 5.0★ (154) wp.org #20 14 too low 7 Apocalypse Meow 300+ · 5.0★ (23) wp.org #17 10 too low 8 Pearl – Header Builder 5K+ · 3.3★ (13) wp.org #7 1 too high 9 Asaas Gateway for WooCommerce 8K+ · 4.2★ (23) wp.org #16 7 too low 10 Page Builder for WPForms – Display your WPForms entries in any page 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 6 too high 11 TakBull For WooCommerce 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #3 8 too high 12 C CP Reservation Calendar 10+ · 4.0★ (3) wp.org #6 6 too high 13 TakBull For Paid Memberships Pro 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 4 too high 14 Expenses Book Plugin for WordPress — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 4 too high 15 RaCar Checkout Manager for Brazilian Stores 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 4 too high 16 Visitor Management System – Office Visitor Check-In Logbook 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 8 too high 17 TakBull For Funnelkit WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 5 too high 18 Text Messaging and Lead Collection Pro — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 5 too high 19 B Business Profile Extra Fields 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↓1 4 too high 20 Cool Correo Argentino – WooCommerce 200+ · 4.5★ (2) wp.org #19 1 too high 21 M MoFuse WordPress Plugin 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↑1 2 too low 22 Fakturo 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 Fogata BOTS 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↑1 1 too high 24 W WP 2 Step Authentication 10+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #24

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.