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

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 “chatroom”, 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

Shoutbox 2024 shows at wp.org #6 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 5 places. Its 10+ 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.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Group chat for WordPress – Minnit Chat 500+ · 4.1★ (8) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #1 2

Group Chat & Video Chat by AtomChat 200+ · 4.6★ (8) thin reviews wp.org #2 3

RumbleTalk Group Chat for Communities & Live Events 600+ · 3.4★ (21) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #3 4 B BuddyPress Group Tinychat 10+ · 4.9★ (7) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #13 ↓1 9 too low 5

ConverseJS 10+ · 3.6★ (5) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #8 ↓1 3 too low 6

AmicaChat Widget — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #5 1 too high 7 S Spanish Chat — · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #4 3 too high 8

Highlight Bookmark Manager 10+ · 3.7★ (6) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #14 ↓1 6 too low 9

Altius Workspace — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #7 ↓1 2 too high 10

BuddyPress Group Chatroom 80+ · 3.7★ (3) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #10 ↓1 11

Shoutbox 2024 10+ · 5.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #6 ↓1 5 too high 12 R Realtime Comments 10+ · 5.0★ (2) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #12 ↓1 13

One Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nineify — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #11 ↓1 2 too high 14

Website Toolbox Chat Room 10+ · 3.0★ (2) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #9 ↓1 5 too high 15 K KN Public Chat 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #15 ↓1 16 F FCChat Widget 10+ · 2.7★ (6) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #16 ↓1 17 Z ZeroChat — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too low 18 W Wireclub Embedded Chat for WordPress 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too low 19 M MBlog 10+ · 1.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #17 ↓1 2 too high 20 W WP-AddonChat 10+ · 1.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #19 ↓1 1 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.