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← Rankings

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

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 “checkins”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 17 of the top 20. 2 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

WP Hotel Booking WooCommerce shows at wp.org #12 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Social Media Auto Poster – Schedule & Publish to Buffer places #6 on merit, 4.5★ from 125 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 SaveTo Wishlist Lite – WooCommerce Wishlist 500+ · 4.2★ (11) wp.org #2 ↑1 1 too low 2 Advanced Datepicker – Restricts Date for Contact Form 7 500+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Tickera – Sell Tickets & Manage Events 2K+ · 4.5★ (292) wp.org #15 12 too low 4 Paid Videochat Turnkey Site – HTML5 PPV Live Webcams 10+ · 4.2★ (22) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Link Library 10K+ · 4.7★ (97) wp.org #13 ↓2 8 too low 6 Social Media Auto Poster – Schedule & Publish to Buffer 7K+ · 4.5★ (125) wp.org #20 ↓1 14 too low 7 WP Hotel Booking 7K+ · 3.7★ (67) wp.org #11 ↓1 4 too low 8 WP Hotelier 2K+ · 4.7★ (23) wp.org #14 6 too low 9 V Visual Recipe Index 300+ · 4.4★ (10) wp.org #18 9 too low 10 AppPresser – Mobile App Framework 900+ · 3.7★ (53) wp.org #22 12 too low 11 Nearby Now Reviews and Audio Testimonials 900+ · 2.6★ (5) wp.org #3 ↓1 8 too high 12 Post Kinds 100+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #16 4 too low 13 Init User Engine – Gamified, Fast, Frontend-First 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 9 too high 14 Wbcom Designs – BuddyPress Check-ins 90+ · 3.5★ (11) wp.org #17 3 too low 15 Chat2Book Button 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 9 too high 16 Activity Logs, User Activity Tracking, Multisite Activity Log from Logtivity 2K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #19 ↑1 3 too low 17 U Untappd Ratings for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 10 too high 18 Simple Profit – Hotel Booking Toolkit — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 10 too high 19 Post Kinds for IndieWeb in Block Themes 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 ↑4 10 too high 20 Field Day — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↓1 10 too high 21 Booking.com Official Search Box 2K+ · 2.4★ (8) wp.org #21 22 Innovs HR – Complete Human Resource Management System for Your Business 10+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 Community Events 30+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 WP Hotel Booking WooCommerce 1K+ · 3.0★ (1) wp.org #12 12 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.