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

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 “checkpoint”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

OXXO PAY powered by Spin shows at wp.org #14 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

AfterShip Tracking – All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking (Free plan available) places #3 on merit, 4.8★ from 633 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 Side Cart Woocommerce | Woocommerce Cart 70K+ · 4.9★ (453) wp.org #1 2 Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution 100K+ · 4.4★ (590) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 AfterShip Tracking – All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking (Free plan available) 7K+ · 4.8★ (633) wp.org #8 ↑1 5 too low 4 Cowboy MCP – Free MCP Server with Undo for Claude & ChatGPT 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 DiagnoSEO – Fast and Automated On-page SEO 100+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 RepairBuddy – Repair Shop CRM & Booking Plugin for WordPress 400+ · 4.9★ (24) wp.org #12 6 too low 7 Order auto complete for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Conekta Payment Gateway 2K+ · 3.5★ (6) wp.org #4 4 too high 9 UWH Site Migrator – WP Migration, Backup & Restore 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #6 3 too high 10 ZHBackup – Backup, Restore & Migration 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #17 ↓1 7 too low 11 Fast Events 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↑1 2 too high 12 TSA Wait Times 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↓2 2 too high 13 C CourseVerify – Student Identity Checkpoints — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 14 Abilities Bridge 80+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 3 too high 15 CSV Resumable Importer for Tainacan 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too low 16 Multixor – Multisite Sync & Manager — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓1 2 too low 17 Selective Thumbnail Regenerator 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓1 3 too low 18 IDEI Move – Backup, Migration & Restore 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 3 too low 19 MCP Server for WordPress – Connect Claude, ChatGPT & Gemini | AtlasMCP 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 4 too high 20 QuestUno — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓2 3 too low 21 a11yfy – PDF Accessibility Checker & Fixer — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↓1 2 too high 22 ZEISMO SEO — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↓2 23 CBIAStudio BlogFlow with AI 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓2 1 too low 24 OXXO PAY powered by Spin 100+ · 2.0★ (1) wp.org #14 10 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.