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← Rankings

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

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 “claims”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

HivePress Claim Listings shows at wp.org #1 but places #12 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 3K+ 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.

Buried gem

SEO WRITING – AI Writer for SEO & AI Search places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 120 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Backup Migration 80K+ · 4.9★ (1338) wp.org #2 ↑1 1 too low 2 Business Directory Plugin – Easy Listing & Member Directories for WordPress 10K+ · 4.6★ (504) wp.org #4 ↑1 2 too low 3 Classified Listing – AI-Powered Classified ads & Business Directory 9K+ · 4.8★ (138) wp.org #3 ↑1 4 Directorist: AI-Powered Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads 20K+ · 4.6★ (698) wp.org #6 ↑4 2 too low 5 HivePress – Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads Plugin 10K+ · 4.9★ (221) wp.org #7 ↑1 2 too low 6 WP Menu Icons 20K+ · 4.9★ (139) wp.org #8 ↓1 2 too low 7 Product Feed Manager for WooCommerce – CTX Feed – Support 220+ Shopping, AI & Social Channels 90K+ · 4.6★ (838) wp.org #12 5 too low 8 WPvivid Backup for MainWP 10K+ · 4.6★ (9) wp.org #5 ↑1 3 too high 9 WPify Woo – Withdrawal, CRN/VAT, QR payments, Heureka and more for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.9★ (49) wp.org #9 10 SEO WRITING – AI Writer for SEO & AI Search 20K+ · 4.9★ (120) wp.org #21 ↓1 11 too low 11 U Upload Larger Plugins 6K+ · 5.0★ (20) wp.org #11 12 HivePress Claim Listings 3K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 11 too high 13 The GDPR Framework By Data443 10K+ · 4.8★ (65) wp.org #19 ↓1 6 too low 14 JWT Authentication for WP REST API 60K+ · 4.4★ (53) wp.org #13 1 too high 15 SMS Alert – SMS Notifications & OTP Login, COD Verification, Abandoned Cart Recovery 3K+ · 4.6★ (35) wp.org #17 ↓1 2 too low 16 WPGlobus 8K+ · 4.5★ (228) wp.org #20 ↓1 4 too low 17 Mollie Payments for WooCommerce 100K+ · 3.6★ (69) wp.org #14 ↑9 3 too high 18 Libro de Reclamaciones y Quejas 3K+ · 3.8★ (10) wp.org #10 8 too high 19 Route ‑ Shipping Protection 500+ · 4.3★ (24) wp.org #18 ↓3 1 too high 20 EU Consumer Rights for WooCommerce – Guarantee Notice, GARAN Label, Withdrawal Button, Right to Repair, Omnibus Price & GPSR 200+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #15 5 too high 21 U Use Administrator Password 800+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #24 ↓2 3 too low 22 CubeWP Framework 3K+ · 4.8★ (12) wp.org #22 ↓5 23 Events Calendar for GeoDirectory 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 ↓2 7 too high 24 Checkout with Zelle on Woocommerce 3K+ · 3.4★ (5) wp.org #23 ↓2 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.