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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “click analytics”

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 “click analytics”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 4 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

WooCommerce Analytics shows at wp.org #11 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 20K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.5★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Social Chat – Click To Chat App Button places #11 on merit, 4.9★ from 696 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #1 ↑23 2 Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (167) wp.org #2 3 Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) 2M+ · 4.5★ (3157) wp.org #3 ↓2 1 too high 5 Koko Analytics – Privacy-Friendly WordPress Analytics 70K+ · 5.0★ (245) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Click to Chat – HoliThemes 600K+ · 4.8★ (131) wp.org #5 ↓2 1 too high 7 Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7519) wp.org #9 ↓2 2 too low 8 GA Google Analytics – Connect Google Analytics to WordPress 400K+ · 4.9★ (158) wp.org #7 ↓2 1 too high 9 WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758) wp.org #8 1 too high 10 Joinchat – Enhanced “click to chat” 700K+ · 4.7★ (189) wp.org #14 ↓3 4 too low 11 Social Chat – Click To Chat App Button 200K+ · 4.9★ (696) wp.org #18 7 too low 12 Plausible Analytics 10K+ · 5.0★ (29) wp.org #12 13 Lara's Google Analytics (GA4) 8K+ · 4.7★ (122) wp.org #17 ↓1 4 too low 14 SlimStat Analytics – Real-Time Stats, Heatmaps & Ecommerce 70K+ · 4.8★ (816) wp.org #23 ↓2 9 too low 15 Beehive Analytics – Google Analytics Dashboard 20K+ · 4.5★ (13) wp.org #10 ↓1 5 too high 16 BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55) wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too high 17 Track The Click 7K+ · 4.7★ (18) wp.org #13 4 too high 18 ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Plugin) 200K+ · 2.5★ (1546) wp.org #16 ↓1 2 too high 19 Search Analytics for WP – Site Search Tracking 3K+ · 5.0★ (30) wp.org #19 ↓2 20 HT Easy GA4 – Google Analytics WordPress Plugin 6K+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #24 ↓1 4 too low 21 WooCommerce Analytics 20K+ · 4.5★ (4) wp.org #11 ↓1 10 too high 22 Click To Copy – Copy Text or Code to Clipboard Instantly 900+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too high 23 Click Counter and Heat Maps (Free) 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 ShinyStat Analytics 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 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.