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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “client access”

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 “client access”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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

Pronamic Client shows at wp.org #10 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 600+ 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

WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 14387 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 InfiniteWP Client 200K+ · 4.4★ (177) wp.org #1 2 WP Data Access – App Builder for Tables, Forms, Dashboards, Charts & Maps 10K+ · 4.9★ (88) wp.org #2 3 User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112) wp.org #3 4 Access Governance for WordPress (aka AAM) 100K+ · 4.2★ (420) wp.org #4 5 Restricted Site Access 10K+ · 4.8★ (62) wp.org #5 6 Remove Dashboard Access 30K+ · 4.6★ (78) wp.org #6 7 WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) wp.org #8 1 too low 8 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) wp.org #11 3 too low 9 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #18 9 too low 10 WPVibe – MCP Server for WordPress, works with Claude, ChatGPT & other AI MCP agents 100K+ · 5.0★ (195) wp.org #17 7 too low 11 Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281) wp.org #22 11 too low 12 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387) wp.org #24 12 too low 13 Jetpack CRM – Clients, Leads, Invoices, Billing, Email Marketing, & Automation 30K+ · 4.3★ (152) wp.org #15 2 too low 14 Loginizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1033) wp.org #20 6 too low 15 Easy MCP AI – Connect Claude to WordPress: MCP Server for ChatGPT & AI Agents 30K+ · 4.9★ (16) wp.org #12 3 too high 16 Shipping Live Rates and Access Points for UPS for WooCommerce 7K+ · 4.7★ (77) wp.org #21 5 too low 17 Ultimate Client Dash 2K+ · 4.8★ (10) wp.org #9 8 too high 18 Client Portal – Private user pages and login 3K+ · 4.3★ (23) wp.org #13 5 too high 19 WP Client Reports 6K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #7 12 too high 20 Simple Client Dashboard 2K+ · 4.5★ (26) wp.org #16 4 too high 21 SureFeedback Client Site 5K+ · 4.0★ (39) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 Shop as Client for WooCommerce – Manual, Phone & Email Orders 500+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #14 8 too high 23 Pronamic Client 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 13 too high 24 getLaw WP API Client 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 5 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.