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

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 onboarding”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

SimplyBook.me – Booking and reservations calendar shows at wp.org #4 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 20 places. Its 30K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager places #7 on merit, 5.0★ from 1526 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #1 2

Masteriyo LMS – LMS Course Builder, Quizzes & Certificates 6K+ · 4.8★ (184) wp.org #3 1 too low 3

Temporary Login Without Password 90K+ · 5.0★ (1550) wp.org #6 ↑1 3 too low 4

Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too low 5

ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2052) wp.org #10 ↑1 5 too low 6

Appointment Booking Plugin – LatePoint | Calendar & Scheduling for WordPress 100K+ · 4.9★ (107) wp.org #8 2 too low 7

Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1526) wp.org #15 ↑1 8 too low 8

Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992) wp.org #14 ↑1 6 too low 9

Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #9 10

Hostinger Tools 3M+ · 3.5★ (40) host-installed base wp.org #2 8 too high 11

Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186) wp.org #12 ↑2 1 too low 12

WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387) wp.org #19 7 too low 13

Booking for Appointments and Events Calendar – Amelia 90K+ · 4.6★ (793) wp.org #16 ↑4 3 too low 14

Stackable – Page Builder Gutenberg Blocks 100K+ · 4.9★ (522) wp.org #24 10 too low 15

Password Protected 300K+ · 4.4★ (142) wp.org #21 ↑1 6 too low 16

Adminify – White Label, Admin Menu Editor, Login Customizer 6K+ · 4.3★ (109) wp.org #22 ↑1 6 too low 17

EMC – Embed Calendly Scheduling With Ease 10K+ · 4.8★ (14) thin reviews wp.org #13 ↓1 4 too high 18

Disable User Login 6K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews wp.org #20 ↑1 2 too low 19

Bit CRM: Sales CRM Manage Lead, Contact, Deal, Invoice, Client Portal & Collect Payment 300+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews wp.org #18 1 too high 20

Kadence Central – Site Management, Backups, Security, and Reporting 30K+ · 4.2★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #17 3 too high 21

Client Power Tools Portal 20+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #11 ↓1 10 too high 22

Previu – Visual Client Feedback for Elementor 40+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #7 ↑2 15 too high 23

Kanbanz 2K+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #23 24

SimplyBook.me – Booking and reservations calendar 30K+ · 1.0★ (1) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #4 ↑1 20 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.