Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “cluster”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20.

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

Pixel Clusters shows at wp.org #3 but places #14 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 30+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Link Whisper Free places #10 on merit, 4.2★ from 151 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312) wp.org #1 2 W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420) wp.org #2 3 Easy Google Maps by Supsystic – Custom Markers, Clustering & Map Themes 20K+ · 4.6★ (251) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Mapster WP Maps 3K+ · 4.9★ (54) wp.org #4 ↓1 5 Ultimate Maps by Supsystic – OpenStreetMap, Leaflet & Mapbox, No API Key 10K+ · 4.6★ (86) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 GeoDirectory – WP Business Directory Plugin and Classified Listings Directory 10K+ · 4.8★ (716) wp.org #11 ↑3 5 too low 7 MapGeo – Interactive Geo Maps 30K+ · 4.4★ (65) wp.org #7 8 Extensions for Leaflet Map 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #9 1 too low 9 LinkBoss – Semantic AI Internal Linking 2K+ · 4.8★ (17) wp.org #8 1 too high 10 Link Whisper Free 30K+ · 4.2★ (151) wp.org #20 ↑1 10 too low 11 CodePeople Post Map for Google Maps 3K+ · 4.2★ (31) wp.org #12 ↓1 1 too low 12 MapSVG – Vector maps, Image maps, Google Maps 1K+ · 4.5★ (31) wp.org #15 ↑1 3 too low 13 Custom WP Store Locator 300+ · 4.6★ (14) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Pixel Clusters 30+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 ↑1 11 too high 15 Spam Master 200+ · 4.2★ (72) wp.org #23 8 too low 16 WP Map Block – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, Store & Shop Locator, Directory, Listings & Filters 20K+ · 4.0★ (20) wp.org #16 ↑1 17 Link Manager – Analyze, Automate, and Monitor Links 1K+ · 4.4★ (10) wp.org #13 ↓1 4 too high 18 Out of the Block: OpenStreetMap 800+ · 4.4★ (8) wp.org #14 ↓1 4 too high 19 LocateAndFilter 200+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #22 3 too low 20 Site Search 360 300+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #18 ↓3 2 too high 21 Advanced OSM for Toolset Maps 30+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 Events Calendar for GeoDirectory 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 ↓1 3 too high 23 Pillark – Pillar & SEO Cluster Internal Linking 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↑2 6 too high 24 Tilted Tag Cloud Widget 70+ · 4.3★ (3) 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.