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

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 “cmp”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

UniConsent Cookie Consent CMP – Consent Manager shows at wp.org #3 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.7★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Pixel Manager for WooCommerce – Conversion Tracking, Google Ads, GA4, TikTok, Dynamic Remarketing places #9 on merit, 4.9★ from 399 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes 200K+ · 4.7★ (326) wp.org #1 2 Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1668) wp.org #2 3 Cookiebot – Cookie Banner & Cookie Consent for GDPR, CCPA & Google Consent Mode 100K+ · 4.4★ (440) wp.org #6 3 too low 4 Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463) wp.org #8 4 too low 5 GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 My Agile Privacy® – CMP, Cookie Consent & Privacy Tools 7K+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 WPConsent – Cookie Banner & Cookie Consent for Privacy Compliance (GDPR / CCPA / EU Compliance Cookie Notice) 200K+ · 4.8★ (84) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 Termly – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 80K+ · 3.6★ (204) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 Pixel Manager for WooCommerce – Conversion Tracking, Google Ads, GA4, TikTok, Dynamic Remarketing 40K+ · 4.9★ (399) wp.org #23 14 too low 10 Sequential Order Number for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.9★ (146) wp.org #21 ↓4 11 too low 11 Conversios – GA4, Google Ads & Meta Conversion Tracking with Product Feed for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.3★ (206) wp.org #15 4 too low 12 FAZ Cookie Manager 3K+ · 5.0★ (30) wp.org #18 ↑4 6 too low 13 WPLP Cookie Consent – Cookie Banner & Consent Management for GDPR, CCPA & Google Consent Mode 9K+ · 4.6★ (51) wp.org #16 ↓6 3 too low 14 tarteaucitron.io – Cookie Banner & GDPR Consent Management 10K+ · 4.5★ (13) wp.org #13 ↑1 1 too high 15 UniConsent Cookie Consent CMP – Consent Manager 2K+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #3 12 too high 16 Avacy CMP 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 12 too high 17 Axeptio – Cookie Banner – GDPR Consent & Compliance with a friendly touch 8K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #11 ↑2 6 too high 18 WP Consent API 200K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 ↓2 8 too high 19 consentmanager Cookie Banner 5K+ · 2.6★ (10) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Sigmize: A/B Testing, Session Recordings, Heatmaps & Revenue Tracking for WooCommerce, SureCart & EDD 5K+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #17 ↑1 3 too high 21 Cookie Confirm CMP 90+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↑2 7 too high 22 Sirdata CMP 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 3 too high 23 CookieHub – Cookie Consent Banner (DSGVO, CCPA, RGPD and GDPR compliance) 3K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↑1 1 too high 24 CookieStart – CMP Banner & Cookie Consent 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24

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.