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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “co browsing”

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 “co browsing”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 3 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

Hello Bar Popup Builder shows at wp.org #9 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 3K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.6★ average from 7 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution places #8 on merit, 4.4★ from 590 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. 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 2 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155) wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too high 4 GS Books Showcase – Display Books in Grid, Slider & More | Library for WordPress 500+ · 4.8★ (42) wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too low 5 Image Gallery 3K+ · 4.4★ (32) wp.org #8 ↑1 3 too low 6 REVE Chat – AI Chatbot, Live Chat, Helpdesk, Campaigns & More 100+ · 4.8★ (9) wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too high 7 Hostinger Tools 3M+ · 3.5★ (40) wp.org #4 ↓2 3 too high 8 Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution 100K+ · 4.4★ (590) wp.org #22 ↓3 14 too low 9 LWS Tools 10K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #6 ↓1 3 too high 10 Chatbot for WordPress by Collect.chat ⚡️ 6K+ · 4.4★ (38) wp.org #15 ↓1 5 too low 11 ProProfs Chat- Live Chat & Chatbot Plugin 100+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #14 ↓1 3 too low 12 Library Management System 200+ · 4.4★ (14) wp.org #12 ↓1 13 Spexo Addons for Elementor – Elementor Widgets, Mega Menu, Popup Builder, Template Kits and Starter Templates for Elementor 6K+ · 4.8★ (4) wp.org #16 ↓1 3 too low 14 Conversion Optimization with Exit-Intent Popups and Abandoned Shopping Cart Emails 90+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #19 ↓2 5 too low 15 Chat2 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 ↓2 5 too high 16 Term Description Popup — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 ↓1 5 too low 17 Customers Also Viewed for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 18 WPC Smart Recommendations for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓2 19 Olark Live Chat 1K+ · 2.5★ (2) wp.org #13 ↓1 6 too high 20 Storzen AI Recommendations for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓2 3 too low 21 FSCO Instant Shop — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓2 3 too low 22 Geo Targetly Geo Bar — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↓2 2 too high 23 Hello Bar Popup Builder 3K+ · 1.6★ (7) wp.org #9 ↓2 14 too high 24 Embed and Integrate Etsy Shop 200+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #11 ↓1 13 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.