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← Rankings

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

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 “coach”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 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

Zita Site Library for Elementor shows at wp.org #5 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 1K+ 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

MasterStudy LMS WordPress Plugin – for Online Courses and Education places #6 on merit, 4.5★ from 487 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 wp.org
1 Wheel of Life: Coaching and Assessment Tool for Life Coach 2K+ · 4.9★ (7) wp.org #1 2 Website Pop-up Builder by BDOW! (formerly Sumo): Pop-ups + forms for email opt-ins and lead generation 10K+ · 4.2★ (519) wp.org #6 ↓1 4 too low 3 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots 10K+ · 4.8★ (142) wp.org #7 4 too low 4 Better Block Editor (BBE) 6K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Appointment Booking Plugin – LatePoint | Calendar & Scheduling for WordPress 100K+ · 4.9★ (106) wp.org #13 ↓1 8 too low 6 MasterStudy LMS WordPress Plugin – for Online Courses and Education 10K+ · 4.5★ (487) wp.org #15 ↓1 9 too low 7 GS Coach – Professional Team Showcase for Coaches & Consultants 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 5 too high 8 Bus Ticket Booking with Seat Reservation 700+ · 4.9★ (41) wp.org #14 ↓1 6 too low 9 Responsive Starter Templates – Elementor Templates & Starter Sites 10K+ · 4.5★ (39) wp.org #9 ↓1 10 EMC – Embed Calendly Scheduling With Ease 10K+ · 4.8★ (14) wp.org #12 ↓2 2 too low 11 WP Events Manager 30K+ · 2.7★ (13) wp.org #4 7 too high 12 Gym Builder – Class Timetable & Booking for Gyms, Fitness & Yoga Studios 100+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #17 ↓1 5 too low 13 W WP WDFY Integration of Wodify 90+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #8 ↑1 5 too high 14 Solid Testimonials – Testimonial Slider, Video Testimonials & Customer Reviews 1K+ · 4.3★ (35) wp.org #20 ↓1 6 too low 15 Cab Grid 100+ · 4.4★ (19) wp.org #19 ↓1 4 too low 16 Zita Site Library for Elementor 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 ↑1 11 too high 17 Direct Invoices – Invoicing & Payment Requests for WordPress 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too high 18 SEO & AI Readiness Check 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↑13 8 too high 19 AllCoach – Coaching Management & Scheduling 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 8 too high 20 T TBThemes Theme Import 400+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓1 2 too high 21 The AV Coach Short Links — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 22 Life Coach Hub 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓2 23 Coach by Wondersome — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↑1 24 GemBooking – Appointment Booking, Booking Calendar & Reservations 200+ · 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.