Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “coloring”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 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

TableStack- Ultimate Table Builder for Block Editor shows at wp.org #13 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 10+ 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

WP Dashboard Notes places #8 on merit, 4.6★ from 110 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Pixobe Coloring Book 100+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #1 2 HTML Editor Syntax Highlighter 60K+ · 4.4★ (110) wp.org #2 3 Ninja Tables – Easy Data Table Builder 70K+ · 4.6★ (472) wp.org #3 4 T The Events Calendar: Category Colors 4K+ · 5.0★ (61) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) wp.org #18 13 too low 6 CodeColorer 1K+ · 4.9★ (11) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 WUPO Group Attributes for WooCommerce 400+ · 3.6★ (14) wp.org #4 3 too high 8 WP Dashboard Notes 20K+ · 4.6★ (110) wp.org #24 16 too low 9 Squad Modules Lite – Free Divi 5 & Divi 4 Modules for Divi Builder 1K+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #11 2 too low 10 Testimonial Customer Feedback 1K+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #6 4 too high 11 Turnkey bbPress by WeaverTheme 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #9 2 too high 12 Kickflip product configurators 200+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #8 4 too high 13 Events Calendar Plus 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 PlugStudio SVG CurrentColor Normalizer 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 15 C Chapterwright 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 16 PressPrimer Assignment – Homework Submission, Document Viewer & LMS Grading Workflows 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 4 too high 17 LumiCode Syntax Highlighter 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 1 too high 18 365i Environment Indicator 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 1 too high 19 EPD Product Designer 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 20 Krystian Gacek Image Format Converter — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 21 ASB Calendar Advance — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 22 EstudoBiblico Quick Format Toolbar — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 TableStack- Ultimate Table Builder for Block Editor 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 10 too high 24 SimpleDocs – Documentation and Knowledge Base — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 1 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.