Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “comment metadata”

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 “comment metadata”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 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

JSM Show Comment Metadata shows at wp.org #6 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 30+ 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

Post Duplicator places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 80 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 bbPress 100K+ · 3.9★ (343) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 The SEO Framework – Fast, Automated, Effortless. 200K+ · 4.9★ (380) wp.org #8 ↑2 6 too low 3 JSM Show Post Metadata 10K+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #3 4 Polylang 900K+ · 4.7★ (3004) wp.org #10 ↑2 6 too low 5 Admin Columns 100K+ · 4.9★ (1652) wp.org #13 8 too low 6 WP Recipe Maker 50K+ · 5.0★ (356) wp.org #16 ↑1 10 too low 7 W WP Photo Album Plus 10K+ · 4.7★ (199) wp.org #14 ↑9 7 too low 8 Disqus Comment System 30K+ · 2.7★ (219) wp.org #7 1 too high 9 Metadata Viewer 500+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 ↓1 7 too high 10 oopspam Anti-Spam: Spam Protection for WordPress Forms & Comments (No CAPTCHA) 6K+ · 4.9★ (51) wp.org #19 9 too low 11 C Custom Metadata Manager 700+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #4 7 too high 12 Post Duplicator 200K+ · 4.8★ (80) wp.org #23 ↑1 11 too low 13 ActiveLayer Anti-Spam: Spam Protection for Forms & Comments 10K+ · 4.9★ (10) wp.org #12 ↑2 1 too high 14 Enable Abilities for MCP 5K+ · 5.0★ (17) wp.org #17 ↓1 3 too low 15 LWS Cleaner 20K+ · 4.8★ (16) wp.org #18 3 too low 16 JSM Show User Metadata 3K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #5 11 too high 17 Display Post Metadata 400+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #11 6 too high 18 Comment Image Boost 50+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 JSM Show Order Metadata for WooCommerce HPOS 700+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 10 too high 20 JSM Show Comment Metadata 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 14 too high 21 Comment Emojis for WP 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 ↓1 22 PureDevs Any Meta Inspector 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 JSM Show Term Metadata 800+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Comment Limiter 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↑1 4 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.