Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “compiled”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

GetTerms Cookie Consent & Policies shows at wp.org #9 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 14 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

Iptanus File Upload places #11 on merit, 4.4★ from 117 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Checkout Field Manager (Checkout Manager) for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.5★ (784) wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too low 3 Waymark 900+ · 5.0★ (54) wp.org #3 4 U Unique Headers 10K+ · 4.9★ (160) wp.org #6 2 too low 5 Hostinger Reach – AI-Powered Email Marketing for WordPress 1M+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #1 4 too high 6 ThinkRank SEO – AI SEO Plugin for SEO & Google Search Console 20K+ · 4.9★ (36) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 Spectra Blocks – AI Website Builder for the Block Editor 60K+ · 4.6★ (53) wp.org #8 ↓3 1 too low 8 BetterLinks – Link Shortener, Link Cloaking, Redirects, Affiliate Link Manager & MCP 20K+ · 4.8★ (85) wp.org #11 3 too low 9 Kali Forms — Contact Form & Drag-and-Drop Builder 10K+ · 4.8★ (89) wp.org #13 ↓2 4 too low 10 CryptX 10K+ · 4.5★ (20) wp.org #7 3 too high 11 Iptanus File Upload 10K+ · 4.4★ (117) wp.org #19 8 too low 12 Webheadcoder Multi-Step Forms for Contact Form 7 50K+ · 4.2★ (49) wp.org #14 ↓2 2 too low 13 Prime Slider – Hero Slider, Carousel, WooCommerce & Post Slider Elementor Addons 100K+ · 4.5★ (82) wp.org #20 ↓7 7 too low 14 WPCore Plugin Manager 9K+ · 4.8★ (32) wp.org #15 1 too low 15 Tableberg – Simple Gutenberg Table Block 4K+ · 4.8★ (46) wp.org #22 ↓8 7 too low 16 FlexTable – Data Table Sync with Google Sheets 3K+ · 4.6★ (35) wp.org #21 5 too low 17 Installment Prices for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.9★ (11) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 Popups for WooCommerce: Add to Cart, Checkout & More 2K+ · 4.8★ (12) wp.org #17 1 too high 19 BeyondSEO – AI SEO to Improve Rankings, Listings & Online Visibility 20K+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #10 9 too high 20 Contact Form to Chat Apps | Click to Chat to Order – FormyChat 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 Power Coupons for WooCommerce 30K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #16 ↑1 5 too high 22 Easy Custom Code (LESS/CSS/JS) – Live editing 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #24 ↓9 2 too low 23 GetTerms Cookie Consent & Policies 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↓1 14 too high 24 SimplyBook.me – Booking and reservations calendar 30K+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #12 12 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.