wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “compress html”
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 “compress html”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 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
Custom HTML Block Extension shows at wp.org #6 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 7K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 13 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Hummingbird Performance – Cache & Page Speed Optimization for Core Web Vitals | Critical CSS | Minify CSS | Defer CSS Javascript | CDN places #12 on merit, 4.7★ from 1488 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #1 2 
Imagify Image Optimization: Optimize Images | Compress & Convert to WebP/AVIF 900K+ · 4.3★ (1656)
wp.org #2 3 
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4228)
wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too low 4 
WP Compress – Instant Performance & Speed Optimization 9K+ · 4.5★ (155)
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8706)
wp.org #8 3 too low 6 
EWWW Image Optimizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1842)
wp.org #9 3 too low 7 
Minify HTML 10K+ · 4.7★ (33)
wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too high 8 
WP Super Minify • Minify, Compress and Cache HTML, CSS & JavaScript 8K+ · 4.1★ (73)
wp.org #7 1 too high 9 
Highcompress Image Compressor 600+ · 4.9★ (143)
wp.org #11 2 too low 10 
WP Super Cache 1M+ · 4.3★ (1346)
wp.org #12 ↑1 2 too low 11 
Speed Optimizer – The All-In-One Performance-Boosting Plugin 1M+ · 4.2★ (641)
wp.org #10 1 too high 12 Hummingbird Performance – Cache & Page Speed Optimization for Core Web Vitals | Critical CSS | Minify CSS | Defer CSS Javascript | CDN 70K+ · 4.7★ (1488)
wp.org #20 ↓1 8 too low 13 
Clearfy Cache – WordPress optimization plugin, Minify HTML, CSS & JS, Defer 40K+ · 4.7★ (339)
wp.org #15 2 too low 14 
Kraken.io Image Optimizer – Compress, Convert to WebP & AVIF, Resize & Bulk Optimize 10K+ · 4.5★ (119)
wp.org #13 ↓1 1 too high 15 Custom HTML Block Extension 7K+ · 5.0★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #6 9 too high 16 
WP Performance Score Booster – Optimize Speed, Enable Cache & Page Preload 10K+ · 4.6★ (339)
wp.org #18 2 too low 17 
Seraphinite Accelerator 50K+ · 4.8★ (476) not PHP-current
wp.org #16 1 too high 18 
FastPixel Cache – Optimize Page Speed: Compress Images, Minify, Clean Database & CDN 4K+ · 4.8★ (50) not PHP-current
wp.org #14 4 too high 19 
MegaOptim Image Optimizer – Convert to WebP & AVIF, Compress Images Locally 100+ · 5.0★ (34)
wp.org #22 ↑1 3 too low 20 
Flying Images: Optimize and Lazy Load Images for Faster Page Speed 2K+ · 4.8★ (26)
wp.org #21 ↑1 1 too low 21 
Nexter Extension – Security, Performance, Code Snippets & Site Toolkit 10K+ · 4.7★ (13) heavy footprint thin reviews
wp.org #23 2 too low 22 
Squeeze – Browser-Based Image Compression & WebP Converter (No API, No Limits) 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #17 5 too high 23 
DropAvif Image Optimizer – Convert WebP & AVIF | Compress Images 80+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓3 1 too low 24 W WE – Minify HTML 60+ · 5.0★ (3) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↑1 5 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.