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

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 “contractors”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 4 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

Contractor Commerce Integration shows at wp.org #2 but places #12 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 40+ 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

Happyforms – Form Builder for WordPress: Drag & Drop Contact Forms, Surveys, Payments & Multipurpose Forms places #3 on merit, 4.4★ from 433 reviews, but shows at wp.org #7. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667) wp.org #1 2 Simply Schedule Appointments 50K+ · 5.0★ (155) wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too low 3 Happyforms – Form Builder for WordPress: Drag & Drop Contact Forms, Surveys, Payments & Multipurpose Forms 20K+ · 4.4★ (433) wp.org #7 ↓2 4 too low 4 O OneLogin SAML SSO 7K+ · 4.4★ (14) wp.org #3 ↑13 1 too high 5 Password Protected 300K+ · 4.4★ (142) wp.org #8 3 too low 6 All in One Time Clock Lite – Tracking Employee Time Has Never Been Easier 500+ · 4.6★ (8) wp.org #5 ↓3 1 too high 7 Hydra Booking — Appointment Scheduling & Booking Calendar 2K+ · 4.4★ (9) wp.org #9 ↓2 2 too low 8 WP Zillow Review Slider 300+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #12 ↓3 4 too low 9 Intranet & Private Site – All-In-One Intranet 3K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #17 ↓4 8 too low 10 Yatra – Travel Booking & Tour Operator Software 600+ · 4.7★ (23) wp.org #24 ↓3 14 too low 11 WP Document Revisions 2K+ · 3.7★ (23) wp.org #20 ↓2 9 too low 12 Contractor Commerce Integration 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 ↓1 10 too high 13 Time Slot – Booking and Appointment System 100+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #13 ↓3 14 SCIM User Sync/Provisioning 200+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #21 ↓1 7 too low 15 Business Card Block – present your team and contact info in style 1K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #15 ↓4 16 Contractor Contact Form Website to Workflow Tool 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 ↓2 10 too high 17 UserFlow – Disable Dashboard Access for Non Admin 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 ↓5 6 too high 18 Client Power Tools Portal 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 ↓4 19 Force login to make the site private – Gozer 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓2 5 too high 20 Tabby Checkout 4K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↓2 10 too high 21 WPLS Local SEO Schema Generator 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 ↓1 5 too high 22 Visitor Management System – Office Visitor Check-In Logbook 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 Signature Field With Contact Form 7 300+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #19 ↓2 4 too high 24 WP Thumbtack Review Slider 70+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓4 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.