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

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 “conversation”, 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

WPBot – ChatBot Conversational Forms shows at wp.org #11 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Social Chat – Click To Chat App Button places #9 on merit, 4.9★ from 696 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #1 2 WPVibe – MCP Server for WordPress, works with Claude, ChatGPT & other AI MCP agents 100K+ · 5.0★ (195) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 AI Engine – MCP Server & AI Chatbot for WordPress, with Claude, ChatGPT & Gemini 90K+ · 4.9★ (874) wp.org #3 ↓1 4 Chatway Live Chat – AI Chatbot, Customer Support, FAQ & Helpdesk Customer Service & Chat Buttons 30K+ · 5.0★ (775) wp.org #4 5 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots 10K+ · 4.8★ (142) wp.org #5 ↓2 6 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387) wp.org #8 2 too low 7 Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty 300K+ · 5.0★ (1244) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 BuddyPress 90K+ · 4.1★ (375) wp.org #6 ↓1 2 too high 9 Social Chat – Click To Chat App Button 200K+ · 4.9★ (696) wp.org #14 5 too low 10 Tidio – Live Chat & AI Chatbots 70K+ · 4.8★ (395) wp.org #13 ↓1 3 too low 11 Joinchat – Enhanced “click to chat” 700K+ · 4.7★ (189) wp.org #12 ↓5 1 too low 12 MxChat – AI Chatbot & Content Generation for WordPress 2K+ · 5.0★ (31) wp.org #7 ↓1 5 too high 13 Click to Chat – HoliThemes 600K+ · 4.8★ (131) wp.org #15 ↓2 2 too low 14 Imagify Image Optimization: Optimize Images | Compress & Convert to WebP/AVIF 900K+ · 4.3★ (1656) wp.org #20 ↓2 6 too low 15 WP Chat App 100K+ · 4.9★ (222) wp.org #23 ↓1 8 too low 16 Crisp – Live Chat and AI Chatbot 20K+ · 4.6★ (73) wp.org #16 17 Popup Builder – Create highly converting, mobile friendly marketing popups. 200K+ · 4.7★ (2215) wp.org #21 4 too low 18 Smartsupp – live chat, AI shopping assistant and chatbots 20K+ · 4.7★ (131) wp.org #24 ↓3 6 too low 19 LIQUID SPEECH BALLOON 10K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #10 ↑1 9 too high 20 Nmedia WordPress Member Conversation 10+ · 4.6★ (9) wp.org #18 ↑1 2 too high 21 Brevo for WooCommerce 30K+ · 3.4★ (55) wp.org #19 ↓4 2 too high 22 Angie – Agentic AI 100K+ · 3.3★ (20) wp.org #22 ↓6 23 WPBot – ChatBot Conversational Forms 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #11 ↓1 12 too high 24 Magic Conversation For Gravity Forms 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 7 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.