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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “cookie scanner”

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 “cookie scanner”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 2 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

Kansleri Cookie Consent shows at wp.org #9 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 7 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

MalCare WordPress Security Plugin – Malware Scanner, Cleaner, Security Firewall places #10 on merit, 4.4★ from 559 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 CookieYes – Cookie Banner for Cookie Consent (Easy to setup GDPR/CCPA Compliant Cookie Notice) 1M+ · 4.8★ (3236) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) wp.org #3 4 Real Cookie Banner: GDPR & ePrivacy Cookie Consent 100K+ · 4.9★ (492) wp.org #6 ↑2 2 too low 5 SureCookie – GDPR Cookie Consent Banner, Cookie Scanner & Script Blocking 70K+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too high 6 FAZ Cookie Manager 3K+ · 5.0★ (30) wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too high 7 WPConsent – Cookie Banner & Cookie Consent for Privacy Compliance (GDPR / CCPA / EU Compliance Cookie Notice) 200K+ · 4.8★ (84) wp.org #7 8 iubenda | All-in-one Compliance for GDPR / CCPA Cookie Consent + more 200K+ · 4.7★ (397) wp.org #10 2 too low 9 Cookiebot – Cookie Banner & Cookie Consent for GDPR, CCPA & Google Consent Mode 100K+ · 4.4★ (440) wp.org #14 5 too low 10 MalCare WordPress Security Plugin – Malware Scanner, Cleaner, Security Firewall 100K+ · 4.4★ (559) wp.org #19 ↑1 9 too low 11 Termly – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 80K+ · 3.6★ (204) wp.org #13 ↓1 2 too low 12 WPLP Cookie Consent – Cookie Banner & Consent Management for GDPR, CCPA & Google Consent Mode 9K+ · 4.6★ (51) wp.org #8 ↓2 4 too high 13 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #11 2 too high 14 Seers AI | Cookie Consent Banner – GDPR & CCPA Compliant Consent Management Platform 1K+ · 4.7★ (52) wp.org #15 1 too low 15 Kansleri Cookie Consent 1K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #9 6 too high 16 Tracking and Consent Manager – WP Full Picture 3K+ · 5.0★ (21) wp.org #21 ↓2 5 too low 17 CookieAdmin – Cookie Consent Banner 400K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #12 ↑1 5 too high 18 Axeptio – Cookie Banner – GDPR Consent & Compliance with a friendly touch 8K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #20 ↓2 2 too low 19 Cookiez – GDPR & CCPA Cookie Banner & Consent Manager 50K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #23 ↓2 4 too low 20 Cookie Information – Cookie Banner with Consent Mode v2 2K+ · 3.0★ (4) wp.org #18 ↓1 2 too high 21 CookieHub – Cookie Consent Banner (DSGVO, CCPA, RGPD and GDPR compliance) 3K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 ↓2 5 too high 22 CookieRay – Cookie Banner for Cookie Consent (GDPR/CCPA Compliant) 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↓1 5 too high 23 Cookie Rocket, Cookie Consent Banner and Script Blocker for GDPR, CCPA and LGPD 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 Kukie – Cookie Consent & Privacy Banner (GDPR, CCPA, DSGVO) 90+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24

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.