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

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 “crew”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

Print.com Print on Demand shows at wp.org #13 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 90+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Tickera – Sell Tickets & Manage Events places #6 on merit, 4.5★ from 292 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Team – Team Members Showcase Plugin 10K+ · 4.5★ (67) wp.org #4 3 too low 2 Employee, Leave and Recruitment Management System – Crew HRM 100+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #2 3 O One Page Express Companion 10K+ · 4.7★ (11) wp.org #3 4 Document Viewer – let visitors view files right in the browser 2K+ · 4.7★ (52) wp.org #6 2 too low 5 Role Based Pricing for Woo by Meow Crew 2K+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #1 4 too high 6 Tickera – Sell Tickets & Manage Events 2K+ · 4.5★ (292) wp.org #11 5 too low 7 WP Social Ninja – Embed Social Feeds, User Reviews & Chat Widgets 30K+ · 4.8★ (71) wp.org #10 3 too low 8 NEX-Forms – Ultimate Forms Plugin for WordPress 5K+ · 4.1★ (135) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 GeeK! – Movie & Game Database 70+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #8 1 too high 10 Movie Engine – OTT Streaming Platform for Movies & TV Series 100+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #5 5 too high 11 My Movie Database 200+ · 4.2★ (9) wp.org #15 4 too low 12 TNC Toolbox: Web Performance 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #9 3 too high 13 My Agent Crew Connector 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 6 too high 14 WT Hardening 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 2 too low 15 Jobber 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 2 too low 16 NEX-Forms ADD ON – Form Themes 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 2 too low 17 Appointment Booking Calendar & Scheduling – Zoe Booking 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 PCIO VIS Boat — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 1 too low 19 Trade Dispatch — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 PCIO VIS With Unitii — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too low 21 Papex University Schedule 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 1 too low 22 RISET – Project Profit & Expense Tracker — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 NEX-Forms ADD ON – Zapier Integration 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Print.com Print on Demand 90+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #13 11 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.