wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “critical”
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 “critical”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 3 of the top 20.
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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Reduce Unused CSS Solution with Critical CSS For WP shows at wp.org #6 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.8★ average from 13 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Jetpack Boost – Website Speed, Performance and Critical CSS 200K+ · 4.7★ (612)
wp.org #1 2 
Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012)
wp.org #2 3 
LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778)
wp.org #3 4 
Hummingbird Performance – Cache & Page Speed Optimization for Core Web Vitals | Critical CSS | Minify CSS | Defer CSS Javascript | CDN 70K+ · 4.7★ (1488)
wp.org #4 ↑1 5 
Autoptimize 800K+ · 4.7★ (1428)
wp.org #5 ↓1 6 
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4228)
wp.org #7 ↑1 1 too low 7 
Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869)
wp.org #9 2 too low 8 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #8 ↓1 9 
W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420)
wp.org #10 ↑13 1 too low 10 
The SEO Framework – Fast, Automated, Effortless. 200K+ · 4.9★ (380)
wp.org #11 1 too low 11 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #12 ↓2 1 too low 12 
All-in-One WP Migration and Backup 5M+ · 4.5★ (7676)
wp.org #13 1 too low 13 
Asset CleanUp: Page Speed Booster 100K+ · 4.9★ (1564)
wp.org #18 ↓6 5 too low 14 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #14 ↑2 15 
Super Page Cache – Cloudflare Cache, Page Speed & Core Web Vitals 70K+ · 4.8★ (517)
wp.org #16 ↑4 1 too low 16 
10Web Booster – Website speed optimization, Cache & Page Speed optimizer 60K+ · 4.6★ (405)
wp.org #17 ↑4 1 too low 17 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #19 ↓4 2 too low 18 
My Calendar – Accessible Event Manager 20K+ · 4.7★ (159)
wp.org #20 ↓7 2 too low 19 
BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin 400K+ · 4.0★ (1323)
wp.org #22 3 too low 20 Reduce Unused CSS Solution with Critical CSS For WP 1K+ · 3.8★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #6 14 too high 21 
Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #15 6 too high 22 
Flying Scripts: Delay JavaScript to Improve Site Speed & Performance 30K+ · 5.0★ (38)
wp.org #21 ↓4 1 too high 23 
Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27)
wp.org #24 1 too low 24 
Easy Critical CSS 70+ · 1.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↓5 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.