wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “css transitions”
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 “css transitions”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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
UiCore Animate – Free Animations, Transitions, and Interactions Addon for Elementor & Gutenberg blocks shows at wp.org #6 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 40K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.2★ average from 10 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery places #7 on merit, 4.3★ from 4342 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.
Blocks Animation: CSS Animations for Gutenberg Blocks 90K+ · 4.8★ (73)
wp.org #1 2 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #2 3 
Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882)
wp.org #5 2 too low 4 
Visual CSS Style Editor 30K+ · 4.1★ (90)
wp.org #4 5 
Slider, Gallery, and Carousel by MetaSlider – Image Slider, Video Slider 500K+ · 4.6★ (743)
wp.org #8 ↑10 3 too low 6 
Greenshift – animation and page builder blocks 70K+ · 4.8★ (107)
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery 300K+ · 4.3★ (4342)
wp.org #14 ↓5 7 too low 8 
PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce 300K+ · 5.0★ (1865)
wp.org #15 ↓1 7 too low 9 
Robo Gallery – Photo & Image Slider 40K+ · 4.3★ (406)
wp.org #11 ↑2 2 too low 10 
Slider by Soliloquy – Responsive Image Slider for WordPress 30K+ · 4.7★ (1025)
wp.org #16 6 too low 11 
FooGallery Photo Gallery : Image, Video & Masonry Galleries 100K+ · 4.8★ (995)
wp.org #18 ↓3 7 too low 12 
Page Animations And Transitions 1K+ · 2.8★ (32) low rating, top placement
wp.org #3 9 too high 13 
Sticky Header Effects for Elementor 300K+ · 4.5★ (69)
wp.org #10 3 too high 14 
Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page Builder for Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns 100K+ · 4.9★ (216)
wp.org #17 3 too low 15 
Prime Slider – Hero Slider, Carousel, WooCommerce & Post Slider Elementor Addons 100K+ · 4.5★ (82)
wp.org #12 3 too high 16 
Master Slider – Responsive Touch Slider 60K+ · 4.6★ (504)
wp.org #22 ↓3 6 too low 17 
Ultimate Responsive Image Slider 30K+ · 4.5★ (248)
wp.org #19 2 too low 18 
Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer 400K+ · 4.5★ (81)
wp.org #13 ↓2 5 too high 19 
Depicter — Popup & Slider Builder 70K+ · 4.6★ (236)
wp.org #21 ↑2 2 too low 20 
Blog Filter – Post Grid Filter by Category or Tag 7K+ · 4.9★ (81)
wp.org #20 21 
Performance Lab 100K+ · 4.3★ (51)
wp.org #23 ↓2 2 too low 22 UiCore Animate – Free Animations, Transitions, and Interactions Addon for Elementor & Gutenberg blocks 40K+ · 3.2★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #6 16 too high 23 
Animation Builder – An interface for adding scroll-triggered animations 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #9 ↓1 14 too high 24 
Change class in viewport: create animations with pure CSS 60+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓2 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.