wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “custom admin fields”
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 “custom admin fields”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 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
Admin Columns for ACF Fields shows at wp.org #11 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 8K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.9★ average from 20 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440)
wp.org #1 2 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #2 3 
Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418)
wp.org #3 4 
Admin Columns 100K+ · 4.9★ (1652)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
Secure Custom Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (69)
wp.org #4 1 too high 6 
Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (588)
wp.org #9 ↓2 3 too low 7 
Custom Post Type UI 1M+ · 4.6★ (276)
wp.org #6 ↑3 1 too high 8 
Table Field Add-on for ACF and SCF 50K+ · 4.9★ (60)
wp.org #7 ↑4 1 too high 9 
Flexible Checkout Fields for WooCommerce – WooCommerce Checkout Manager 80K+ · 4.7★ (296)
wp.org #10 1 too low 10 
Admin Custom Login 10K+ · 4.6★ (388)
wp.org #13 3 too low 11 
Admin Menu Editor 300K+ · 4.6★ (312)
wp.org #12 ↑4 1 too low 12 
Advanced Custom Fields: Font Awesome Field 90K+ · 4.9★ (36)
wp.org #8 4 too high 13 
Product Addons for Woocommerce – Product Options with Custom Fields 30K+ · 4.9★ (474)
wp.org #19 ↓2 6 too low 14 
Calculated Fields Form – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact, Payment, Quote, Quiz & More 40K+ · 4.9★ (973)
wp.org #22 ↓10 8 too low 15 
Advanced Product Fields (Product Addons) for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.8★ (284)
wp.org #17 ↑1 2 too low 16 
Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager 100K+ · 4.7★ (1028)
wp.org #24 8 too low 17 
Custom Post Types and Custom Fields creator – WCK 10K+ · 4.7★ (97)
wp.org #15 ↑4 2 too high 18 
Advanced Custom Fields: Extended 100K+ · 4.8★ (132)
wp.org #18 ↑3 19 
Custom Permalinks 100K+ · 4.1★ (116)
wp.org #14 5 too high 20 
ECS – Ele Custom Skin for Elementor 100K+ · 4.6★ (117)
wp.org #20 21 Admin Columns for ACF Fields 8K+ · 4.9★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #11 ↑4 10 too high 22 
BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55)
wp.org #21 1 too high 23 
WC Fields Factory 7K+ · 4.3★ (168)
wp.org #23 24 
Custom Field Template 30K+ · 4.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #16 ↑4 8 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.