wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “custom classes”
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 classes”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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
Custom Icons for Elementor and WPBakery shows at wp.org #8 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Smart Custom 404 Error Page places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 1197 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440)
wp.org #1 2 
Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager 100K+ · 4.7★ (1028)
wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too low 3 
Secure Custom Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (69)
wp.org #2 ↑1 1 too high 4 
Gallery Custom Links 30K+ · 4.7★ (208)
wp.org #4 5 
WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1917)
wp.org #5 6 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #6 7 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #11 ↑2 4 too low 8 
WP Custom Admin Interface 30K+ · 4.7★ (160)
wp.org #9 ↓1 1 too low 9 
Widget CSS Classes 80K+ · 4.9★ (74) stale but ranked
wp.org #10 1 too low 10 Smart Custom 404 Error Page 100K+ · 4.9★ (1197)
wp.org #18 8 too low 11 
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551)
wp.org #13 ↓2 2 too low 12 
RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login 7K+ · 4.5★ (459)
wp.org #15 3 too low 13 
List Custom Taxonomy Widget 8K+ · 4.7★ (21) thin reviews
wp.org #7 6 too high 14 
Custom Login Page Customizer 50K+ · 4.9★ (477)
wp.org #23 9 too low 15 
PPOM – Product Addons & Custom Fields for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.5★ (283)
wp.org #21 6 too low 16 
Ultimate Dashboard – Custom WordPress Dashboard 50K+ · 4.6★ (114)
wp.org #20 4 too low 17 
FluentSnippets – High-Performance Code Snippets, Header & Footer Code, Custom CSS & PHP Code Manager 50K+ · 4.7★ (78)
wp.org #19 2 too low 18 
Category Posts in Custom Menu 2K+ · 4.8★ (43)
wp.org #17 1 too high 19 
WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway 700K+ · 3.1★ (237)
wp.org #12 7 too high 20 
Custom Checkout Fields for WooCommerce 500+ · 4.8★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #16 4 too high 21 
Advanced Category and Custom Taxonomy Image 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #14 7 too high 22 Custom Icons for Elementor and WPBakery 10K+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #8 ↑1 14 too high 23 C Custom Post Type Parents 900+ · 4.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓3 1 too low 24 
User Profile Picture – Custom Local Avatars 4K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #22 2 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.