wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “custom scripts”
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 scripts”, 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
MB Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies shows at wp.org #13 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.7★ average from 13 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager places #6 on merit, 4.7★ from 1028 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.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440)
wp.org #1 2 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144)
wp.org #2 3 
Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (588)
wp.org #3 4 
Custom Permalinks 100K+ · 4.1★ (116)
wp.org #4 5 
WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1917)
wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager 100K+ · 4.7★ (1028)
wp.org #11 5 too low 7 
Header and Footer Scripts 200K+ · 4.6★ (58)
wp.org #5 2 too high 8 
ECS – Ele Custom Skin for Elementor 100K+ · 4.6★ (117)
wp.org #8 9 
Scripts To Footer 7K+ · 4.7★ (37)
wp.org #6 3 too high 10 
Custom Taxonomy Order 50K+ · 4.8★ (96)
wp.org #10 11 
Secure Custom Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (69)
wp.org #9 2 too high 12 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #16 4 too low 13 
Gallery Custom Links 30K+ · 4.7★ (208)
wp.org #14 1 too low 14 
Woody Code Snippets – Insert PHP, CSS, JS, and Header/Footer Scripts 50K+ · 4.5★ (221)
wp.org #18 4 too low 15 
Admin Custom Login 10K+ · 4.6★ (388)
wp.org #22 7 too low 16 
Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667)
wp.org #24 8 too low 17 
Custom Post Types and Custom Fields creator – WCK 10K+ · 4.7★ (97)
wp.org #20 3 too low 18 
Real Custom Post Order: Create a custom order for your content 8K+ · 4.8★ (42)
wp.org #17 1 too high 19 
Custom Order Numbers for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.2★ (25)
wp.org #12 7 too high 20 
Advanced Custom Fields: Font Awesome Field 90K+ · 4.9★ (36)
wp.org #21 1 too low 21 MB Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies 10K+ · 4.7★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #13 8 too high 22 S Smart Custom Fields 50K+ · 4.9★ (21) thin reviews
wp.org #23 1 too low 23 
CM Header and Footer – Add custom scripts and styles to your header and footer with ease 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #15 8 too high 24 
BBH Custom Schema – Add Custom JSON-LD to Your Website 900+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #19 5 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.