wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “customizable scrollbar”

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 “customizable scrollbar”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

Swipe Slider – Make dynamic slider with solid, gradient, or image background shows at wp.org #5 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 3K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Smart Slider 3 places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 1125 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #3 2 too low 2

PWA for WP – Progressive Web Apps Made Simple 10K+ · 4.6★ (230) wp.org #4 2 too low 3

Scrollbar 300+ · 4.8★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #1 2 too high 4

MailPoet – Newsletters, Email Marketing, and Automation 500K+ · 4.4★ (1435) wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too low 5

Darkify – Dark Mode & Night Mode for Website & Admin (Dark Theme Included) 1K+ · 4.7★ (27) wp.org #6 ↑1 7

QuadMenu – Mega Menu 10K+ · 4.5★ (270) wp.org #13 ↓2 6 too low 8

YMC Filter 4K+ · 4.8★ (34) wp.org #8 9

Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots 10K+ · 4.8★ (142) wp.org #14 ↑1 5 too low 10

Smart Slider 3 800K+ · 4.9★ (1125) wp.org #17 ↓1 7 too low 11

WPC Smart Quick View for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.9★ (31) wp.org #9 ↓1 2 too high 12

HTML5 Video Player – embed fast, responsive videos with ease 20K+ · 4.6★ (195) wp.org #16 ↑4 4 too low 13

MapPress – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap & Leaflet 30K+ · 4.7★ (147) wp.org #23 ↓4 10 too low 14

Advanced Scrollbar – Give Your Site a Sleek Branded Scrolling Feel 600+ · 3.0★ (7) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #2 12 too high 15

PVT – Product Variation Table for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (49) wp.org #19 ↓1 4 too low 16

Modal Window – create popup modal window 10K+ · 3.8★ (36) wp.org #12 4 too high 17

annasta Filters for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.8★ (44) wp.org #22 ↑1 5 too low 18

CodeColorer 1K+ · 4.9★ (11) thin reviews wp.org #18 ↓1 19

Webyx for Elementor – Fullpage Fullscreen Scrolling Websites 500+ · 5.0★ (16) thin reviews wp.org #24 ↓3 5 too low 20

Swipe Slider – Make dynamic slider with solid, gradient, or image background 3K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #5 15 too high 21

Product Variation Swatches for WooCommerce – Smart Swatches 700+ · 5.0★ (10) thin reviews wp.org #21 ↑1 22

fullPage Vertical & Horizontal Slider – Snap Scroll Sections & More 300+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews wp.org #15 ↓2 7 too high 23

Product Gallery Swiper for WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews wp.org #20 ↓6 3 too high 24

Bizzview – Quick View for WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #11 ↓1 13 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.