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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “customized copyright”

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 “customized copyright”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 3 plugins are pushed down for signals wp.org ignores: errors, a host-installed base, or removal risk.

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 it throws errors on current PHP, whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

MotoPress Hotel Booking Styles & Templates shows at wp.org #11 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Adminify – White Label, Admin Menu Editor, Login Customizer places #9 on merit, 4.3★ from 109 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8708) wp.org #1 2 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #2 3 LoginPress | wp-login Custom Login Page Customizer 200K+ · 4.8★ (1077) wp.org #3 4 Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373) wp.org #9 5 too low 5 WP Custom Admin Interface 30K+ · 4.7★ (160) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Kubio AI Page Builder 80K+ · 4.4★ (79) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 FOX – Currency Switcher Professional for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.4★ (250) wp.org #10 3 too low 8 Export Products, Orders & Customers for WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.6★ (14) wp.org #8 9 Adminify – White Label, Admin Menu Editor, Login Customizer 6K+ · 4.3★ (109) wp.org #18 9 too low 10 MotoPress Hotel Booking for Elementor 10K+ · 3.9★ (7) wp.org #5 5 too high 11 Darkify – Dark Mode & Night Mode for Website & Admin (Dark Theme Included) 1K+ · 4.7★ (27) wp.org #16 5 too low 12 Leaflet Maps Marker (Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Bing Maps) 9K+ · 4.6★ (244) wp.org #21 9 too low 13 UpStream: a Project Management Plugin for WordPress 500+ · 4.2★ (74) wp.org #23 10 too low 14 RSVPMaker 200+ · 4.6★ (11) wp.org #13 1 too high 15 PausAR – 3D and AR for Elementor 300+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #20 5 too low 16 Image Copyright Manager 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 12 too high 17 ShutterPress Gallery – Masonry, justified and grid galleries, lightbox and infinite scroll 100+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 Ibtana – Ecommerce Product Addons 5K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #14 4 too high 19 OpenAgenda 400+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #22 3 too low 20 WPInterface Add-ons 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 5 too high 21 Auto SEO META keywords (META tags keywords) optimization + WooCommerce 500+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #12 9 too high 22 WP Hamburger 90+ · 2.6★ (5) wp.org #17 5 too high 23 Nova Blocks by Pixelgrade 800+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 MotoPress Hotel Booking Styles & Templates 10K+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #11 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.