Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “dark mode”

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 “dark mode”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 2 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

Browser Theme Color – Address Bar Color & Dark Mode shows at wp.org #8 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 2K+ 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

WP ULike – Like Buttons, Voting & Engagement Analytics places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 283 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Dark Mode – Improve Accessibility with AI Powered Dark Theme 20K+ · 4.5★ (391) wp.org #1 2 Dark Mode for WP Dashboard 3K+ · 4.8★ (34) wp.org #2 3 Dark Mode Toggle 2K+ · 4.6★ (19) wp.org #3 4 Darkify – Dark Mode & Night Mode for Website & Admin (Dark Theme Included) 1K+ · 4.7★ (27) wp.org #4 ↑2 5 ECS – Ele Custom Skin for Elementor 100K+ · 4.6★ (117) wp.org #10 ↑2 5 too low 6 DarkLooks – Dark Mode Switcher For WordPress 800+ · 4.8★ (16) wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too high 7 Darklup – Enhanced WordPress Dark Mode, Dark Theme, Night Mode & Accessibility Plugin 1K+ · 4.5★ (44) wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too high 8 WP ULike – Like Buttons, Voting & Engagement Analytics 60K+ · 4.8★ (283) wp.org #22 ↓9 14 too low 9 Markdown Editor (Formerly Dark Mode) 1K+ · 3.3★ (86) wp.org #11 ↓2 2 too low 10 Joli Table Of Contents – Table of Contents with Gutenberg Block & Shortcode 7K+ · 4.9★ (43) wp.org #19 9 too low 11 OpenStation – Admin Dashboard Notes, Custom Dashboard, AI Assistant & PWA 1K+ · 5.0★ (23) wp.org #15 4 too low 12 Dark Reader – Beautiful Dark Mode for any Website 200+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #7 5 too high 13 DarkMySite – Advanced Dark Mode Plugin for WordPress 900+ · 4.7★ (14) wp.org #18 ↓4 5 too low 14 Double Youpï Refined Admin Dashboard – Admin Theme with Dark Mode & Media Folders 70+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #16 2 too low 15 Coming Soon Maintenance Mode 6K+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #14 ↓3 1 too high 16 AEO God Mode – AI Search Visibility 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #21 5 too low 17 Nocturne Dark Mode – Elementor Dark Mode Toggle for WordPress 200+ · 4.1★ (7) wp.org #23 ↓3 6 too low 18 AboveWP Admin Dark Mode 90+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 ↓1 9 too high 19 Browser Theme Color – Address Bar Color & Dark Mode 2K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 11 too high 20 Dark Mode for Elementor – Global colors mapping 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↑4 8 too high 21 SVisciano – Light-Dark Theme Mode 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 1 too high 22 Onyx Dark Mode Switcher 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↓2 5 too high 23 Mawu Dark Mode for the Admin Dashboard, Editor & Website 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 DarkAdmin – Dark Mode for Adminpanel 100+ · 3.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↓3 11 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.