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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “database table prefix”

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 “database table prefix”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

CodingBunny Database Cleaner shows at wp.org #6 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 200+ 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

Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 8869 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Advanced Database Cleaner – Optimize & Clean Database to Speed Up Site Performance 100K+ · 4.9★ (1962) wp.org #1 2 Database Cleaner: Cleanup, Optimization & Repair 10K+ · 5.0★ (150) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 wpDataTables – WordPress Data Table, Dynamic Tables & Table Charts Plugin 60K+ · 4.5★ (449) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Change Table Prefix 1K+ · 3.8★ (55) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418) wp.org #8 ↑1 3 too low 6 WP Reset 300K+ · 4.8★ (1014) wp.org #12 6 too low 7 Brozzme DB Prefix & Tools Addons 9K+ · 4.7★ (58) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #16 8 too low 9 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #14 ↓1 5 too low 10 Database Backup for WordPress 60K+ · 4.5★ (66) wp.org #9 ↑1 1 too high 11 Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) wp.org #11 12 Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1668) wp.org #20 ↑2 8 too low 13 S SQLite Database Integration 5K+ · 4.6★ (12) wp.org #7 6 too high 14 BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin 400K+ · 4.0★ (1323) wp.org #18 4 too low 15 WP-Sweep 100K+ · 4.7★ (138) wp.org #24 ↓1 9 too low 16 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too high 17 Index WP MySQL For Speed 50K+ · 4.8★ (99) wp.org #17 18 Tablesome Table – Contact Form DB – WPForms, CF7, Gravity, Forminator, Fluent 7K+ · 4.8★ (89) wp.org #19 1 too low 19 BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55) wp.org #22 3 too low 20 Simple Table Manager 400+ · 4.8★ (4) wp.org #10 ↑1 10 too high 21 CodingBunny Database Cleaner 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #6 15 too high 22 Extensions For CF7 (Contact form 7 Database, Conditional Fields and Redirection) 5K+ · 4.9★ (8) wp.org #23 ↓2 1 too low 23 atec Database 90+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #13 ↑2 10 too high 24 NHR Database Cleaner & Optimizer – Revisions, Transients, Autoload & Options Manager 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 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.