wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “date difference”
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 “date difference”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 of the top 20. 6 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
Date counter shows at wp.org #7 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 8 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Calculated Fields Form – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact, Payment, Quote, Quiz & More places #3 on merit, 4.9★ from 973 reviews, but shows at wp.org #12. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Order Delivery Date for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.3★ (61) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #1 2 
MainWP Dashboard: Self-hosted WordPress Management for Agencies 20K+ · 4.9★ (2354) not PHP-current
wp.org #4 ↑3 2 too low 3 Calculated Fields Form – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact, Payment, Quote, Quiz & More 40K+ · 4.9★ (973)
wp.org #12 9 too low 4 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #10 ↑1 6 too low 5 
MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) 2M+ · 4.5★ (3157) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too low 6 
Availability Datepicker – Booking Calendar for Contact Form 7 – Input WP 10K+ · 4.1★ (42)
wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too high 7 
Nepali Date Converter 800+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #2 5 too high 8 
Speed Optimizer – The All-In-One Performance-Boosting Plugin 1M+ · 4.2★ (641)
wp.org #11 ↓1 3 too low 9 
404 to 301 – Redirect Manager, 301 Redirection, 404 Error Logs & 404 Monitoring 100K+ · 4.7★ (321)
wp.org #17 ↑2 8 too low 10 
Product Delivery Date for WooCommerce – Lite 1K+ · 4.1★ (13) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #3 7 too high 11 
Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks 1M+ · 4.7★ (1872) heavy footprint
wp.org #16 ↓3 5 too low 12 
EventPrime – Events Calendar, Bookings, Tickets & AI 7K+ · 4.4★ (85) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #9 ↓3 3 too high 13 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #20 ↑1 7 too low 14 
Schema – All In One Schema Rich Snippets 30K+ · 4.0★ (162)
wp.org #18 ↓2 4 too low 15 Date counter 1K+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviewsstale but ranked
wp.org #7 ↑1 8 too high 16 
Custom Order Numbers for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.2★ (25) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #8 ↑1 8 too high 17 
Appointment Booking Calendar 1K+ · 4.2★ (92) not PHP-current
wp.org #19 ↓1 2 too low 18 
Payment Gateway Based Fees and Discounts for WooCommerce 30K+ · 4.7★ (58) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #15 3 too high 19 
List Last Changes 1K+ · 4.8★ (11) thin reviews
wp.org #13 ↑1 6 too high 20 
Product Labels For Woocommerce (Sale Badges) 10K+ · 4.6★ (54) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #21 1 too low 21 
Product Input Fields for WooCommerce 4K+ · 4.0★ (17) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #14 ↑1 7 too high 22 
RSFirewall! 4K+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↓2 23 
Custom Order Status for WooCommerce 10K+ · 3.3★ (32) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24 
Simple Countdown Timer – Sales, Launch and Event Countdowns 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) not PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↓1 1 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.