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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “deadline”

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 “deadline”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 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

Simple Countdown Timer – Sales, Launch and Event Countdowns shows at wp.org #4 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 1K+ 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

Cool Timeline (Horizontal & Vertical Timeline) places #10 on merit, 4.7★ from 333 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 Spectra Legacy – Gutenberg Blocks 1M+ · 4.7★ (1872) wp.org #1 2 HurryTimer – An Scarcity and Urgency Countdown Timer for WordPress & WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.8★ (170) wp.org #2 3 Finale Lite – Sales Countdown Timer & Discount for WooCommerce 3K+ · 4.7★ (151) wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too low 4 Booking Package 10K+ · 4.0★ (15) wp.org #3 ↑2 1 too high 5 Project Manager – AI Powered Project Management, Task Management, Kanban Board & Time Tracker 5K+ · 3.8★ (187) wp.org #8 ↓1 3 too low 6 FluentBoards – Project Management, Task Management, Goal Tracking, Kanban Board, and, Team Collaboration 6K+ · 5.0★ (25) wp.org #7 ↓1 1 too low 7 Shipping Simulator for WooCommerce 6K+ · 5.0★ (40) wp.org #6 ↑8 1 too high 8 Simple Job Board 10K+ · 4.7★ (133) wp.org #10 ↑1 2 too low 9 Return Refund and Exchange For WooCommerce 4K+ · 4.7★ (124) wp.org #11 ↓1 2 too low 10 Cool Timeline (Horizontal & Vertical Timeline) 20K+ · 4.7★ (333) wp.org #22 ↑1 12 too low 11 EU Withdrawal and Legal Guarantee Compliance 1K+ · 5.0★ (17) wp.org #9 ↓1 2 too high 12 Missed Scheduled Posts Publisher by WPBeginner 20K+ · 4.9★ (60) wp.org #17 ↓1 5 too low 13 Registrations for the Events Calendar – Event Registration Plugin 7K+ · 5.0★ (103) wp.org #21 ↑1 8 too low 14 Cart Notices for WooCommerce 2K+ · 5.0★ (41) wp.org #12 ↓3 2 too high 15 JobWP – Job Board Plugin for WordPress | Job Listings, Career Page & Applications 1K+ · 5.0★ (20) wp.org #14 ↓1 1 too high 16 Event Booking Manager for WooCommerce – Sell Tickets, Event Registration, RSVP & Event Calendar 7K+ · 4.5★ (167) wp.org #15 1 too high 17 Spectra Blocks – AI Website Builder for the Block Editor 60K+ · 4.6★ (53) wp.org #24 ↓4 7 too low 18 The Future Is Now 1K+ · 4.7★ (14) wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too low 19 Simple Countdown Timer – Sales, Launch and Event Countdowns 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 ↓1 15 too high 20 Convertful – Your Ultimate On-Site Conversion Tool 3K+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #13 ↓1 7 too high 21 Portugal CTT Tracking for WooCommerce 500+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #23 ↑1 2 too low 22 Direct Checkout – Quick View – Buy Now For WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 ↑1 2 too high 23 Local Pickup for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 ↑1 7 too high 24 F FameTheme Demo Importer 30K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 ↑1 6 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.