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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “default avatar”

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 “default avatar”, 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

User Profile Picture – Custom Local Avatars shows at wp.org #4 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 4K+ 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

Nextend Social Login and Register places #12 on merit, 4.9★ from 446 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 One User Avatar | User Profile Picture 100K+ · 4.7★ (41) wp.org #1 2 Simple Local Avatars 100K+ · 4.6★ (89) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Simple User Avatar 20K+ · 4.6★ (19) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738) wp.org #12 ↑1 8 too low 5 Customer Reviews for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.8★ (1539) wp.org #14 9 too low 6 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #13 ↓1 7 too low 7 Leira Letter Avatar 6K+ · 4.9★ (28) wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too high 8 Author Avatars List/Block 4K+ · 4.8★ (32) wp.org #8 9 WP User Avatars 20K+ · 4.5★ (29) wp.org #7 ↓1 2 too high 10 User Profile Picture 40K+ · 4.6★ (59) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 EWWW Image Optimizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1842) wp.org #20 ↑1 9 too low 12 Nextend Social Login and Register 200K+ · 4.9★ (446) wp.org #22 10 too low 13 Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418) wp.org #24 11 too low 14 ProfilePress – Paid Membership, Online Courses (LMS), Ecommerce, User Registration & Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content 100K+ · 3.1★ (938) wp.org #10 ↓1 4 too high 15 GenerateBlocks 200K+ · 4.9★ (122) wp.org #23 ↑1 8 too low 16 Co-Authors, Multiple Authors and Guest Authors in an Author Box with PublishPress Authors 20K+ · 4.9★ (114) wp.org #16 17 Advanced User Avatar | Custom Profile Picture Uploader for WordPress, WooCommerce, and BuddyPress 300+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #9 ↑1 8 too high 18 Gravatar Enhanced – Avatars, Profiles, and Privacy 100K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #5 ↓1 13 too high 19 User Profile Picture – Custom Local Avatars 4K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 ↑3 15 too high 20 SysBasics Customize My Account for WooCommerce – Live My Account Customizer 7K+ · 4.2★ (33) wp.org #15 5 too high 21 LIQUID SPEECH BALLOON 10K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #21 ↓1 22 B BP Local Avatars 100+ · 4.1★ (7) wp.org #17 5 too high 23 Leenkat Profile Avatar Manager 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 Real Simple Avatar 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 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.