wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “deleting”
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 “deleting”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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
Auto Post Cleaner shows at wp.org #16 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager places #11 on merit, 5.0★ from 1525 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.
Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions 60K+ · 4.7★ (181)
wp.org #1 2 
Advanced Database Cleaner – Optimize & Clean Database to Speed Up Site Performance 100K+ · 4.9★ (1962)
wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too low 3 
Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) not PHP-current
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
Media Cleaner: Delete Unused Images & Clean Your Media Library 90K+ · 4.6★ (779)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
WP Activity Log 300K+ · 4.7★ (490)
wp.org #6 1 too low 6 
WP Bulk Delete 90K+ · 4.6★ (131)
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #10 ↓1 3 too low 8 
WP Super Cache 1M+ · 4.3★ (1346)
wp.org #9 ↑2 1 too low 9 
Bulk Delete 30K+ · 4.3★ (129)
wp.org #8 1 too high 10 
Auto Delete Post – Ultimate plugin for deleting a post automatically 300+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #3 ↑1 7 too high 11 Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1525)
wp.org #22 11 too low 12 
Enable Media Replace 600K+ · 4.4★ (302)
wp.org #12 ↑2 13 
Cookie Compliance for WordPress – Cookie Consent, GDPR & CCPA 800K+ · 4.8★ (3026)
wp.org #20 7 too low 14 
SlimStat Analytics – Real-Time Stats, Heatmaps & Ecommerce 70K+ · 4.8★ (816) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #13 1 too high 15 
WPVibe – MCP Server for WordPress, works with Claude, ChatGPT & other AI MCP agents 100K+ · 5.0★ (195)
wp.org #17 ↓2 2 too low 16 
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ · 4.5★ (157)
wp.org #11 ↓1 5 too high 17 
Controlled Admin Access 10K+ · 4.8★ (45)
wp.org #14 ↓2 3 too high 18 
WPML to Polylang 5K+ · 5.0★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #15 ↓2 3 too high 19 
Email Log 80K+ · 4.2★ (43)
wp.org #21 ↓2 2 too low 20 
LWS Cleaner 20K+ · 4.8★ (16) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓3 4 too low 21 
Disable User Login 6K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↓1 2 too high 22 
WP Hide Post — Hide Posts, Pages, Custom Post Types, and Control Products Visibility for WooCommerce 3K+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↓1 4 too high 23 
Post Lockdown 1K+ · 4.6★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↑1 24 Auto Post Cleaner 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #16 8 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.