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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “design studio”

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 “design studio”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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.

F

Ranked above its merit

FameTheme Demo Importer shows at wp.org #6 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 30K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor places #10 on merit, 4.8★ from 612 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) wp.org #1 2 Booking for Appointments and Events Calendar – Amelia 90K+ · 4.6★ (793) wp.org #3 ↑3 1 too low 3 WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312) wp.org #4 ↑4 1 too low 4 Starter Templates: AI-Powered Website Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg 1M+ · 4.9★ (4755) wp.org #9 ↑1 5 too low 5 wpDataTables – WordPress Data Table, Dynamic Tables & Table Charts Plugin 60K+ · 4.5★ (449) wp.org #8 ↓3 3 too low 6 Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution 100K+ · 4.4★ (590) wp.org #7 ↓4 1 too low 7 Video Gallery – YouTube Gallery, Playlist & Video Grid 2K+ · 4.9★ (128) wp.org #12 5 too low 8 GeoDirectory – WP Business Directory Plugin and Classified Listings Directory 10K+ · 4.8★ (716) wp.org #16 ↑2 8 too low 9 Simply Static – The Static Site Generator 30K+ · 4.5★ (195) wp.org #14 ↑1 5 too low 10 Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor 600K+ · 4.8★ (612) wp.org #19 ↑1 9 too low 11 Stylish Cost Calculator – Quote Generator, Lead Gen & Price Estimator 1K+ · 4.8★ (175) wp.org #17 6 too low 12 Studio Modules for Divi | Divi Studio Lite 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 10 too high 13 Iks Menu – WordPress Category Accordion Menu & FAQs 10K+ · 5.0★ (27) wp.org #15 ↑1 2 too low 14 Team – Team Members Showcase Plugin 10K+ · 4.5★ (67) wp.org #22 8 too low 15 Employee Spotlight – Team Member Showcase & Meet the Team Plugin 300+ · 4.7★ (31) wp.org #24 9 too low 16 Teydea Login Customizer – Custom Login Page, Branding & Styling 10K+ · 4.8★ (14) wp.org #18 ↑1 2 too low 17 WP Film Studio – WordPress Movie Maker/Production Plugin 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #5 ↓1 12 too high 18 Marquee Addons for Elementor – Essential Motion Widgets & Templates 20K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #10 ↑3 8 too high 19 Gym Builder – Class Timetable & Booking for Gyms, Fitness & Yoga Studios 100+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #23 ↓1 4 too low 20 Super Advent Calendar 300+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #20 ↑3 21 Custom iFrame – Embed PDFs, Videos, and External Content in WordPress (Elementor & Gutenberg) 4K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #21 22 F FameTheme Demo Importer 30K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 ↑1 16 too high 23 Flodesk for Elementor Pro 800+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 12 too high 24 Web Pixel Studio Image Compressor 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↑1 11 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.