Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “digital contracts”

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 “digital contracts”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 2 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

Digital Signature For Gravity Forms shows at wp.org #8 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 300+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Password Protected places #7 on merit, 4.4★ from 142 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Digital Signature For Contact Form 7 5K+ · 4.9★ (14) wp.org #1 2 Digital Signature Add-on for WooCommerce 900+ · 3.1★ (19) wp.org #2 3 Everest Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form, Quiz, Survey & Custom Form Builder with AI 90K+ · 4.9★ (375) wp.org #11 8 too low 4 Formidable Forms – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Payment, Calculator Form & Custom Form Builder 300K+ · 4.8★ (1388) wp.org #16 12 too low 5 WP Forms Signature Contract Add-On 800+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #3 2 too high 6 Signature Add-On for Gravity Forms 1K+ · 3.9★ (21) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 Password Protected 300K+ · 4.4★ (142) wp.org #23 16 too low 8 Ninja Forms Signature Contract Add-On 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #4 4 too high 9 WPSmartContracts 100+ · 3.9★ (29) wp.org #12 3 too low 10 EU Withdrawal and Legal Guarantee Compliance 1K+ · 5.0★ (17) wp.org #22 ↑1 12 too low 11 MDJM Event Management 40+ · 4.9★ (10) wp.org #17 6 too low 12 Formidable Forms Signature Online Contract Automation 200+ · 4.0★ (2) wp.org #7 5 too high 13 Easy Digital Downloads Digital Signature 60+ · 3.0★ (4) wp.org #5 8 too high 14 Contact Forms 7 Digital Signature Add-On 300+ · 2.6★ (5) wp.org #6 8 too high 15 BuddyPilot Withdrawal – Easy Returns for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #13 2 too high 16 Montonio for WooCommerce 10K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #24 ↓3 8 too low 17 AURPAY Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) – Bitcoin Crypto Payment Gateway 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 Digital Signature For Gravity Forms 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 10 too high 19 NEX-Forms ADD ON – Digital Signatures 500+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 9 too high 20 Spotrebiteľské práva pre WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 21 Nomod for WooCommerce 400+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 ↑1 22 Electronic Signature Add-on for Fluent Forms 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 7 too high 23 Novalnet Payment Gateway for Easy Digital Downloads 20+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 GM Digital Signature for Wpforms 100+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #14 10 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.