wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “don't repeat”
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 “don't repeat”, 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
Search Analytics for WP – Site Search Tracking shows at wp.org #14 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 3K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 30 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2143)
wp.org #1 2 
Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder 800K+ · 4.8★ (807)
wp.org #4 2 too low 3 
Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418)
wp.org #5 2 too low 4 
Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 
W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420)
wp.org #7 2 too low 6 
WooCommerce PayPal Payments 800K+ · 2.9★ (583) throws errorsnot PHP-current low rating, top placement
wp.org #2 4 too high 7 
Advanced Product Fields (Product Addons) for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.8★ (284)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ · 4.8★ (334)
wp.org #10 2 too low 9 
HurryTimer – An Scarcity and Urgency Countdown Timer for WordPress & WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.8★ (170)
wp.org #11 2 too low 10 
Scratch & Win – Giveaways and Contests. Boost subscribers, traffic, repeat visits, referrals, sales and more 100+ · 4.7★ (30)
wp.org #6 4 too high 11 
404 to 301 – Redirect Manager, 301 Redirection, 404 Error Logs & 404 Monitoring 100K+ · 4.7★ (321)
wp.org #13 2 too low 12 
Slider, Gallery, and Carousel by MetaSlider – Image Slider, Video Slider 500K+ · 4.6★ (743)
wp.org #15 3 too low 13 
OneSignal – Web Push Notifications 60K+ · 4.3★ (360) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #9 4 too high 14 
Fluid Checkout for WooCommerce – Lite 20K+ · 4.9★ (159)
wp.org #16 2 too low 15 
Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992)
wp.org #21 6 too low 16 
Cost Calculator Builder 20K+ · 4.5★ (393)
wp.org #22 6 too low 17 
SAR Friendly SMTP 2K+ · 4.6★ (46)
wp.org #12 5 too high 18 
AudioIgniter Music Player 10K+ · 4.6★ (64)
wp.org #18 19 
MoreConvert Wishlist for WooCommerce 8K+ · 4.9★ (120)
wp.org #23 4 too low 20 
PiWeb Cancel order / Refund request for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.8★ (39)
wp.org #19 1 too high 21 
GTM Kit – Google Tag Manager & GA4 integration 30K+ · 4.8★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #17 4 too high 22 Search Analytics for WP – Site Search Tracking 3K+ · 5.0★ (30) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #14 8 too high 23 
Checkout Shield for WooCommerce – Stop Fake Orders, Spam Bots & Card Testing 400+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #20 3 too high 24 
Repeater for Contact Form 7 500+ · 5.0★ (2) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #24 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.