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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “drm”

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 “drm”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 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

FV Player 8 shows at wp.org #11 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

PDF Poster – Let visitors read PDF’s without leaving the page places #6 on merit, 4.5★ from 149 reviews, but shows at wp.org #12. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Product Feed PRO for WooCommerce by AdTribes – Product Feeds for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.7★ (1071) wp.org #2 ↑1 1 too low 2 SafeGuard DRM Protection 30+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Ebook Store 700+ · 4.4★ (60) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 VdoCipher: Secure Video Player and Hosting 2K+ · 4.2★ (14) wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too high 5 Wonder PDF Embed 8K+ · 4.5★ (13) wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too low 6 PDF Poster – Let visitors read PDF’s without leaving the page 20K+ · 4.5★ (149) wp.org #12 6 too low 7 CopySafe PDF Protection – Copy Protect PDF 300+ · 3.9★ (14) wp.org #7 ↓1 8 Bradmax Player 1K+ · 4.3★ (11) wp.org #8 9 Digital Content Delivery (incl. DRM) by Flickrocket for WooCommerce 60+ · 2.6★ (10) wp.org #4 5 too high 10 Simple Ebook Viewer 400+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #14 ↓1 4 too low 11 CopySafe Video Protection – Copy Protect Video 100+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #9 2 too high 12 Spotlightr – Secure Video Hosting for WordPress, Courses & LearnDash 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 2 too high 13 SimpleDRM 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 ↑1 14 Neutrope Protected Audio Player 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↑3 2 too low 15 Miguel for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓2 4 too low 16 EasyFeedManager – Product Feed for WooCommerce 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 1 too high 17 Glassboxx for WooCommerce 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓2 3 too low 18 B BMDRM Video Player — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 too low 19 FastPix – Video Hosting, Player and Analytics for WordPress — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↑5 2 too high 20 InkDNA – Fingerprinted Downloads — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓1 2 too low 21 Wolvy Video — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 FREEZhao Content Guard — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 FV Player 8 1K+ · 4.0★ (2) wp.org #11 12 too high 24 Kinescope 200+ · 2.3★ (3) wp.org #18 ↓2 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.