wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “e codes”
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 “e codes”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20.
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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Up2pay e-Transactions WooCommerce Payment Gateway shows at wp.org #3 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 19 places. Its 4K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.3★ average from 13 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce places #9 on merit, 5.0★ from 1865 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) 2M+ · 4.7★ (5231)
wp.org #2 1 too low 2 
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27820)
wp.org #6 4 too low 3 
Welcart e-Commerce 10K+ · 4.5★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #1 2 too high 4 
Manage Notification E-mails 100K+ · 4.8★ (56)
wp.org #4 5 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8709)
wp.org #12 7 too low 6 
Tracking Code Manager 90K+ · 4.1★ (58)
wp.org #5 1 too high 7 
Polylang 900K+ · 4.7★ (3004)
wp.org #11 4 too low 8 
Preview E-mails for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.9★ (85)
wp.org #8 9 PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce 300K+ · 5.0★ (1865)
wp.org #18 9 too low 10 
Correios Automático – Rastreio, Frete, Etiqueta, Declaração e Devolução 4K+ · 5.0★ (90)
wp.org #13 3 too low 11 
Conversios – GA4, Google Ads & Meta Conversion Tracking with Product Feed for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.3★ (206)
wp.org #14 3 too low 12 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #19 7 too low 13 
Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667)
wp.org #21 8 too low 14 
E-cab Taxi Booking Manager for Woocommerce 2K+ · 4.9★ (28)
wp.org #10 4 too high 15 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #23 8 too low 16 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #22 6 too low 17 
Serial Codes Generator and Validator with WooCommerce Support 700+ · 4.6★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #7 10 too high 18 
Post Types Order 600K+ · 4.5★ (296)
wp.org #20 2 too low 19 
GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155)
wp.org #17 2 too high 20 
WeShareAI – AI-Powered Share Buttons (formerly E-MAILiT) 600+ · 4.3★ (65)
wp.org #15 5 too high 21 
F4 Shipping Phone and E-Mail for WooCommerce 700+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #9 12 too high 22 Up2pay e-Transactions WooCommerce Payment Gateway 4K+ · 2.3★ (13) thin reviewslow rating, top placement
wp.org #3 19 too high 23 
BjornTech Swish for WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.6★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #16 7 too high 24 
Furgonetka.pl: Przesyłki & Narzędzia e-commerce 7K+ · 2.9★ (14) 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.