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

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 “element”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

Hash Elements shows at wp.org #11 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 5K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Starter Templates: AI-Powered Website Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg places #11 on merit, 4.9★ from 4755 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 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #1 2 Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #2 3 Shortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements 400K+ · 4.9★ (5925) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too low 4 Unlimited Elements for Elementor 300K+ · 4.8★ (525) wp.org #3 ↑3 1 too high 5 Element Pack Addons for Elementor – MCP & AI-Ready Elementor Widgets, Elementor Templates, Elementor Addons 100K+ · 4.7★ (284) wp.org #5 ↓2 6 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #6 ↓2 7 Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680) wp.org #7 ↑2 8 Addon Elements for Elementor (formerly Elementor Addon Elements) 80K+ · 4.8★ (172) wp.org #8 ↑2 9 All-in-one Sticky Floating Contact Form, Call, Click to Chat, and 50+ Social Icon Tabs – My Sticky Elements 40K+ · 4.9★ (542) wp.org #17 8 too low 10 Brave – Create Popup, Optins, Lead Generation, Survey, Sticky Elements & Interactive Content 20K+ · 4.8★ (209) wp.org #14 4 too low 11 Starter Templates: AI-Powered Website Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg 1M+ · 4.9★ (4755) wp.org #23 ↓2 12 too low 12 Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor 600K+ · 4.8★ (612) wp.org #20 ↓4 8 too low 13 Make Column Clickable for Elementor 100K+ · 4.9★ (53) wp.org #16 3 too low 14 LA-Studio Element Kit for Elementor 10K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #10 ↓2 4 too high 15 Card Elements for Elementor 3K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #12 3 too high 16 Icon Element – Icon Pack for Elementor Page Builder (6718 icons) 40K+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #9 ↓2 7 too high 17 Elements Hive for Breakdance 1K+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 Element Invader – Template Kits for Elementor 3K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #24 ↓4 6 too low 19 News Element Elementor Blog Magazine 400+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #15 4 too high 20 Hash Elements 5K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #11 9 too high 21 Ovation Elements 10K+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #13 8 too high 22 Card Elements for WPBakery 500+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 4 too high 23 ElementInvader Addons for Elementor 3K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 ↓2 2 too high 24 Generic Elements 500+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 2 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.