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

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 “elo”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 of the top 20. 5 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

backgammon shows at wp.org #9 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Cielo WooCommerce – Solução Webservice places #5 on merit, 4.8★ from 72 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 HuCommerce | Magyar kiegészítések WooCommerce webáruházakhoz 9K+ · 5.0★ (32) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Rede Itaú for WooCommerce — Payment PIX, Credit Card and Debit 1K+ · 4.3★ (9) wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too low 3 Elo Rating Shortcode 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 2 too high 4 Pagamento Moip for WooCommerce 100+ · 4.0★ (42) wp.org #11 ↓1 7 too low 5 Cielo WooCommerce – Solução Webservice 200+ · 4.8★ (72) wp.org #18 ↓1 13 too low 6 Payment On Delivery for WooCommerce 300+ · 4.5★ (10) wp.org #10 ↓1 4 too low 7 Billingo Official for WooCommerce 3K+ · 4.1★ (14) wp.org #12 ↓1 5 too low 8 Chess Podium — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #5 ↓1 3 too high 9 Claudio Sanches – Moip for WooCommerce 30+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #20 ↓1 11 too low 10 emerchantpay Gateway Module for WooCommerce 50+ · 4.8★ (5) wp.org #15 ↓1 5 too low 11 Virtuaria Rede ( Itaú ) Pagamentos 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 ↓1 7 too high 12 Chessgame Shizzle 100+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #14 ↓1 2 too low 13 Rampex.io Payment Gateway 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 ↓1 7 too high 14 Showcase Payment Options (icons) 1K+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #13 ↓1 1 too high 15 D DWZ-Vereinsliste — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 ↓1 8 too high 16 Shortcode Arcade Crypto Idle Game — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 ↓1 8 too high 17 P Pics Mash 10+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #24 ↓1 7 too low 18 backgammon 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↓1 9 too high 19 EBANX Payment Gateway for WooCommerce 30+ · 3.7★ (10) wp.org #23 ↓1 4 too low 20 Vindi Hub 70+ · 2.6★ (11) wp.org #16 ↓1 4 too high 21 Vindi WooCommerce 90+ · 3.3★ (4) wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too low 22 EBANX Local Payment Gateway for WooCommerce 10+ · 4.3★ (3) wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too high 23 S Shortcode Content 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓1 4 too high 24 Webshippy Dynamic Shipping 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↓1 7 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.