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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “email validate”

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

Email Deliverability – SMTP Replacement, Email API Deliverability & Email Log shows at wp.org #9 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 200K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.5★ average from 17 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Brevo – Email, SMS, Web Push, Chat, and more. places #10 on merit, 4.1★ from 284 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Email Encoder – Protect Email Addresses and Phone Numbers 90K+ · 4.9★ (94) wp.org #1 2 FluentCRM – Email Newsletter, Automation, Email Marketing, Email Campaigns, Optins, Leads, and CRM Solution 80K+ · 4.8★ (250) wp.org #2 3 Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528) wp.org #3 4 Email Marketing for WooCommerce by Omnisend 40K+ · 4.9★ (169) wp.org #4 5 Kit (formerly ConvertKit) – Email Newsletter, Email Marketing, Membership, Subscribers and Landing Pages 40K+ · 4.8★ (90) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Contact Form Email 8K+ · 4.3★ (102) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 Mail Mint – Email Marketing, Automation & WooCommerce Emails with AI Assistance 4K+ · 4.7★ (125) wp.org #10 3 too low 8 WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758) wp.org #13 5 too low 9 SMTP2GO for WordPress – Email Made Easy 40K+ · 5.0★ (67) wp.org #14 5 too low 10 Brevo – Email, SMS, Web Push, Chat, and more. 100K+ · 4.1★ (284) wp.org #22 12 too low 11 WP Email Template 2K+ · 3.1★ (35) wp.org #8 3 too high 12 Solid Mail – SMTP email and logging made by SolidWP 60K+ · 4.2★ (52) wp.org #19 7 too low 13 Newsletters, Email Marketing, SMS and Popups by Omnisend 100K+ · 4.8★ (17) wp.org #11 2 too high 14 Customer Email Verification for WooCommerce 8K+ · 4.8★ (47) wp.org #21 7 too low 15 Reoon Email Verifier 600+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #6 9 too high 16 DeBounce Email Validator 300+ · 3.9★ (16) wp.org #16 17 MailerPress – Email Marketing, Newsletter, Email Automation & WooCommerce Emails 1K+ · 5.0★ (17) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 Antideo Email Validator 700+ · 3.5★ (14) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 Clearout Email Validator – Real-Time Email Verification on WordPress Forms 500+ · 4.2★ (13) wp.org #12 7 too high 20 Email Deliverability – SMTP Replacement, Email API Deliverability & Email Log 200K+ · 2.5★ (17) wp.org #9 11 too high 21 Email OTP Authenticator – Login, Register & 2FA 100+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 Email Auth – DKIM, SPF, DMARC, Bounce Address, From Address 200+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #17 5 too high 23 Duplicate Title Validator 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #20 3 too high 24 Email Validator for Contact Form 7 400+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #23 1 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.