wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “empty wp”
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 “empty wp”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 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
WP-Polls shows at wp.org #16 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 40K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.2★ average from 136 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4229)
wp.org #1 2 
All-in-One WP Migration and Backup 5M+ · 4.5★ (7676)
wp.org #2 3 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #3 4 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8709)
wp.org #4 5 
WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312)
wp.org #6 1 too low 6 
WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758)
wp.org #5 1 too high 7 
WP Reset 300K+ · 4.8★ (1014)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
WP Content Copy Protection & No Right Click 100K+ · 4.8★ (1139)
wp.org #9 1 too low 9 
WP Accessibility 60K+ · 4.8★ (68)
wp.org #7 2 too high 10 
Smush – Image Optimization, Compression, Lazy Load, WebP & CDN 1M+ · 4.8★ (6053)
wp.org #13 3 too low 11 
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440)
wp.org #10 1 too high 12 
BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin 400K+ · 4.0★ (1323)
wp.org #12 13 
WP-Sweep 100K+ · 4.7★ (138)
wp.org #11 2 too high 14 
WP Rollback – Rollback Plugins and Themes 200K+ · 4.9★ (215)
wp.org #14 15 
WP All Import – Drag & Drop Import for CSV, XML, Excel & Google Sheets 100K+ · 4.7★ (1966)
wp.org #20 5 too low 16 
Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373)
wp.org #17 1 too low 17 
WP Recipe Maker 50K+ · 5.0★ (356)
wp.org #21 4 too low 18 
WP Table Builder – Drag & Drop Table Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (681)
wp.org #24 6 too low 19 
WP-PageNavi 400K+ · 4.7★ (149)
wp.org #15 4 too high 20 
WPS Hide Login 2M+ · 4.8★ (2111)
wp.org #23 3 too low 21 
WP-PostRatings 20K+ · 4.4★ (178)
wp.org #18 3 too high 22 WP-Polls 40K+ · 4.2★ (136)
wp.org #16 6 too high 23 
WP Migrate Lite – Migration Made Easy 200K+ · 4.2★ (318)
wp.org #19 4 too high 24 
WP-DBManager 50K+ · 4.4★ (95)
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.