Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “ems stats”

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 “ems stats”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 2 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

PressGo AI — Landing Page & Website Builder for Elementor shows at wp.org #10 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 100+ 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

Image Optimizer, Resizer and CDN – Sirv places #6 on merit, 4.9★ from 265 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 Kubio AI Page Builder 80K+ · 4.4★ (79) wp.org #1 2 Kraken.io Image Optimizer – Compress, Convert to WebP & AVIF, Resize & Bulk Optimize 10K+ · 4.5★ (119) wp.org #2 3 GetGenie – AI SEO Assistant & Content Writer with Keyword Research, AEO & GEO 70K+ · 4.8★ (119) wp.org #3 4 SEO Engine – Smart SEO with AI, Schema & Redirection for WordPress 1K+ · 4.9★ (48) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Graphina – Charts and Graphs For Elementor 9K+ · 4.1★ (16) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Image Optimizer, Resizer and CDN – Sirv 1K+ · 4.9★ (265) wp.org #23 17 too low 7 LiveLang – Smart Multilingual Visual Translator 20+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #7 ↑1 8 WP Directory Kit 2K+ · 4.9★ (35) wp.org #20 12 too low 9 WPRaiz Content API Tool 70+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too high 10 Selfish Fresh Start 20+ · 4.0★ (5) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 wp-championship 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 5 too high 12 WeoInvoice 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 ↑1 1 too low 13 Mevabi – Related Posts Inline 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↓1 1 too low 14 REDSHAPE Easy Labels 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 3 too high 15 PressPrimer Assignment – Homework Submission, Document Viewer & LMS Grading Workflows 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 3 too high 16 Humanify Content Grader — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 17 EfficiencyNext Data Connector — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 18 Aths Business Packages — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 19 SlotMaster – Banner & Ad Manager — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 20 PressGo AI — Landing Page & Website Builder for Elementor 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 10 too high 21 MITS Image Optimizer 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 6 too high 22 LaFactory Subscriptions for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 SynaPost – AI Content, SEO & Publishing Automation for WordPress 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 kwtSMS: OTP & SMS Notifications — · 0.0★ (0) 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.