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

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 “encrypt”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

CryptX shows at wp.org #8 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.5★ average from 20 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files places #12 on merit, 4.6★ from 297 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 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #1 2 WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146) wp.org #2 ↑1 3 Email Encoder – Protect Email Addresses and Phone Numbers 90K+ · 4.9★ (94) wp.org #3 ↓1 4 WP Force SSL & HTTPS SSL Redirect 80K+ · 4.7★ (179) wp.org #4 5 SSL Zen — SSL Certificate Installer & HTTPS Redirects 9K+ · 4.9★ (665) wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too low 6 Prime Mover – Backup and Migration 10K+ · 5.0★ (141) wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too high 7 Auto-Install Free SSL – Generate & Install Free SSL Certificates 8K+ · 4.9★ (405) wp.org #7 ↓2 8 WPVibe – MCP Server for WordPress, works with Claude, ChatGPT & other AI MCP agents 100K+ · 5.0★ (199) wp.org #10 ↑1 2 too low 9 Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ · 4.8★ (334) wp.org #16 ↓2 7 too low 10 IP Location Block 10K+ · 4.5★ (35) wp.org #9 ↑4 1 too high 11 Download Attachments 8K+ · 4.5★ (46) wp.org #11 ↓2 12 Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files 10K+ · 4.6★ (297) wp.org #22 10 too low 13 Salt Shaker 7K+ · 4.7★ (27) wp.org #13 ↑4 14 Two Factor Authentication 20K+ · 4.4★ (77) wp.org #20 6 too low 15 Payment Gateway for Redsys & WooCommerce Lite 20K+ · 4.9★ (87) wp.org #17 ↓2 2 too low 16 CryptX 10K+ · 4.5★ (20) wp.org #8 8 too high 17 Filr – Secure document library 700+ · 4.6★ (18) wp.org #12 5 too high 18 Donorbox – Free Recurring Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform 8K+ · 4.8★ (34) wp.org #21 3 too low 19 AI 60K+ · 4.2★ (10) wp.org #14 ↓4 5 too high 20 Secure Encrypted Form 50+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #18 2 too high 21 简数采集器 1K+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #24 ↓1 3 too low 22 Init Content Protector – Anti-Copy, Anti-Scrape, Encrypt-All 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↑9 7 too high 23 PDF Password Protect 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↓3 4 too high 24 Email No Bot – Prevent bots from detecting emails 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 ↓4 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.