wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “energy efficiency”
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 “energy efficiency”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 18. 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
Sweet Energy Efficiency shows at wp.org #1 but places #7 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Ninja Tables – Easy Data Table Builder places #2 on merit, 4.6★ from 472 reviews, but shows at wp.org #6. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
WPCasa – Real Estate for WordPress 1K+ · 4.2★ (36) not PHP-current
wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Ninja Tables – Easy Data Table Builder 70K+ · 4.6★ (472)
wp.org #6 4 too low 3 
CartBounty – Save and recover abandoned carts for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.8★ (84) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
MalCare WordPress Security Plugin – Malware Scanner, Cleaner, Security Firewall 100K+ · 4.4★ (559)
wp.org #8 4 too low 5 
WP Directory Kit 2K+ · 4.9★ (35) not PHP-current
wp.org #5 6 
EleSpare – News, Magazine and Blog Addons for Elementor 10K+ · 4.9★ (44)
wp.org #10 4 too low 7 Sweet Energy Efficiency 100+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement
wp.org #1 6 too high 8 
WPSSO Google Merchant Feed XML 100+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #3 5 too high 9 
Houzez Property Feed 1K+ · 4.7★ (11) thin reviews
wp.org #16 7 too low 10 
Solid Performance – Your No-Code Caching, Performance, & Page Speed Solution 4K+ · 4.3★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #7 3 too high 11 
GreenAudit — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #11 12 
ConvertCalculator: Build Cost, Price, Quotation, ROI Interactive Calculators 700+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #9 3 too high 13 
Digital Product Passport for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #12 1 too high 14 
GreenMetrics – Website Carbon Footprint, Sustainability & Performance Metrics 30+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #13 1 too high 15 D Durofy HVAC Quote Calculator — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #14 1 too high 16 
A.N.R.GHG Publishing Toolkit 10+ · 0.0★ (0) heavy footprint thin reviews
wp.org #15 1 too high 17 
AstroWay – Astrology, Birth Chart & Horoscope Widgets 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #18 1 too low 18 
onOffice for WP-Websites 800+ · 2.0★ (4) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↑1 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.