wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “epub”
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 “epub”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 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 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
Bouzin Download Stats Manager shows at wp.org #16 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 4 places. Its 10+ 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.
CatFolders Document Gallery & PDF Library 3K+ · 4.5★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #1 ↑4 2 
Ebook Store 700+ · 4.4★ (60)
wp.org #2 3 
Easy Digital Downloads – eCommerce Payments and Subscriptions made easy 40K+ · 4.7★ (591)
wp.org #5 ↑3 2 too low 4 
MPL-Publisher — Ebook & Audiobook Creator 700+ · 4.9★ (46)
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 
PDF Ink Lite – Free PDF Watermark & Password Protection 2K+ · 4.6★ (51)
wp.org #6 ↓2 1 too low 6 
Print My Blog – Print, PDF, & eBook Converter WordPress Plugin 8K+ · 4.8★ (115) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 
FileBird Document Library 5K+ · 4.9★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #4 ↑2 3 too high 8 M MimeTypes Link Icons 8K+ · 5.0★ (26)
wp.org #11 3 too low 9 
Easy Media Download 8K+ · 4.0★ (28)
wp.org #10 1 too low 10 
LemonInk Ebook Watermarking for WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #9 1 too high 11 
Simple Ebook Viewer 400+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #8 ↓7 3 too high 12 
Digital Content Delivery (incl. DRM) by Flickrocket for WooCommerce 50+ · 2.6★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #15 3 too low 13 
Eskaptical Digital Product Uploader for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #19 6 too low 14 
JetReader – Book Library, EPUB & PDF Reader (Lite) 30+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #12 2 too high 15 
EnConvert EPUB to PDF — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #14 1 too high 16 
KindPixels PDF Gallery – Turn Files into Clean Galleries 40+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #13 3 too high 17 
Miguel for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #17 18 
RS ARC Manager – Advance Review Copy Management System 60+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #18 19 N Novellaire Connect — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Bouzin Download Stats Manager 10+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #16 4 too high 21 
Unjacketed Ebook Lead Magnets — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #21 22 P PenBinder — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #22 23 
ARC — Advance Review Copy — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #23 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.