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

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 “espresso”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20. 3 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

Events Calendar Plus shows at wp.org #4 but places #13 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 80+ 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

AfterShip Tracking – All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking (Free plan available) places #4 on merit, 4.8★ from 633 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Event Espresso – Event Registration & Ticketing Sales 500+ · 4.4★ (136) wp.org #1 2 Pronamic Pay 2K+ · 4.8★ (84) wp.org #2 3 Import Social Events 3K+ · 4.8★ (116) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 AfterShip Tracking – All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking (Free plan available) 7K+ · 4.8★ (633) wp.org #11 7 too low 5 Eway Payment Gateway 800+ · 4.3★ (15) wp.org #3 2 too high 6 Advanced Form Integration — Connect Forms to 300+ Apps 9K+ · 4.8★ (91) wp.org #8 2 too low 7 Knit Pay – Cashfree, Instamojo, Razorpay, PayPal and more 2K+ · 4.9★ (100) wp.org #12 5 too low 8 Event Calendar Newsletter 600+ · 4.8★ (16) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 WP Event Aggregator: Import Eventbrite events, Meetup events, social events and any iCal Events into Event Calendar 1K+ · 4.6★ (54) wp.org #10 1 too low 10 Simple Client Dashboard 2K+ · 4.5★ (26) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 Track, Analyze & Optimize by WP Tao 600+ · 4.9★ (17) wp.org #14 3 too low 12 NotifSMS – SMS Notifications OTP & 2FA for WordPress & WooCommerce 1K+ · 3.4★ (18) wp.org #13 1 too low 13 Events Calendar Plus 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 9 too high 14 F Files Addon for Event Espresso 4 40+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #18 ↓1 4 too low 15 myCred Addons – Ultimate myCred Modules To Support WordPress Gamification and Loyalty Rewards 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 8 too high 16 M Migrate Events to Event Espresso — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 1 too high 17 Events Addon for Elementor 7K+ · 3.2★ (5) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too high 18 Multiple Event Reminders for Event Espresso — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too low 19 WalletPassBuilder – Passes for Apple Wallet and Google Wallet — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 2 too low 20 Cortaito — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓1 2 too low 21 Asorto – AI Product Search for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 Hoobert – AI Command Bar for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓2 2 too low 23 Sell Ads – Sell your ad space. Without middleman. 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↓1 3 too high 24 myCred Amelia – Gamification with Events & Appointments Booking 40+ · 1.7★ (3) wp.org #17 ↓1 7 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.