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

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 “essential”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Essential Widgets shows at wp.org #3 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.5★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Perfect Images: Regenerate Thumbnails, Image Sizes, WebP & AVIF places #11 on merit, 4.8★ from 279 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 Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #1 2 Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page Builder for Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns 100K+ · 4.9★ (216) wp.org #2 3 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #8 ↑3 5 too low 4 Essential Real Estate 7K+ · 4.3★ (52) wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too low 5 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27820) wp.org #15 ↑2 10 too low 6 Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440) wp.org #13 ↑2 7 too low 7 Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528) wp.org #17 ↑5 10 too low 8 Ultra Addons for Contact Form 7 60K+ · 4.8★ (108) wp.org #14 ↓2 6 too low 9 Essential Form – The lightest plugin for contact forms, ultra lightweight and no spam 600+ · 4.9★ (19) wp.org #9 ↓1 10 SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 400K+ · 4.9★ (134) wp.org #18 ↑1 8 too low 11 Perfect Images: Regenerate Thumbnails, Image Sizes, WebP & AVIF 60K+ · 4.8★ (279) wp.org #23 ↑1 12 too low 12 WPEPP – Essential Security, Password Protect & Login Page Customizer 3K+ · 4.1★ (19) wp.org #11 ↓2 1 too high 13 YITH Essential Kit for WooCommerce #1 4K+ · 3.4★ (14) wp.org #7 6 too high 14 Marquee Addons for Elementor – Essential Motion Widgets & Templates 20K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #10 ↑4 4 too high 15 Essential Content Types 20K+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #4 11 too high 16 Essential Classy Addons for Elementor – 150+ Widgets, Templates & Performance Tools 400+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #16 ↓3 17 Qode Essential Addons 10K+ · 2.8★ (6) wp.org #6 ↓1 11 too high 18 Business Essentials for Contact Form 7 7K+ · 3.3★ (10) wp.org #12 ↓2 6 too high 19 bBlocks – Essential Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns Collection 700+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #22 ↓1 3 too low 20 Essential Widgets 10K+ · 3.5★ (2) wp.org #3 17 too high 21 Hostinger Tools 3M+ · 3.5★ (40) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too high 22 Spexo Addons for Elementor – Elementor Widgets, Mega Menu, Popup Builder, Template Kits and Starter Templates for Elementor 6K+ · 4.8★ (4) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 Opace Essential SEO Toolkit & SEO Audit Tool 60+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 ↓1 2 too high 24 Theme Demo Importer and Patterns Library for CozyThemes – Cozy Essential Addons 6K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓3 5 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.