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

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 “evidence”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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

Thumbnail Manager shows at wp.org #9 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 200+ 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.

Buried gem

WholesaleX – Wholesale Pricing & B2B Solution places #8 on merit, 5.0★ from 67 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Smart COD for WooCommerce 30K+ · 4.6★ (52) wp.org #1 2 EU VAT Assistant for WooCommerce 5K+ · 5.0★ (37) wp.org #2 3 Points Management System For Gamification, Ranks, Badges, and Loyalty Rewards Program – myCred 10K+ · 4.6★ (472) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Real Cookie Banner: GDPR & ePrivacy Cookie Consent 100K+ · 4.9★ (492) wp.org #5 ↑2 1 too low 5 European VAT Compliance Assistant for WooCommerce 3K+ · 4.8★ (26) wp.org #3 2 too high 6 iubenda | All-in-one Compliance for GDPR / CCPA Cookie Consent + more 200K+ · 4.7★ (397) wp.org #12 ↓2 6 too low 7 Libro de Reclamaciones y Quejas 3K+ · 3.8★ (10) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 WholesaleX – Wholesale Pricing & B2B Solution 2K+ · 5.0★ (67) wp.org #19 11 too low 9 BitFire Security – Firewall, Malware Scanner, Bot Blocker, Login Protection 300+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #8 ↓2 1 too high 10 DiveWP – Boost Site Performance with Clear, Actionable Steps 200+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #10 ↓2 11 Direct Payments for WooCommerce – Bank Transfer, Mobile Money, Crypto and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Payments 800+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #11 ↓2 12 BoltAudit – Site Speed Audit and Performance Insights 90+ · 4.6★ (9) wp.org #16 ↓4 4 too low 13 Compromise Scanner for wp2shell 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 ↓3 6 too high 14 AEO God Mode – AI Search Visibility 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #18 ↓4 4 too low 15 B Bitron Right of Withdrawal 400+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #21 ↓6 6 too low 16 DevDome Malware Scanner – WordPress Malware Removal & Security Scanner 300+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 ↓3 2 too high 17 Campi Moduli Italiani 400+ · 4.7★ (6) wp.org #22 5 too low 18 Thumbnail Manager 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↓4 9 too high 19 Watchdog Security Lite — Powered by Lumiverse Nexus 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 6 too high 20 AI-O Optimiser 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↓4 3 too high 21 Glow: maintenance & support management for agencies 800+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 6 too high 22 DiviOps Agent 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓7 2 too low 23 All in One Content Protector & Security 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 3 too high 24 APG Withdrawal for WooCommerce 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 ↓7 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.