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

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 “expense”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 4 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

CHIP for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #4 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 4K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

GetGenie – AI SEO Assistant & Content Writer with Keyword Research, AEO & GEO places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 119 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Ever Accounting – Accounting & Invoicing Solution for Small Businesses 1K+ · 4.8★ (24) wp.org #1 2 Customer Reviews Collector for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.7★ (24) wp.org #2 3 RepairBuddy – Repair Shop CRM & Booking Plugin for WordPress 400+ · 4.9★ (24) wp.org #3 4 ERP: Complete HR, Accounting & CRM Suite Built for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.4★ (149) wp.org #6 2 too low 5 Happyforms – Form Builder for WordPress: Drag & Drop Contact Forms, Surveys, Payments & Multipurpose Forms 20K+ · 4.4★ (433) wp.org #11 6 too low 6 Money Manager 200+ · 5.0★ (16) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Subaccounts for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (27) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 GetGenie – AI SEO Assistant & Content Writer with Keyword Research, AEO & GEO 70K+ · 4.8★ (119) wp.org #16 8 too low 9 HollerBox — Fast & Effective Popups & Lead-Generation 2K+ · 4.8★ (32) wp.org #12 3 too low 10 Easy Invoice – Invoice Generator, PDF Quotes & Payments 600+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #8 2 too high 11 The School Management – Education & Learning ERP 700+ · 4.5★ (15) wp.org #18 ↑1 7 too low 12 Morning for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #5 7 too high 13 Cart Lift – Abandoned Cart Recovery for WooCommerce and EDD 900+ · 4.8★ (9) wp.org #15 2 too low 14 Push Notifications by LaraPush 4K+ · 4.7★ (13) wp.org #22 8 too low 15 Cost of Goods: Product Cost & Profit Calculator for WooCommerce 9K+ · 4.7★ (41) wp.org #24 9 too low 16 CHIP for WooCommerce 4K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 12 too high 17 Property Hive Stamp Duty Calculator 800+ · 3.8★ (5) wp.org #13 4 too high 18 myEasyCompta – Invoicing, Accounting & Quotes Plugin for WordPress 20+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #23 ↓6 5 too low 19 Alpha Insights – Advanced Analytics, Sales Reporting & COGS for WooCommerce 50+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 CHIP for Fluent Forms 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 10 too high 21 Official CleverReach® Plugin for WooCommerce 400+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #19 ↑1 2 too high 22 Expenses Book Plugin for WordPress — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↑1 2 too high 23 Profitrics – Profit, COGS and Expense Tracker for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 Zero BS Accounting 50+ · 5.0★ (1) 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.