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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “express it”

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 “express it”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 6 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

Stitch Express shows at wp.org #8 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 600+ 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

AfterShip Tracking – All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking (Free plan available) places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 633 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WebP Express 300K+ · 4.4★ (162) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway 700K+ · 3.1★ (237) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 O One Page Express Companion 10K+ · 4.7★ (11) wp.org #3 4 Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce 70K+ · 4.5★ (355) wp.org #6 2 too low 5 WP Express Checkout (Fast Payments via PayPal & Stripe) 1K+ · 4.9★ (32) wp.org #5 6 Email Subscribers & Newsletters by Icegram Express – Email Marketing, Post Notifications & WooCommerce Marekting Automation for WordPress 50K+ · 4.6★ (1170) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 Optima Express IDX 10K+ · 3.2★ (45) wp.org #4 3 too high 8 SmartyParcel – DHL Express, GLS, InPost & Nova Post for WooCommerce 7K+ · 4.6★ (56) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 AfterShip Tracking – All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking (Free plan available) 7K+ · 4.8★ (633) wp.org #24 15 too low 10 Payment Gateway of PayPal for WooCommerce 6K+ · 4.2★ (79) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 FunnelKit Payment Gateway for Stripe WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.9★ (53) wp.org #22 11 too low 12 Shipping Live Rates for USPS for WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.7★ (30) wp.org #18 6 too low 13 Shipi – DHL Express Integration for Woocommerce 100+ · 4.7★ (12) wp.org #14 1 too low 14 Shipping Live Rates for DHL Express for WooCommerce 600+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #7 7 too high 15 Pay with Vipps and MobilePay for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.8★ (13) wp.org #13 2 too high 16 Australia Post WooCommerce Extension 3K+ · 4.4★ (19) wp.org #19 3 too low 17 ELEX WooCommerce DHL Express Shipping Method 200+ · 4.5★ (10) wp.org #16 1 too high 18 YITH PayPal Express Checkout for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #10 8 too high 19 Avif Express 300+ · 3.8★ (9) wp.org #21 2 too low 20 J&T Express Malaysia 300+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #15 5 too high 21 Express Payment For Stripe 30+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 1 too high 22 Stitch Express 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 14 too high 23 LTL Freight Quotes – Worldwide Express Edition 90+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #17 6 too high 24 Small Package Quotes – Worldwide Express Edition 90+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 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.