wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “fancy captcha”
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 “fancy captcha”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 18. 5 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
Contact Form Plugin shows at wp.org #6 but places #14 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.8★ average from 17 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End places #5 on merit, 4.8★ from 913 reviews, but shows at wp.org #9. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA — reCAPTCHA Alternative for All Forms 4K+ · 4.8★ (50)
wp.org #1 ↑1 2 
Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) not PHP-current
wp.org #2 ↓1 3 
Newsletter – Send awesome emails from WordPress 200K+ · 4.6★ (1205) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #3 4 
Simple Download Monitor 20K+ · 4.7★ (158)
wp.org #4 5 User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End 10K+ · 4.8★ (913)
wp.org #9 4 too low 6 
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #10 4 too low 7 
Addon Elements for Elementor (formerly Elementor Addon Elements) 80K+ · 4.8★ (172)
wp.org #7 8 
W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420)
wp.org #12 4 too low 9 
cformsII 3K+ · 4.3★ (21) thin reviews
wp.org #5 4 too high 10 
ApplyOnline – Application Form Builder and Manager 2K+ · 4.1★ (40) not PHP-current
wp.org #8 2 too high 11 
Easy Appointments 10K+ · 4.3★ (131) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #14 3 too low 12 
Epoch – A native Disqus alternative with a focus on speed and privacy 60+ · 4.5★ (21) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #18 6 too low 13 D DJD Site Post 100+ · 4.9★ (20) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews
wp.org #17 4 too low 14 Contact Form Plugin 2K+ · 2.8★ (17) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #6 8 too high 15 
Essential Pro Pack for Elementor — · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #11 4 too high 16 W WP-ViperGB 300+ · 4.5★ (4) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #13 3 too high 17 F Fancy Captcha 20+ · 5.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #16 1 too high 18 
MultiMediaMonster Fancy captcha 10+ · 0.0★ (0) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews
wp.org #15 3 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.