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

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 “fantasy”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 3 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

EAN, UPC and ISBN for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #13 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps places #4 on merit, 5.0★ from 70 reviews, but shows at wp.org #8. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 RPB Chessboard 1K+ · 4.8★ (20) wp.org #1 2 Football Pool 900+ · 4.9★ (83) wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too low 3 WPMR Google Feed Manager for WooCommerce – Sell on Google Merchant Center & Shopping 10K+ · 4.5★ (127) wp.org #2 ↑1 1 too high 4 Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70) wp.org #8 4 too low 5 MPL-Publisher — Ebook & Audiobook Creator 700+ · 4.9★ (46) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Sport Predictions for JoomSport 50+ · 4.6★ (11) wp.org #4 2 too high 7 Simple Tournament Brackets 300+ · 4.1★ (8) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Fantasy Football 20+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 Blazo Checkout — · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #15 6 too low 10 AI Featured Image 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 FICTBASE 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #11 12 H Healthy filenames 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 2 too high 13 Victorious Fantasy Sports 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 1 too high 14 Orbem Studio — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 2 too low 15 F Football Predictor 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 1 too high 16 Space gallery 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 1 too low 17 SafeFonts 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 Montecchiani Book Catalog — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 2 too low 19 EAN, UPC and ISBN for WooCommerce 100+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #13 6 too high 20 Sunray Author Manager 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 2 too high 21 Align Text Edge 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 22 L Least commented posts plugins — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 E Euro 2012 Predictor 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 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.