wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “fields”
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 “fields”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 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
Product Input Fields for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #10 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 4K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 17 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More places #11 on merit, 4.8★ from 14387 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.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440) heavy footprint
wp.org #1 2 
Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418)
wp.org #2 3 
Flexible Checkout Fields for WooCommerce – WooCommerce Checkout Manager 80K+ · 4.7★ (296)
wp.org #3 ↑1 4 
Advanced Product Fields (Product Addons) for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.8★ (284)
wp.org #6 ↑1 2 too low 5 
Calculated Fields Form – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact, Payment, Quote, Quiz & More 40K+ · 4.9★ (973)
wp.org #8 ↓3 3 too low 6 
Secure Custom Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (69) heavy footprint
wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too high 7 
Conditional Fields for Contact Form 7 100K+ · 4.8★ (166) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #5 ↑1 2 too high 8 
Table Field Add-on for ACF and SCF 50K+ · 4.9★ (60)
wp.org #7 ↑8 1 too high 9 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2143)
wp.org #13 ↓1 4 too low 10 
Checkout Field Editor (Checkout Manager) for WooCommerce 400K+ · 4.9★ (1056)
wp.org #16 ↓7 6 too low 11 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #19 ↓1 8 too low 12 
Advanced Custom Fields: Font Awesome Field 90K+ · 4.9★ (36)
wp.org #9 ↓1 3 too high 13 
Advanced Custom Fields: Extended 100K+ · 4.8★ (132)
wp.org #15 ↓1 2 too low 14 
Product Addons for Woocommerce – Product Options with Custom Fields 30K+ · 4.9★ (474)
wp.org #22 ↓1 8 too low 15 
Flexible Product Fields (WooCommerce Product Addons) – WooCommerce Product Page Editor 10K+ · 4.5★ (106)
wp.org #14 ↓1 1 too high 16 
Masks Form Fields 9K+ · 5.0★ (23) thin reviews
wp.org #11 ↓1 5 too high 17 
WC Fields Factory 7K+ · 4.3★ (168)
wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too low 18 S Smart Custom Fields 50K+ · 4.9★ (21) heavy footprint thin reviews
wp.org #12 ↓1 6 too high 19 
Meta Field Block – Display Custom Fields for ACF, Meta Box and More 10K+ · 5.0★ (57) not PHP-current
wp.org #23 4 too low 20 
Admin Columns for ACF Fields 9K+ · 4.9★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↓1 21 
Custom Post Types and Custom Fields creator – WCK 10K+ · 4.7★ (97) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #24 ↓1 3 too low 22 
Conditional Fields for Elementor Form – Apply Conditional Logic 10K+ · 4.7★ (32) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #17 ↓1 5 too high 23 Product Input Fields for WooCommerce 4K+ · 4.0★ (17) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #10 ↑12 13 too high 24 
Profile Extra Fields by BestWebSoft 1K+ · 4.6★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↓1 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.