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

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 “fieldset”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 2 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

AllTerrain Forms – Survey Builder, Quiz Builder & Contact Form shows at wp.org #11 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress places #6 on merit, 4.8★ from 1497 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder 500K+ · 4.4★ (1397) wp.org #1 2 Calculated Fields Form – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact, Payment, Quote, Quiz & More 40K+ · 4.9★ (973) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Custom Field Template 30K+ · 4.0★ (24) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418) wp.org #13 ↓1 9 too low 5 Calculator Builder – Create an Online Calculator 1K+ · 4.7★ (18) wp.org #5 ↓1 6 MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress 1M+ · 4.8★ (1497) wp.org #19 ↓2 13 too low 7 BuddyPress Registration Groups 100+ · 4.9★ (7) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 VX Framework 10+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #4 ↑1 4 too high 9 B Bitron Right of Withdrawal 400+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #7 2 too high 10 SimpleForm – Form Maker to Chat Apps with Quiz, Poll and Multi Lead Notifications 20+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #9 ↓1 1 too high 11 Ananyoo Accessible Forms – Contact Form & Entry Storage 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 ↑1 3 too high 12 Plugear Review Step for Contact Form 7 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↑11 13 Event Calendar, Event Tickets, Event Registration & Booking – Eventixa 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↑3 3 too high 14 EffortLess Multisite Form Creator — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↓3 15 Accent-On Accessible Swatches for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↓1 16 Sifency Admin Option Builder — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 17 Flexa Extra – Product Options, Variation Swatches & Pricing for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 18 L Lavender Form — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓2 19 Fillaro – Contact Form, Survey & Drag and Drop Form Builder — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 TrazoForms — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓3 2 too low 21 AllTerrain Forms – Survey Builder, Quiz Builder & Contact Form 10+ · 4.0★ (2) wp.org #11 ↓1 10 too high 22 Legba Form — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓2 1 too low 23 PerseiaThink Accessibility Audit for EAA — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓4 1 too low 24 Mailster Block Forms 60+ · 3.5★ (2) wp.org #21 ↓3 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.