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

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 “flipboard”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20.

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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Social Linkz – Lightweight and fast social media sharing plugin shows at wp.org #9 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 90+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.5★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Professional Social Sharing Buttons, Icons & Related Posts – Shareaholic places #7 on merit, 4.4★ from 1053 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Social Sharing Block 7K+ · 5.0★ (18) wp.org #1 2 Shariff Wrapper 30K+ · 4.9★ (101) wp.org #2 3 Hubbub Lite – Fast, free social sharing and follow buttons 30K+ · 4.7★ (173) wp.org #3 4 AMP for WP – Accelerated Mobile Pages 70K+ · 4.4★ (1319) wp.org #6 2 too low 5 NextScripts: Social Networks Auto-Poster 20K+ · 3.3★ (617) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 WP Socializer – Simple & Easy Social Media Share Icons 10K+ · 4.5★ (128) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Professional Social Sharing Buttons, Icons & Related Posts – Shareaholic 10K+ · 4.4★ (1053) wp.org #13 6 too low 8 Social Rocket – Social Sharing Plugin 1K+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #5 3 too high 9 Social Sharing Plugin – Social Warfare 10K+ · 3.3★ (186) wp.org #14 5 too low 10 GN Publisher: Google News Compatible RSS Feeds 20K+ · 4.9★ (29) wp.org #23 ↓1 13 too low 11 ShareToSocial – Social Media Share Buttons & Sharing Icons 100+ · 4.6★ (5) wp.org #11 12 Social Media Shortcodes 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 2 too high 13 All Social Share – Sticky & Floating Share Buttons for WordPress 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 5 too high 14 ShareWave 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 FediStation — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too low 16 Social Linkz – Lightweight and fast social media sharing plugin 90+ · 3.5★ (2) wp.org #9 7 too high 17 Lion Social Share — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 18 coreSocial: Social Networks Sharing — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 19 Unstoppable Share Buttons 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↑1 4 too high 20 EntrySource Database and UTM Tracker for Contact Form 7 — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 21 Estasoft News Distribution — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 22 Floating Share Button 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓1 23 TograStickyElements — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24 AskThis AI Social Sharing — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 5 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.