Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “frontpage”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

A WP Life Companion shows at wp.org #8 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 6K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

PPWP – Password Protect Pages places #5 on merit, 4.7★ from 271 reviews, but shows at wp.org #12. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 PublishPress Blocks – Block Controls, Block Visibility, Block Permissions 20K+ · 4.7★ (204) wp.org #2 ↑1 1 too low 2 AMP for WP – Accelerated Mobile Pages 70K+ · 4.4★ (1319) wp.org #5 ↑1 3 too low 3 Menubar 1K+ · 4.7★ (15) wp.org #3 ↑1 4 A Arile Extra 10K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #1 3 too high 5 PPWP – Password Protect Pages 30K+ · 4.7★ (271) wp.org #12 ↑5 7 too low 6 Options for Twenty Seventeen 8K+ · 4.8★ (57) wp.org #9 ↑2 3 too low 7 Front Page Scheduler 200+ · 4.6★ (9) wp.org #7 ↑1 8 W WPFrank Companion 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 ↑1 4 too high 9 VRTs – Visual Regression Tests 800+ · 4.6★ (9) wp.org #13 ↑1 4 too low 10 CPS | Age Verification 800+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #11 ↑1 1 too low 11 Slash Admin 500+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #18 7 too low 12 Post List Designer – Category Post, Recent Post, Post List 1K+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #20 8 too low 13 DynamicTags 1K+ · 4.3★ (9) wp.org #23 10 too low 14 D Daddy Plus 8K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 ↑1 8 too high 15 SX No Homepage Pagination 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #19 4 too low 16 Lucky Wheel Giveaway 400+ · 3.9★ (8) wp.org #22 ↓1 6 too low 17 Frontpage Slider 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 7 too high 18 A WP Life Companion 6K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 ↑1 10 too high 19 Avantex Companion 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↑2 5 too high 20 A Arile Super 3K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 4 too high 21 WIP Incoming Lite 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↑1 22 Bunny Companion 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 FrontPage Buddy – Custom landing pages for members, groups and profiles 30+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↓2 8 too high 24 Specia Companion 4K+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↑1 7 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.