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← Rankings

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

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 “funding”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

KOMOJU Payments shows at wp.org #6 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 1K+ 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

Event Espresso – Event Registration & Ticketing Sales places #9 on merit, 4.4★ from 136 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463) wp.org #1 2 PowerPress Podcasting plugin by Blubrry 20K+ · 4.6★ (231) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Groups – Memberships and Access Control 10K+ · 4.8★ (382) wp.org #7 ↑1 4 too low 4 WP Crowdfunding 2K+ · 4.4★ (89) wp.org #4 ↑1 5 Nooz 500+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #2 3 too high 6 Donation Platform for WooCommerce: Fundraising & Donation Management 7K+ · 4.9★ (99) wp.org #8 ↓1 2 too low 7 FundEngine – Donation and Crowdfunding Platform 1K+ · 4.2★ (22) wp.org #5 ↑1 2 too high 8 Donorbox – Free Recurring Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform 8K+ · 4.8★ (34) wp.org #10 2 too low 9 Event Espresso – Event Registration & Ticketing Sales 500+ · 4.4★ (136) wp.org #14 ↑1 5 too low 10 IgnitionDeck Crowdfunding Platform 100+ · 3.7★ (90) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 Funnelforms Free – Multi Step Form, Contact Form & Lead Funnel Builder 1K+ · 4.8★ (32) wp.org #17 6 too low 12 C Commons In A Box 20+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #15 ↓1 3 too low 13 Better Sharing 20+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #16 3 too low 14 AdFlow – Ad Inserter & Ad Manager: AdSense, Banner Ads & ads.txt 3K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #13 1 too high 15 ووسلام – همگام سازی ووکامرس و باسلام 6K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #12 3 too high 16 KOMOJU Payments 1K+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #6 ↓2 10 too high 17 Cryptocurrency (Token), Launchpad (Presale), ICO & IDO, Airdrop by TokenICO 30+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too low 18 Tabby Checkout 4K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 9 too high 19 Fiserv Checkout for WooCommerce 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓1 20 bitfox.hu EU támogatás banner – Magyarország — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓3 2 too low 21 Polls For ActivityPub 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 2 too low 22 UltimaTour Operator 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↑1 2 too high 23 SeamlessChex eCheck Payments 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 HT Politic – For Political WordPress Themes / Website 200+ · 1.0★ (1) 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.