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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “generate qr code”

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 “generate qr code”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 of the top 20. 4 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

QR Code Creator shows at wp.org #4 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Customer Reviews for WooCommerce places #4 on merit, 4.8★ from 1539 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Kaya QR Code Generator 10K+ · 4.4★ (38) wp.org #1 2 AI Engine – MCP Server & AI Chatbot for WordPress, with Claude, ChatGPT & Gemini 90K+ · 4.9★ (874) wp.org #12 ↑1 10 too low 3 PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ · 4.8★ (1322) wp.org #14 ↓3 11 too low 4 Customer Reviews for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.8★ (1539) wp.org #18 14 too low 5 QR Code Composer – Automatic QR code generation 3K+ · 4.2★ (9) wp.org #2 3 too high 6 QR Code Woocommerce 900+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #3 3 too high 7 Qyrr – simply and modern QR-Code creation 2K+ · 3.8★ (21) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Two Factor 100K+ · 4.7★ (209) wp.org #19 ↑4 11 too low 9 AutomatorWP – No-Code Workflow Automation, Integration & Webhooks Plugin, now with AI 6K+ · 4.8★ (202) wp.org #20 ↓2 11 too low 10 RSVP and Event Management 3K+ · 4.4★ (58) wp.org #13 ↓1 3 too low 11 QR code MeCard/vCard generator 2K+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 QR Redirector 4K+ · 4.3★ (11) wp.org #6 6 too high 13 WPify Woo – Withdrawal, CRN/VAT, QR payments, Heureka and more for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.9★ (49) wp.org #15 ↓1 2 too low 14 Jim Soft Swiss QR Invoice 500+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #11 ↓1 3 too high 15 Event Booking Manager for WooCommerce – Sell Tickets, Event Registration, RSVP & Event Calendar 7K+ · 4.5★ (167) wp.org #23 ↓3 8 too low 16 Magic Login – Magic Link & Passwordless Authentication for WordPress – Login Without Password 3K+ · 4.8★ (26) wp.org #22 6 too low 17 Dynamic QR Code – generator 5K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #17 ↓2 18 QR Code Creator 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 14 too high 19 EffortLess QR Code Generator 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 ↑6 9 too high 20 Bangladeshi Payments Mobile – MFS Gateway, QR Code, Advance COD Protection, Thermal POS Invoicing & WhatsApp Suite 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #24 4 too low 21 QR payment for WooCommerce 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 13 too high 22 Wallet Up – Cash App, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle & QR Code Payments 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 ↑3 6 too high 23 Master QR Code Generator – Fast & Easy QR Code Solution 400+ · 3.0★ (3) wp.org #9 14 too high 24 Flex QR Code Generator 90+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓4 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.