Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “gms”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 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

GM Digital Signature for Wpforms shows at wp.org #3 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 21 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112) wp.org #1 2 ITS Jewellery Price Plugin 20+ · 4.5★ (16) wp.org #6 ↓2 4 too low 3 GM Adaptive CSS Grid Columns — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too low 4 Hockey GMS Feed 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 Product Enquiry for WooCommerce 3K+ · 4.5★ (29) wp.org #16 11 too low 6 TrackFree – All-In-One WooCommerce Order Tracking 100+ · 3.6★ (5) wp.org #5 ↑2 1 too high 7 PrinterCo Automatic Order Printing for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #18 11 too low 8 WP Chords 100+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #20 12 too low 9 Variation Dropdown to Radio Buttons for WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #15 6 too low 10 G GMS Universal Posts — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too high 11 G GM Signature For Elementor Forms 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 3 too high 12 LiteWebSynth — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 3 too high 13 GM Product Variation Table For Woocommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Phoenix German Market DHL Multi-Currency Fix for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 3 too high 15 Chess Podium — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 6 too low 16 Shabbat Blocker — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 3 too high 17 LNC Chessboard — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 TypeSquare Webfonts for iCLUSTA+ 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 1 too low 19 G Gearment Import Flatsome 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 3 too low 20 C CCPA Privacy Manager 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 TS Webfonts for さくらのレンタルサーバ 30K+ · 2.7★ (3) wp.org #12 9 too high 22 I icon4menu 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 2 too low 23 Product List / Grid View for Woocommerce 300+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #17 6 too high 24 GM Digital Signature for Wpforms 100+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #3 21 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.