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

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 “graphics”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20. 3 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

Genolve – AI Business Graphics, Images & Video shows at wp.org #3 but places #12 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Easy Digital Downloads – eCommerce Payments and Subscriptions made easy places #8 on merit, 4.7★ from 591 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes 200K+ · 4.7★ (326) wp.org #1 ↑2 2 Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (783) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 The Icon Block 40K+ · 5.0★ (29) wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too high 4 WP Popular Posts 100K+ · 4.5★ (249) wp.org #6 ↓1 2 too low 5 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #8 ↑3 3 too low 6 Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1525) wp.org #14 ↑8 8 too low 7 WP SVG Images 30K+ · 5.0★ (13) wp.org #5 ↑1 2 too high 8 Easy Digital Downloads – eCommerce Payments and Subscriptions made easy 40K+ · 4.7★ (591) wp.org #22 14 too low 9 Prime Slider – Hero Slider, Carousel, WooCommerce & Post Slider Elementor Addons 100K+ · 4.5★ (82) wp.org #13 ↓1 4 too low 10 Safelayout Cute Preloader – CSS3 WordPress Preloader 10K+ · 5.0★ (84) wp.org #19 9 too low 11 Weather Effect 4K+ · 4.5★ (30) wp.org #9 ↓1 2 too high 12 Genolve – AI Business Graphics, Images & Video 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #3 ↓1 9 too high 13 FileBird Document Library 5K+ · 4.9★ (8) wp.org #7 ↑3 6 too high 14 Fattura24 400+ · 4.9★ (96) wp.org #17 3 too low 15 Flexible PDF Coupons – Gift Cards & Vouchers for WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.7★ (31) wp.org #16 1 too low 16 Simple Side Tab 10K+ · 4.8★ (22) wp.org #10 ↓1 6 too high 17 Donation Thermometer 2K+ · 4.4★ (12) wp.org #11 ↓4 6 too high 18 Yandex Metrica 20K+ · 3.8★ (33) wp.org #12 ↑1 6 too high 19 Canvas Image Resize 1K+ · 4.6★ (10) wp.org #15 4 too high 20 RPB Chessboard 1K+ · 4.8★ (20) wp.org #24 4 too low 21 EU Consumer Rights for WooCommerce – Guarantee Notice, GARAN Label, Withdrawal Button, Right to Repair, Omnibus Price & GPSR 200+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #18 3 too high 22 WP School Calendar 400+ · 4.0★ (8) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 Verge3D Publishing and E-Commerce 400+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #21 ↓1 2 too high 24 Dessky Snippets 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 4 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.