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

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 “gratis”, 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

Wompi Portal de Pagos shows at wp.org #13 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 6K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Advanced Responsive Video Embedder for Rumble, Odysee, YouTube, Vimeo, Kick … places #5 on merit, 4.2★ from 169 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Correios Automático – Rastreio, Frete, Etiqueta, Declaração e Devolução 4K+ · 5.0★ (90) wp.org #1 2 AgenWebsite Shipping – Plugin Ongkos Kirim & Generate Resi Otomatis Semua Kurir Indonesia 600+ · 4.6★ (49) wp.org #2 ↑1 3 Ultimate Post Kit – Elementor Post Grid, Post Carousel, Post Slider & Blog Layout Widgets 30K+ · 4.8★ (58) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too low 4 Virtuaria Correios – Frete, Etiqueta, Rastreio e Declaração 500+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #3 ↑1 1 too high 5 Advanced Responsive Video Embedder for Rumble, Odysee, YouTube, Vimeo, Kick … 20K+ · 4.2★ (169) wp.org #11 6 too low 6 EnvíaloSimple: Email Marketing y Newsletters 1K+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #5 ↓3 1 too high 7 AutoCEP 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #6 1 too high 8 Despacho vía Starken Pro para WooCommerce 400+ · 4.8★ (15) wp.org #17 9 too low 9 WebwinkelKeur: Webshop keurmerk & reviews for WordPress 4K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #8 1 too high 10 WP2LEADS | WordPress und KlickTipp einfach verbinden – WooCommerce und KlickTipp einfach verbinden 70+ · 4.8★ (13) wp.org #23 13 too low 11 Silvasoft boekhouden 300+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 Doppler Easy Multichannel Marketing enhanced with IA 600+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #9 3 too high 13 Andreani WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #14 ↑1 1 too low 14 AI Chatbot – Free Sales & Support Assistant — · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #18 ↑2 4 too low 15 Daisycon prijsvergelijkers 400+ · 4.5★ (2) wp.org #15 ↓1 16 Slope Widgets 400+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 4 too high 17 Display Price Free 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↑8 7 too high 18 Tussendoor – Open RDW 400+ · 3.3★ (4) wp.org #21 ↑1 3 too low 19 Sendy 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 20 Frakt123 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↑1 2 too low 21 Belluno para WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↑1 1 too high 22 Wompi Portal de Pagos 6K+ · 2.0★ (4) wp.org #13 9 too high 23 Envíos Coordinadora Woocommerce (Oficial) – WordPress plugin 600+ · 2.5★ (4) wp.org #16 7 too high 24 Homerunner 70+ · 2.0★ (1) wp.org #24

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.