Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “hide columns”

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 “hide columns”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 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

Manage User Columns shows at wp.org #3 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.2★ average from 5 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor places #7 on merit, 4.9★ from 2051 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 Hide Posts 20K+ · 4.7★ (22) wp.org #1 2 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #6 4 too low 3 Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882) wp.org #12 ↑1 9 too low 4 WPC Admin Columns 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder 800K+ · 4.8★ (807) wp.org #13 ↓1 8 too low 6 Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #14 8 too low 7 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #18 ↑1 11 too low 8 Admin Slug Column 5K+ · 4.9★ (31) wp.org #9 1 too low 9 Hide Shipping Method For WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.0★ (25) wp.org #4 ↓1 5 too high 10 wpDataTables – WordPress Data Table, Dynamic Tables & Table Charts Plugin 60K+ · 4.5★ (449) wp.org #21 ↓3 11 too low 11 Table Field Add-on for ACF and SCF 50K+ · 4.9★ (60) wp.org #16 ↓1 5 too low 12 YaySMTP – WP Mail SMTP with Email Logs, Tracking & Reports 10K+ · 4.9★ (45) wp.org #15 ↑1 3 too low 13 Ultra Addons for Contact Form 7 60K+ · 4.8★ (107) wp.org #19 ↑1 6 too low 14 Multiple Columns for Gravity Forms 10K+ · 4.5★ (30) wp.org #7 7 too high 15 Real Testimonials – Testimonial Slider, Collect Customer Reviews and Video Testimonials 40K+ · 4.7★ (226) wp.org #24 ↓3 9 too low 16 Hide Admin Bar Based on User Roles – Disable the WordPress Toolbar by Role or Capability 20K+ · 3.9★ (20) wp.org #8 8 too high 17 WP Hide Post — Hide Posts, Pages, Custom Post Types, and Control Products Visibility for WooCommerce 3K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #5 12 too high 18 P Page-list 30K+ · 4.7★ (89) wp.org #22 ↑2 4 too low 19 Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor 600K+ · 4.8★ (333) wp.org #23 4 too low 20 Manage User Columns 1K+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #3 ↑1 17 too high 21 My WP Customize Admin/Frontend 8K+ · 4.3★ (16) wp.org #11 10 too high 22 Dynamic Visibility for Elementor 50K+ · 4.6★ (89) wp.org #20 ↑2 2 too high 23 Slug Search and Admin Columns 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 13 too high 24 S Simple Menu Order Column 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 7 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.