Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “holders”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 of the top 20. 6 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

Checkout Gateway for IRIS shows at wp.org #7 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 1K+ 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

Quick Featured Images places #6 on merit, 4.7★ from 235 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 U Upload Larger Plugins 6K+ · 5.0★ (20) wp.org #1 2 Sugar Calendar – Events Calendar, Event Tickets, and Events Management Platform 10K+ · 4.5★ (24) wp.org #2 3 My Tickets – Accessible Event Ticketing 600+ · 4.9★ (27) wp.org #6 3 too low 4 U Use Administrator Password 800+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #4 5 picu – Online Photo Proofing Gallery 2K+ · 4.7★ (55) wp.org #10 5 too low 6 Quick Featured Images 50K+ · 4.7★ (235) wp.org #19 13 too low 7 Payments via PayMongo for WooCommerce 1K+ · 3.5★ (11) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Image Source Control Lite – Show Image Credits and Captions 3K+ · 4.6★ (42) wp.org #16 8 too low 9 FluentCart A New Era of eCommerce – Faster, Lighter, and Simpler 9K+ · 4.5★ (46) wp.org #17 8 too low 10 Multibanco, MB WAY, Credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Payshop, and PIX (ifthenpay) for WooCommerce 8K+ · 5.0★ (21) wp.org #13 3 too low 11 Checkout with Zelle on Woocommerce 3K+ · 3.4★ (5) wp.org #3 8 too high 12 Event Tickets with Ticket Scanner 1K+ · 4.8★ (24) wp.org #20 8 too low 13 Payment gateway via Teya SecurePay for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.8★ (4) wp.org #8 5 too high 14 Registration Form for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #9 5 too high 15 Add to Home Screen & Progressive Web App 1K+ · 3.7★ (25) wp.org #24 9 too low 16 Checkout Gateway for IRIS 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #7 9 too high 17 N No Weak Passwords 400+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #12 5 too high 18 A Add Email Signature 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #11 7 too high 19 Email Inquiry & Cart Options for WooCommerce 800+ · 3.2★ (20) wp.org #18 1 too high 20 Skrill – WooCommerce 300+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #15 5 too high 21 Flexible Wishlist for WooCommerce – Ecommerce Wishlist & Save for later 700+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 Payment Gateway for PhonePe and for Woocommerce 800+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 8 too high 23 Get Cash 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 The Menu: Custom mobile navigation with icons 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 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.