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

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 “hotjar”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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.

B

Ranked above its merit

Better Hotjar Integrator shows at wp.org #9 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 40+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Poptin – Email Marketing Automation, Newsletter & Exit Pop Ups, Email Popups places #5 on merit, 4.9★ from 697 reviews, but shows at wp.org #10. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP 90K+ · 4.9★ (79) wp.org #1 2 Head & Footer Code 100K+ · 5.0★ (51) wp.org #2 3 HubSpot All-In-One Marketing – Forms, Popups, Live Chat 200K+ · 4.3★ (207) wp.org #3 ↑1 4 Pixel Manager for WooCommerce – Conversion Tracking, Google Ads, GA4, TikTok, Dynamic Remarketing 40K+ · 4.9★ (398) wp.org #8 ↓2 4 too low 5 Poptin – Email Marketing Automation, Newsletter & Exit Pop Ups, Email Popups 20K+ · 4.9★ (697) wp.org #10 5 too low 6 BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Google Sheets Sync, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (48) wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too high 7 True Lazy Analytics 6K+ · 4.7★ (11) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Tracking and Consent Manager – WP Full Picture 3K+ · 5.0★ (21) wp.org #7 ↑1 1 too high 9 Conversios – GA4, Google Ads & Meta Conversion Tracking with Product Feed for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.3★ (206) wp.org #14 5 too low 10 AF Companion – Starter Sites, Speed Booster & Growth Suite for Professional Publishing 10K+ · 4.9★ (34) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 FormFacade – Embed Google Forms in your website 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #6 ↑1 5 too high 12 DSGVO All in one for WP 10K+ · 4.0★ (165) wp.org #17 5 too low 13 Analyticator 80+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #12 1 too high 14 Hotjar 70K+ · 2.9★ (18) wp.org #15 1 too low 15 Website Optimization – Plerdy 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #21 6 too low 16 CookieBoxs – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent & Google Consent Mode v2 200+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #13 3 too high 17 Lynbro Cookie Consent 50+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 6 too low 18 Web Pixel Studio Cookie Consent for EU 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #16 2 too high 19 B Better Hotjar Integrator 40+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #9 10 too high 20 CookieRay – Cookie Banner for Cookie Consent (GDPR/CCPA Compliant) 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 2 too high 21 Cookie Rocket, Cookie Consent Banner and Script Blocker for GDPR, CCPA and LGPD 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 MaxtDesign Cookie Consent – Google Consent Mode v2 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 3 too high 23 Kukie – Cookie Banner and Consent Management (GDPR, CCPA, DSVGO, CNIL, PIPEDA) 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 3 too high 24 410Gone Consent Manager for Google Consent Mode and GTM 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 2 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.