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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “hover image”

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 “hover image”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

Advanced Image Hover Effect for Elementor shows at wp.org #6 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 14 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

Ultimate Responsive Image Slider places #11 on merit, 4.5★ from 248 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Image Hover Effects Ultimate ( Image Gallery, Effects, Lightbox, Comparison & Magnifier ) 10K+ · 4.7★ (250) wp.org #1 2 Image Hover Effects – Elementor Addon 40K+ · 4.9★ (83) wp.org #2 3 Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery 100K+ · 4.7★ (616) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Robo Gallery – Photo & Image Slider 40K+ · 4.3★ (406) wp.org #7 3 too low 5 Hover Effects – easily create any hover effect 7K+ · 4.8★ (17) wp.org #3 2 too high 6 Featured Image from URL (FIFU) 60K+ · 4.6★ (264) wp.org #9 3 too low 7 Weblizar Pin It Button On Image Hover And Post 10K+ · 4.0★ (64) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 FooGallery Photo Gallery : Image, Video & Masonry Galleries 100K+ · 4.8★ (995) wp.org #10 ↓2 2 too low 9 Flipbox – Awesomes Flip Boxes Image Overlay 9K+ · 4.7★ (149) wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too high 10 Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #11 ↑1 1 too low 11 Ultimate Responsive Image Slider 30K+ · 4.5★ (248) wp.org #15 4 too low 12 WP Image Zoom 10K+ · 4.3★ (119) wp.org #12 ↓2 13 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #19 ↓2 6 too low 14 Perfect Images: Regenerate Thumbnails, Image Sizes, WebP & AVIF 60K+ · 4.8★ (279) wp.org #23 ↓4 9 too low 15 Variation Swatches for WooCommerce – Color, Image & Size Swatches 200K+ · 4.6★ (51) wp.org #17 ↓4 2 too low 16 Image Gallery 3K+ · 4.4★ (32) wp.org #16 ↑2 17 Easy Image Gallery 4K+ · 4.6★ (41) wp.org #14 3 too high 18 Image Hotspot – Map Image Annotation 3K+ · 4.9★ (22) wp.org #18 ↓4 19 TP Product Image Flipper for WooCommerce 9K+ · 4.7★ (24) wp.org #20 ↓5 1 too low 20 Advanced Image Hover Effect for Elementor 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #6 14 too high 21 Image Hover Effects – WordPress Plugin 3K+ · 4.4★ (42) wp.org #21 ↓5 22 Overlay Image Divi Module 2K+ · 5.0★ (17) wp.org #24 ↓4 2 too low 23 Secondary Product Image for WooCommerce 2K+ · 3.5★ (2) wp.org #13 ↓2 10 too high 24 Image Zoom on Hover 40+ · 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.