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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “htaccess backup”

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 “htaccess backup”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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

Htaccess File Editor – Easily Edit, Backup, Restore .htaccess file shows at wp.org #7 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 6K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection places #12 on merit, 4.6★ from 3992 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8706) wp.org #1 2 Htaccess File Editor – Safely Edit Htaccess File 40K+ · 5.0★ (102) wp.org #2 ↑1 3 All-in-One WP Migration and Backup 5M+ · 4.5★ (7676) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too low 4 BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin 400K+ · 4.0★ (1323) wp.org #3 ↑1 1 too high 5 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #9 ↑1 4 too low 6 Backuply – Backup, Restore, Migrate and Clone 600K+ · 4.5★ (135) wp.org #6 ↑2 7 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) wp.org #10 ↑1 3 too low 8 WP Umbrella: Security Backup Restore & Monitoring 90K+ · 4.8★ (81) wp.org #8 ↑1 9 WP Reset 300K+ · 4.8★ (1014) wp.org #14 5 too low 10 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #16 ↑4 6 too low 11 Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962) wp.org #18 ↑3 7 too low 12 Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992) wp.org #21 ↑1 9 too low 13 Royal WordPress Backup, Restore & Migration Plugin – Backup WordPress Sites Safely 30K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #5 ↑2 8 too high 14 Backup and Staging by WP Time Capsule 10K+ · 4.0★ (128) wp.org #15 ↑2 1 too low 15 WP-DBManager 50K+ · 4.4★ (95) wp.org #17 ↑1 2 too low 16 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #12 ↑1 4 too high 17 Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27) wp.org #19 2 too low 18 1-Click WordPress Migration Plugin – Backup, Migrate & Clone 400+ · 4.5★ (40) wp.org #24 6 too low 19 Htaccess File Editor – Easily Edit, Backup, Restore .htaccess file 6K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 ↓1 12 too high 20 pCloud WP Backup 1K+ · 2.8★ (20) wp.org #13 ↑2 7 too high 21 CYAN Backup 300+ · 4.1★ (11) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too high 22 Apache Status & Info 90+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 Htaccess by BestWebSoft – WordPress Website Access Control Plugin 400+ · 4.0★ (2) wp.org #11 ↑1 12 too high 24 Nota Backup & Restore – WordPress Backup, Migration & Clone 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↑2 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.