wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “image comments”
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 “image comments”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 5 of the top 20.
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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Comments Like Dislike shows at wp.org #13 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 4K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.6★ average from 38 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Disable Comments 1M+ · 4.7★ (281)
wp.org #1 2 
ShortPixel Image Optimizer – Optimize Images, Convert WebP & AVIF 300K+ · 4.5★ (830)
wp.org #2 3 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #3 4 
Smush – Image Optimization, Compression, Lazy Load, WebP & CDN 1M+ · 4.8★ (6053)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
Image Watermark 40K+ · 4.2★ (298)
wp.org #4 1 too high 6 
Comments – wpDiscuz 60K+ · 4.7★ (581)
wp.org #6 7 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #7 ↑1 8 
Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ · 4.8★ (3221)
wp.org #10 2 too low 9 
Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery 100K+ · 4.7★ (616)
wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too high 10 
FooGallery Photo Gallery : Image, Video & Masonry Galleries 100K+ · 4.8★ (995)
wp.org #11 1 too low 11 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #9 2 too high 12 
LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778)
wp.org #14 ↑1 2 too low 13 
Photo Gallery by 10Web – Mobile-Friendly Image Gallery 100K+ · 4.5★ (1581)
wp.org #17 ↓1 4 too low 14 
Image Widget 100K+ · 4.9★ (287)
wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too low 15 
WP Image Zoom 10K+ · 4.3★ (119)
wp.org #12 ↑1 3 too high 16 
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4229)
wp.org #21 ↑3 5 too low 17 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #19 ↑4 2 too low 18 
Image CAPTCHA for Contact Form 7 and WPForms by HookAndHook (DSGVO/GDPR) 70K+ · 4.7★ (49)
wp.org #16 ↑1 2 too high 19 Comments Like Dislike 4K+ · 4.6★ (38)
wp.org #13 ↓1 6 too high 20 
Flipbox – Awesomes Flip Boxes Image Overlay 9K+ · 4.7★ (149)
wp.org #23 ↓1 3 too low 21 
No Right Click Images 20K+ · 4.7★ (52)
wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too low 22 
Inline Image Upload for BBPress 3K+ · 4.6★ (65)
wp.org #24 2 too low 23 
Social comments by WpDevArt 7K+ · 4.3★ (42)
wp.org #20 ↓1 3 too high 24 
Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools 8K+ · 4.1★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #18 6 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.