wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “image filter”
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 filter”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 4 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
Filter Gallery shows at wp.org #10 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 3K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.6★ average from 22 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Filter Everything — WordPress & WooCommerce Filters 50K+ · 4.6★ (154)
wp.org #1 2 
EWWW Image Optimizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1842)
wp.org #2 3 
ShortPixel Image Optimizer – Optimize Images, Convert WebP & AVIF 300K+ · 4.5★ (830)
wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too low 4 
Category AJAX Filter – Posts, Custom Post Types & Product Filter 6K+ · 4.9★ (158)
wp.org #4 ↑1 5 
HUSKY – Products Filter for WooCommerce Professional. MCP is onboard 80K+ · 4.6★ (337) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #3 2 too high 6 
Smush – Image Optimization, Compression, Lazy Load, WebP & CDN 1M+ · 4.8★ (6053)
wp.org #8 ↑5 2 too low 7 
Image Watermark 40K+ · 4.2★ (298)
wp.org #6 ↑3 1 too high 8 
Portfolio Filter Gallery – Photo Gallery 20K+ · 4.8★ (348)
wp.org #9 ↓2 1 too low 9 
Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery 100K+ · 4.7★ (616)
wp.org #11 ↑1 2 too low 10 
Blog Filter – Post Grid Filter by Category or Tag 7K+ · 4.9★ (81)
wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too high 11 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #13 ↓2 2 too low 12 
Featured Image from URL (FIFU) 60K+ · 4.6★ (264)
wp.org #12 13 
Imagify Image Optimization: Optimize Images | Compress & Convert to WebP/AVIF 900K+ · 4.3★ (1656)
wp.org #15 2 too low 14 
reSmush.it : The original free image compressor and optimizer plugin 100K+ · 4.3★ (166)
wp.org #14 ↑2 15 
FooGallery Photo Gallery : Image, Video & Masonry Galleries 100K+ · 4.8★ (995) not PHP-current
wp.org #19 ↓5 4 too low 16 
Auto Image Attributes From Filename With Bulk Updater (Add Alt Text, Image Title For Image SEO) 100K+ · 4.8★ (93)
wp.org #16 ↑1 17 
Image Widget 100K+ · 4.9★ (287)
wp.org #24 7 too low 18 
Default Featured Image 50K+ · 4.8★ (69)
wp.org #18 ↑1 19 Filter Gallery 3K+ · 4.6★ (22) thin reviews
wp.org #10 ↓2 9 too high 20 
Simple Image Sizes 60K+ · 4.6★ (91)
wp.org #21 ↑1 1 too low 21 
WP Image Zoom 10K+ · 4.3★ (119)
wp.org #22 ↑1 1 too low 22 
ThumbPress – Compress Images, Manage Thumbnails, Detect Image Issues, WebP/AVIF, Lazy Loading, Hotlinking & More 20K+ · 3.7★ (117)
wp.org #20 ↓2 2 too high 23 
Better Post & Filter Widgets for Elementor 4K+ · 5.0★ (18) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↓7 6 too high 24 
Easy Image Gallery 4K+ · 4.6★ (41) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #23 1 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.