wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “image grid”
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 grid”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 2 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
Product Category Slider & Grid for WooCommerce – Reno Product Category shows at wp.org #11 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 9K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.8★ average from 91 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance places #11 on merit, 4.8★ from 2617 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery 100K+ · 4.7★ (616)
wp.org #1 2 
The Post Grid – Shortcode, Gutenberg Blocks and Elementor Addon for Post Grid 100K+ · 4.8★ (265)
wp.org #2 3 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #3 4 
Smush – Image Optimization, Compression, Lazy Load, WebP & CDN 1M+ · 4.8★ (6053)
wp.org #7 3 too low 5 
Image Photo Gallery Final Tiles Grid 20K+ · 4.7★ (353) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #4 1 too high 6 
Post Grid 30K+ · 4.3★ (163)
wp.org #5 1 too high 7 
Image Watermark 40K+ · 4.2★ (298)
wp.org #6 1 too high 8 
Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor 600K+ · 4.8★ (612)
wp.org #8 9 
Robo Gallery – Photo & Image Slider 40K+ · 4.3★ (406)
wp.org #9 10 
Post Grid Addon for Elementor 10K+ · 4.9★ (76)
wp.org #10 11 WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #16 ↓1 5 too low 12 
Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) not PHP-current
wp.org #14 2 too low 13 
Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667)
wp.org #17 4 too low 14 
FooGallery Photo Gallery : Image, Video & Masonry Galleries 100K+ · 4.8★ (995) not PHP-current
wp.org #15 ↓2 1 too low 15 
AnWP Post Grid and Post Carousel Slider for Elementor 20K+ · 4.9★ (84)
wp.org #13 ↑3 2 too high 16 
Responsive Gallery Grid 4K+ · 4.7★ (66)
wp.org #12 4 too high 17 Product Category Slider & Grid for WooCommerce – Reno Product Category 9K+ · 4.8★ (91) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #11 6 too high 18 
WP Ultimate Post Grid 4K+ · 4.4★ (32) heavy footprint
wp.org #18 ↓1 19 
Smart Grid-Layout Design for Contact Form 7 10K+ · 4.5★ (72) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #21 ↓2 2 too low 20 
Image Gallery 3K+ · 4.4★ (32)
wp.org #23 ↓1 3 too low 21 
Portfolio Grid – Filterable Gallery, Grid & Slider Showcase 800+ · 4.4★ (33)
wp.org #24 3 too low 22 
Video Grid 1K+ · 4.4★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↓2 2 too high 23 
Grid Gallery – for Photo Gallery, Image Gallery & Portfolio 1K+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↓2 1 too high 24 
eHive Objects Image Grid 50+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↑4 5 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.