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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “insecure”

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 “insecure”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

Security Headers shows at wp.org #15 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 800+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

SSL Zen — SSL Certificate Installer & HTTPS Redirects places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 665 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 SSL Insecure Content Fixer 100K+ · 4.8★ (221) wp.org #1 2 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #2 3 WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146) wp.org #3 4 Speed Optimizer – The All-In-One Performance-Boosting Plugin 1M+ · 4.2★ (641) wp.org #4 5 WP Force SSL & HTTPS SSL Redirect 80K+ · 4.7★ (179) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Easy HTTPS Redirection (SSL) 100K+ · 4.2★ (71) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 Auto-Install Free SSL – Generate & Install Free SSL Certificates 8K+ · 4.9★ (405) wp.org #10 3 too low 8 SSL Zen — SSL Certificate Installer & HTTPS Redirects 9K+ · 4.9★ (665) wp.org #13 5 too low 9 Stream – Activity Log & Audit Trail 70K+ · 4.3★ (76) wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too high 10 Real Cookie Banner: GDPR & ePrivacy Cookie Consent 100K+ · 4.9★ (492) wp.org #12 ↓1 2 too low 11 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #7 ↑1 4 too high 12 Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27) wp.org #11 ↑1 1 too high 13 JSM Force HTTP to HTTPS / SSL – No Setup, Fast and Reliable 7K+ · 5.0★ (13) wp.org #9 4 too high 14 Version Info – Server Health Monitor, PHP & MySQL Version Display, Environment Indicators 10K+ · 5.0★ (15) wp.org #19 5 too low 15 SSL Mixed Content Fix 8K+ · 4.1★ (34) wp.org #22 7 too low 16 Hyper PWA – Bringing Modern Progressive Web App Experiences 400+ · 4.7★ (12) wp.org #21 5 too low 17 Host Header Injection Fix 400+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #16 1 too high 18 WebDefender Security – Protection & AntiSpam 1K+ · 4.0★ (18) wp.org #23 5 too low 19 Insecure Content Warning 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 BaseCloud Security Manager 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 4 too low 21 TSO Link Inspector 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too high 22 Zen Site Security 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 5 too high 23 Security Headers 800+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #15 8 too high 24 SMTP for Contact Form 7 1K+ · 4.0★ (2) 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.