wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “instances”
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 “instances”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 4 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
ESTO payment methods shows at wp.org #16 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 600+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Ajax Load More – Infinite Scroll, Load More, & Lazy Load places #11 on merit, 4.8★ from 287 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.
Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1526)
wp.org #3 2 too low 2 
Backup Migration 80K+ · 4.9★ (1338)
wp.org #4 2 too low 3 
Fabrica Synced Pattern Instances 300+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #1 2 too high 4 
Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty 300K+ · 5.0★ (1244)
wp.org #9 5 too low 5 
Really Simple CAPTCHA 300K+ · 4.2★ (131)
wp.org #5 6 
SiteGround Migrator 80K+ · 4.3★ (403)
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 
Multiple Form Instances Add-on for Gravity Forms 800+ · 4.2★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #2 5 too high 8 
Image Widget 100K+ · 4.9★ (287)
wp.org #10 2 too low 9 
GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155)
wp.org #8 1 too high 10 
Connect Matomo – Analytics Dashboard for WordPress 60K+ · 4.5★ (95) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #6 4 too high 11 Ajax Load More – Infinite Scroll, Load More, & Lazy Load 30K+ · 4.8★ (287)
wp.org #21 10 too low 12 
Carousel Slider Block for Gutenberg 50K+ · 4.8★ (59)
wp.org #15 3 too low 13 
PublishPress Taxonomies – Tag, Category, and Taxonomy Manager – Autotagger Automatically Add Terms 40K+ · 4.6★ (195)
wp.org #20 7 too low 14 W WP-SCSS 40K+ · 4.3★ (61)
wp.org #13 1 too high 15 
WP LinkedIn Auto Publish 8K+ · 4.8★ (106) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #12 3 too high 16 M Mammoth .docx converter 20K+ · 4.8★ (62)
wp.org #17 1 too low 17 
Event Genius – Event Calendar, Event Registration, and Attendee Management 600+ · 4.8★ (17) thin reviews
wp.org #11 6 too high 18 
Debug Bar 20K+ · 4.1★ (69)
wp.org #18 19 
Asgaros Forum 10K+ · 4.7★ (210) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #19 20 
Go Live Update Urls 90K+ · 4.5★ (59)
wp.org #22 2 too low 21 
ActivityPub 6K+ · 4.9★ (40) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #14 7 too high 22 
Donations via PayPal 20K+ · 4.7★ (27)
wp.org #23 1 too low 23 
Donation Thermometer 2K+ · 4.4★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #24 1 too low 24 E ESTO payment methods 600+ · 5.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #16 8 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.