wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “ip 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 “ip filter”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Statify Filter shows at wp.org #7 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 2K+ 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

WP Armour – Honeypot Anti Spam places #11 on merit, 5.0★ from 1472 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Filter Everything — WordPress & WooCommerce Filters 50K+ · 4.6★ (154) wp.org #1 2

Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5040) wp.org #3 1 too low 3

Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27) wp.org #2 1 too high 4

Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ · 4.8★ (3221) wp.org #11 ↓5 6 too low 6

All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #8 ↑1 2 too low 7

Geolocation IP Detection 20K+ · 4.7★ (59) wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too high 8

Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #17 ↓1 9 too low 9

Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #19 10 too low 10

Redirection 2M+ · 4.4★ (703) wp.org #14 ↓3 4 too low 11

WP Armour – Honeypot Anti Spam 400K+ · 5.0★ (1472) wp.org #24 ↓1 13 too low 12

Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #21 ↑1 9 too low 13

Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile 200K+ · 4.7★ (262) wp.org #18 ↓1 5 too low 14

Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667) wp.org #23 9 too low 15

User IP and Location 3K+ · 4.2★ (9) thin reviews wp.org #5 10 too high 16

Trace My IP – Visitor IP Tracker, Stats Analytics & Page Views Counter with Email Alerts 1K+ · 4.5★ (21) thin reviews wp.org #12 ↑1 4 too high 17

hCaptcha for WP 70K+ · 4.6★ (88) wp.org #22 ↓4 5 too low 18

SiteGuard WP Plugin 600K+ · 4.3★ (15) host-installed base thin reviews wp.org #9 ↑1 9 too high 19

Current Year, Symbols and IP Shortcode 10K+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #13 ↑1 6 too high 20

WP Show Site by IP 50+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews wp.org #15 5 too high 21 S Show Visitor IP 300+ · 3.6★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #10 ↑2 11 too high 22

Statify Filter 2K+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #7 ↑1 15 too high 23

GranTech IP Firewall for AbuseIPDB 50+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #16 ↑4 7 too high 24

Advanced Email Filter for Elementor Forms 200+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #20 ↑1 4 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.