Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “irc”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 5 of the top 20. 5 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.

P

Ranked above its merit

Powie's IRC Chat shows at wp.org #15 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Theme Check 20K+ · 4.8★ (195) wp.org #1 2 Romania Chat 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 IndieWeb 600+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #11 ↓1 8 too low 4 Scanpay for WooCommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 B Badwolf Web IRC Client — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 J JTZL's Chat for WebIRC — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 ConverseJS 10+ · 3.6★ (5) wp.org #9 ↓1 2 too low 8 R ReadyStack Payroll Tax Spreadsheet — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 AmicaChat Widget — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 2 too high 10 Post Formats for Block Themes — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 ↓1 11 App LiberaChat 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 ↓1 3 too high 12 Rollbar 300+ · 4.0★ (3) wp.org #12 ↓1 13 A Anti Hacking Tools 20+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #18 ↓1 5 too low 14 Osmig Signup Plugin 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↓1 15 ChatHispano 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↓1 2 too high 16 W WP IRC 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 17 UFP Identity 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↓1 18 A aoringo TAG upper 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 too low 19 G GeekShed Embed 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 4 too low 20 A aoringo LOG maker — · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↓1 21 Z ZeroChat — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1 3 too low 22 L liveTV Bundle 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓1 23 P Powie's IRC Chat 10+ · 3.0★ (3) wp.org #15 ↓1 8 too high 24 M My QuakeNet IRC 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↓1 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.