wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “jetpack subscription”
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 “jetpack subscription”, 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
Hostinger Reach – AI-Powered Email Marketing for WordPress shows at wp.org #13 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 1M+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 8 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Popup Maker – Boost Sales, Conversions, Optins, Subscribers with the Ultimate WP Popup Builder places #7 on merit, 4.9★ from 4514 reviews, but shows at wp.org #12. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #1 2 
WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833)
wp.org #2 3 
Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ · 4.8★ (3221)
wp.org #6 3 too low 4 
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27820)
wp.org #7 3 too low 5 
Jetpack CRM – Clients, Leads, Invoices, Billing, Email Marketing, & Automation 30K+ · 4.3★ (152)
wp.org #5 6 
Booster for WooCommerce – PDF Invoices, Abandoned Cart, Variation Swatches & 100+ Tools 30K+ · 4.6★ (535)
wp.org #9 3 too low 7 Popup Maker – Boost Sales, Conversions, Optins, Subscribers with the Ultimate WP Popup Builder 600K+ · 4.9★ (4514)
wp.org #12 5 too low 8 
Comments – wpDiscuz 60K+ · 4.7★ (581)
wp.org #11 3 too low 9 
Jetpack VideoPress 7K+ · 4.0★ (16) thin reviews
wp.org #3 6 too high 10 
Autoptimize 800K+ · 4.7★ (1428)
wp.org #15 5 too low 11 
Jetpack VaultPress 10K+ · 3.8★ (72)
wp.org #8 3 too high 12 
Jetpack Search 5K+ · 4.5★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #4 8 too high 13 
Store Exporter – Export WooCommerce Products, Orders, Subscriptions, Customers 6K+ · 4.1★ (166)
wp.org #10 3 too high 14 
Cookie Compliance for WordPress – Cookie Consent, GDPR & CCPA 800K+ · 4.8★ (3026)
wp.org #19 5 too low 15 
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection 5M+ · 4.7★ (1187)
wp.org #17 2 too low 16 
OMGF | GDPR/DSGVO Compliant, Faster Google Fonts. Easy. 300K+ · 4.7★ (213)
wp.org #16 17 
Seraphinite Accelerator 50K+ · 4.8★ (476)
wp.org #22 5 too low 18 
Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (588)
wp.org #23 5 too low 19 
Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373)
wp.org #21 2 too low 20 
WPBruiser Security – No CAPTCHA Anti-Spam & Login Protection 10K+ · 4.6★ (213)
wp.org #20 21 
Invisible Anti-Spam & CAPTCHA — reCAPTCHA Alternative for All Forms 5K+ · 4.8★ (50)
wp.org #14 7 too high 22 
Zoho Flow – No-Code Workflow Automation 5K+ · 5.0★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #18 4 too high 23 
Sensei LMS – Online Courses, Quizzes, & Learning 9K+ · 3.5★ (40)
wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Hostinger Reach – AI-Powered Email Marketing for WordPress 1M+ · 5.0★ (8) host-installed base thin reviews
wp.org #13 11 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.