wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “lead capture”
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 “lead capture”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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.
Ranked above its merit
Incomplete Order Lead Capture shows at wp.org #12 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 30+ 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
Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder places #10 on merit, 4.4★ from 1397 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2143)
wp.org #3 2 too low 2 
FluentPlayer – Video Player With Forms & Lead Capture 2K+ · 4.7★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #1 1 too high 3 
Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) – Quiz Maker & Survey Maker 40K+ · 4.7★ (1282)
wp.org #4 ↑6 1 too low 4 
Hustle – Email Marketing, Lead Generation, Optins, Popups 80K+ · 4.4★ (859)
wp.org #6 ↑3 2 too low 5 
FluentCRM – Email Newsletter, Automation, Email Marketing, Email Campaigns, Optins, Leads, and CRM Solution 80K+ · 4.8★ (250)
wp.org #8 ↑4 3 too low 6 
Showcase IDX Real Estate Search & Lead Capture 2K+ · 3.8★ (35) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #2 4 too high 7 
Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ · 4.8★ (3220)
wp.org #13 ↓1 6 too low 8 
Jetpack CRM – Clients, Leads, Invoices, Billing, Email Marketing, & Automation 30K+ · 4.3★ (152)
wp.org #9 ↓3 1 too low 9 
Beacon Lead Magnets and Lead Capture 500+ · 4.4★ (28)
wp.org #5 ↓1 4 too high 10 Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder 500K+ · 4.4★ (1397)
wp.org #18 8 too low 11 
Popup Builder & Popup Maker for WordPress – OptinMonster Email Marketing and Lead Generation 1M+ · 4.3★ (821) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #10 ↓4 1 too high 12 
Wholesale Suite – B2B, Dynamic Pricing & WooCommerce Wholesale Prices 20K+ · 4.8★ (546) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #15 ↑1 3 too low 13 
Stylish Cost Calculator – Quote Generator, Lead Gen & Price Estimator 1K+ · 4.8★ (175)
wp.org #22 ↓1 9 too low 14 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #23 9 too low 15 
Email Marketing Plugin – WP Email Capture 1K+ · 4.3★ (19) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #7 8 too high 16 
WPBot – AI ChatBot for Live Support, Lead Generation, WordPress Automation, AI Services 5K+ · 4.7★ (124) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #16 ↑2 17 
CartFlows – Funnel Builder & Checkout Plugin for WooCommerce 200K+ · 4.8★ (517) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #21 ↑3 4 too low 18 
MxChat – AI Chatbot & Content Generation for WordPress 2K+ · 5.0★ (31) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #14 ↓6 4 too high 19 
Icegram Collect – Easy Contact Form, Subscription Form & Lead Collection Plugin for WordPress 2K+ · 4.7★ (30)
wp.org #19 ↓4 20 
Popup and Widget Builder: Lead Capture, Exit Intent, Forms, Quizzes, Gamification 200+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #11 9 too high 21 
Zoho CRM Lead Magnet 3K+ · 3.1★ (25) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #17 4 too high 22 
GreetPlayer – Video Player, Video Bubble, Audio Player & Lead Capture 100+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #20 2 too high 23 Incomplete Order Lead Capture 30+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #12 ↑2 11 too high 24 
LeadConnector 20K+ · 2.3★ (11) thin reviews
wp.org #24 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.