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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “lead gen”

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 gen”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20.

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

Leadpages shows at wp.org #6 but places #14 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

ShortPixel Image Optimizer – Optimize Images, Convert WebP & AVIF places #9 on merit, 4.5★ from 830 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) – Quiz Maker & Survey Maker 40K+ · 4.7★ (1282) wp.org #1 2 WPBot – AI ChatBot for Live Support, Lead Generation, WordPress Automation, AI Services 5K+ · 4.7★ (124) wp.org #2 3 WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4229) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too low 4 Stylish Cost Calculator – Quote Generator, Lead Gen & Price Estimator 1K+ · 4.8★ (175) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Smartsupp – live chat, AI shopping assistant and chatbots 20K+ · 4.7★ (131) wp.org #5 ↑1 6 Brizy – Page Builder 60K+ · 4.7★ (972) wp.org #14 8 too low 7 Popup Builder by Claspo – Email Popup, Spin the Wheel, Exit Intent 1K+ · 5.0★ (40) wp.org #7 8 Mail Mint – Email Marketing, Automation & WooCommerce Emails with AI Assistance 4K+ · 4.7★ (125) wp.org #10 ↑2 2 too low 9 ShortPixel Image Optimizer – Optimize Images, Convert WebP & AVIF 300K+ · 4.5★ (830) wp.org #18 ↑4 9 too low 10 JetFormBuilder — Dynamic Blocks Form Builder 80K+ · 4.2★ (72) wp.org #12 ↓1 2 too low 11 Popup builder with Gamification, Multi-Step Popups, Page-Level Targeting, and WooCommerce Triggers 70K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #8 ↑1 3 too high 12 Riddle Quiz Maker – easily add quizzes with unlimited lead generation to your site 200+ · 4.6★ (9) wp.org #9 ↓1 3 too high 13 WidgetKit for Elementor – Lightweight Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 7K+ · 4.5★ (35) wp.org #22 ↑1 9 too low 14 Leadpages 10K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #6 ↑1 8 too high 15 SpeedyCache – Cache, Optimization, Performance 500K+ · 4.4★ (30) wp.org #17 ↑1 2 too low 16 FormGent – Next-Gen AI Form Builder for WordPress with Multi-Step, Quizzes, Payments & More 1K+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #13 3 too high 17 UniPixel: Meta, Pinterest, TikTok, Google & Microsoft Server-Side Tracking for WooCommerce 200+ · 4.8★ (4) wp.org #15 ↑2 2 too high 18 Opti-Behavior – Self-Hosted Heatmaps, Funnels, A/B Testing & Smart Insights 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #24 6 too low 19 TikTok 200K+ · 1.8★ (39) wp.org #11 ↓1 8 too high 20 Ansera Search 10+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #19 1 too high 21 WebChange Detector: Visual Regression Testing & Visual Checks After Updates 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 Popup with exit intent, scroll triggered and anchor click for opt-ins, lead gen & more 40+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 Next-Gen Popups – Fully Customizable for Maximizing Leads, Sales, and Conversions 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 3 too high 24 CubeWP Forms 3K+ · 0.0★ (0) 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.