wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “limit hours”
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 “limit hours”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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
ITBoffins Live Opening Hours Banner & Table shows at wp.org #4 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 19 places. Its 100+ 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
Temporary Login Without Password places #10 on merit, 5.0★ from 1549 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039)
wp.org #1 2 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #3 1 too low 3 
We’re Open! 5K+ · 5.0★ (45)
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – SMTP for Reliable Email Delivery with Gmail, Outlook, Amazon SES, Brevo, Other SMTP & More 4M+ · 4.8★ (5209)
wp.org #7 3 too low 5 
Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667)
wp.org #6 ↑2 1 too low 6 
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ · 4.5★ (157)
wp.org #5 1 too high 7 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8708)
wp.org #12 ↓1 5 too low 8 
Loginizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1033)
wp.org #10 ↑2 2 too low 9 
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551)
wp.org #11 ↓1 2 too low 10 Temporary Login Without Password 90K+ · 5.0★ (1549)
wp.org #17 ↓1 7 too low 11 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #13 2 too low 12 
WPvivid — Backup, Migration & Staging 900K+ · 4.9★ (1568)
wp.org #16 ↓1 4 too low 13 
Passster – Password Protect Pages and Content 10K+ · 4.2★ (60)
wp.org #8 ↓2 5 too high 14 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #19 ↓1 5 too low 15 
PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ · 4.8★ (1322)
wp.org #22 ↓3 7 too low 16 
Drag and Drop Multiple File Upload for Contact Form 7 60K+ · 4.8★ (94)
wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too high 17 
Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ · 4.8★ (334)
wp.org #20 ↑1 3 too low 18 
Seraphinite Accelerator 50K+ · 4.8★ (476)
wp.org #23 ↑1 5 too low 19 
WPBruiser Security – No CAPTCHA Anti-Spam & Login Protection 10K+ · 4.6★ (213)
wp.org #21 ↑1 2 too low 20 
FluentAuth – Login Security, Two-Factor Authentication, Passkeys & Social Login 10K+ · 4.1★ (35)
wp.org #14 ↑3 6 too high 21 
Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↑2 3 too high 22 
Limit Comments and Word Count 40+ · 4.4★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓1 2 too low 23 ITBoffins Live Opening Hours Banner & Table 100+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #4 19 too high 24 
MaxLimits – Increase Maximum Upload, Post & PHP Limits 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #9 15 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.