wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “limit user”
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 user”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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
One User Avatar | User Profile Picture shows at wp.org #9 but places #13 on merit, a gap of 4 places. Its 100K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.7★ average from 41 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 913 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Limit Login Attempts Security – Brute Force Protection, 2FA, Firewall & Login Security 1M+ · 4.8★ (1489)
wp.org #1 2 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #4 2 too low 3 
WPS Limit Login 100K+ · 4.9★ (83)
wp.org #3 4 
Stop User Enumeration 60K+ · 4.9★ (132)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
User Posts Limit 3K+ · 5.0★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #2 3 too high 6 
WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory 10K+ · 4.7★ (350)
wp.org #8 2 too low 7 
User Frontend – Membership, User Registration, User Profile, User Directory & Content Restriction with Frontend Post Submission 20K+ · 4.1★ (537)
wp.org #7 8 
Login as User: See the Site as Any User 30K+ · 4.8★ (41)
wp.org #6 2 too high 9 User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End 10K+ · 4.8★ (913)
wp.org #13 4 too low 10 
WP Limit Login Attempts 10K+ · 4.6★ (300)
wp.org #10 11 
Import and export users and customers 70K+ · 4.7★ (259)
wp.org #14 3 too low 12 
Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70)
wp.org #12 13 One User Avatar | User Profile Picture 100K+ · 4.7★ (41)
wp.org #9 4 too high 14 
New User Approve 20K+ · 4.3★ (131)
wp.org #11 3 too high 15 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144)
wp.org #20 5 too low 16 
ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities 5K+ · 4.6★ (236)
wp.org #18 2 too low 17 
ProfilePress – Paid Membership, Online Courses (LMS), Ecommerce, User Registration & Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content 100K+ · 3.1★ (938)
wp.org #16 1 too high 18 
Limit Attempts by BestWebSoft – WordPress Anti-Bot and Security Plugin for Login and Forms 4K+ · 4.6★ (37)
wp.org #15 3 too high 19 
User Login History 10K+ · 4.6★ (29)
wp.org #19 20 
WP User Avatars 20K+ · 4.5★ (29)
wp.org #17 3 too high 21 
User Private Files – Secure File Sharing and Client Portal Plugin 1K+ · 4.4★ (57)
wp.org #21 22 
Order Limit for WooCommerce (Free Version) 800+ · 4.2★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #22 23 
Disable User Login 6K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #23 24 
Expire User Passwords 3K+ · 4.2★ (5) 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.