wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “link teaser”

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 “link teaser”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 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

Tab Teaser shows at wp.org #11 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its — installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

PPWP – Password Protect Pages places #11 on merit, 4.7★ from 271 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #1 2

Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder 500K+ · 4.4★ (1397) wp.org #2 3

Simple Membership 40K+ · 4.6★ (475) wp.org #5 ↑3 2 too low 4

PublishPress Permissions: Access Control, Content Permissions, User Access 10K+ · 4.3★ (66) wp.org #3 1 too high 5

Restricted Site Access 10K+ · 4.8★ (62) wp.org #4 1 too high 6

Content Control – The Ultimate Content Restriction Solution! Restrict Content, Create Conditional Blocks & More 40K+ · 4.9★ (575) wp.org #7 1 too low 7

WP-Members Membership Plugin 50K+ · 4.6★ (272) wp.org #8 ↑4 1 too low 8

Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution 100K+ · 4.4★ (590) wp.org #9 ↓4 1 too low 9

All-in-One Video Gallery – Video Player & Galleries for YouTube, Vimeo & Self-Hosted Videos 20K+ · 4.8★ (136) wp.org #12 ↑1 2 too low 11

PPWP – Password Protect Pages 30K+ · 4.7★ (271) wp.org #15 ↓1 4 too low 12

SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 400K+ · 4.9★ (134) wp.org #14 ↑2 2 too low 13

MasterStudy LMS WordPress Plugin – for Online Courses and Education 10K+ · 4.5★ (487) wp.org #20 ↑3 7 too low 14

Lazy Load for Videos 9K+ · 4.4★ (105) wp.org #13 ↑2 1 too high 15

Restrict User Access – Ultimate Membership & Content Protection 10K+ · 4.3★ (94) wp.org #16 ↑1 1 too low 16

Popup Builder by Claspo – Email Popup, Spin the Wheel, Exit Intent 1K+ · 5.0★ (40) wp.org #23 7 too low 17

WPEPP – Essential Security, Password Protect & Login Page Customizer 3K+ · 4.1★ (19) thin reviews wp.org #21 4 too low 18

Forward: Embed Image Links 100+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews wp.org #10 ↓1 8 too high 19

Subscribe to Unlock Lite – Opt In Content Locker Plugin for WordPress 500+ · 3.9★ (10) thin reviews wp.org #17 ↑1 2 too high 20

Build Mode – Maintenance Mode & Coming Soon Page 200+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #22 2 too low 21

Tab Teaser — · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #11 10 too high 22

SureMembers – Membership & Content Restriction Plugin 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #18 ↑1 4 too high 23

4else Events – Event Teaser & Booking Connector 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #19 ↑1 4 too high 24

Thumbnail Link for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) 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.