wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “lua”

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 “lua”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20. 4 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

SimpleSocial shows at wp.org #15 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Enlighter – Customizable Syntax Highlighter places #5 on merit, 4.8★ from 65 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Code Block Pro – Beautiful Syntax Highlighting 10K+ · 4.8★ (50) wp.org #1 2

CodeColorer 1K+ · 4.9★ (11) thin reviews wp.org #2 3 U Urvanov Syntax Highlighter 3K+ · 4.5★ (19) thin reviews wp.org #3 4

Redis Object Cache 500K+ · 4.5★ (179) wp.org #9 5 too low 5

Enlighter – Customizable Syntax Highlighter 10K+ · 4.8★ (65) wp.org #14 9 too low 6

Nginx Helper 200K+ · 4.4★ (31) wp.org #11 5 too low 7 S Shipping Viet Nam WooCommerce 100+ · 4.8★ (20) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #17 10 too low 8

NanoReel – Video Widgets for Conversions — · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #5 4 too high 10

ShipDepot for WooCommerce 10+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #6 4 too high 11

LearnPress – Sepay Payment 100+ · 0.0★ (0) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #4 7 too high 12

WPBetterCodeHighlighting — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #7 5 too high 13

WebberZone Code Block Highlighting — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #8 5 too high 14

Thanh toán chuyển khoản ngân hàng với VietQRPro từ Sổ Bán Hàng 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #10 4 too high 15

SePay Gateway 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #12 3 too high 16

Sitevorx — · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #18 2 too low 17 A Ahamove WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #16 1 too high 18

VNShipping for WooCommerce 20+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #19 1 too low 19

EZDIGI Tool — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #22 ↓1 3 too low 20 X XMPP Statistics 20+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #23 ↓1 3 too low 21

Datawiza Proxy Auth Plugin – SSO — · 4.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #20 1 too high 22

Attach Excel Invoice WOOC – WPSHARE247 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #24 ↓1 2 too low 23

SimpleSocial 100+ · 3.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #15 8 too high 24

CloudScale Cyber & DevTools 10+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #21 3 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.