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← Rankings

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

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 “lunch”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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

ITBoffins Live Opening Hours Banner & Table shows at wp.org #6 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 11 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

Finale Lite – Sales Countdown Timer & Discount for WooCommerce places #4 on merit, 4.7★ from 151 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WPCafe – Restaurant Menu, Online Food Ordering & Table Booking System 5K+ · 4.6★ (113) wp.org #3 ↑1 2 too low 2 Time Clock – A WordPress Employee & Volunteer Time Clock Plugin 500+ · 4.9★ (8) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 Five Star Restaurant Reservations – WordPress Booking Plugin 10K+ · 4.7★ (211) wp.org #5 ↑9 2 too low 4 Finale Lite – Sales Countdown Timer & Discount for WooCommerce 3K+ · 4.7★ (151) wp.org #11 ↑2 7 too low 5 Alex Reservations – Restaurant Reservations, Tables & White-Label Booking System 200+ · 4.9★ (28) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Orderable – Restaurant & Food Ordering System 5K+ · 4.6★ (40) wp.org #8 2 too low 7 Easy restaurant menu manager 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #2 ↑1 5 too high 8 WP Delicious – Recipe Plugin for Food Bloggers (formerly Delicious Recipes) 4K+ · 4.9★ (71) wp.org #9 ↑1 1 too low 9 Five Star Restaurant Menu and Food Ordering 5K+ · 4.6★ (107) wp.org #10 ↑2 1 too low 10 Clock In Portal- Staff & Attendance Management 200+ · 3.9★ (11) wp.org #4 ↑1 6 too high 11 Chwazi – Delivery & Pickup Scheduling for WooCommerce 500+ · 5.0★ (30) wp.org #12 ↓3 1 too low 12 MotoPress Appointment Booking 2K+ · 4.5★ (21) wp.org #13 ↑2 1 too low 13 P Pickup | Delivery | Dine-in date time 10+ · 4.9★ (20) wp.org #21 8 too low 14 Store Hours for WooCommerce 2K+ · 2.8★ (30) wp.org #14 ↓3 15 FoodOrd – Online Food Ordering & Table Reservation System 20+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #17 2 too low 16 Simple Entry Booking for WooCommerce 40+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #19 3 too low 17 ITBoffins Live Opening Hours Banner & Table 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 11 too high 18 Snillrik Skolmaten.se — · 4.5★ (2) wp.org #23 5 too low 19 Business Hours & Holiday Schedule Manager 100+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #16 3 too high 20 Luntsi – Lunch Menu — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 21 Lunchboard – Restaurant Menu, Lunch Menu & Allergens — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 1 too low 22 Newspack Newsletters 1K+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↑1 7 too high 23 Snillrik Restaurant Menu — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 ilGhera Restaurant Booking for WordPress 50+ · 1.7★ (3) wp.org #18 6 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.