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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “malware removal”

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 “malware removal”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

DevDome Malware Scanner – WordPress Malware Removal & Security Scanner shows at wp.org #7 but places #14 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 300+ 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

SecuPress with Simple SSL – Simple and Performant Security places #11 on merit, 4.1★ from 106 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5040) wp.org #1 2 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #2 3 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #3 ↑1 4 MalCare WordPress Security Plugin – Malware Scanner, Cleaner, Security Firewall 100K+ · 4.4★ (559) wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too low 5 Malcure Malware Shield — Removal, Repair, Monitor 10K+ · 4.4★ (74) wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too high 6 Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (783) wp.org #9 ↓1 3 too low 7 Sucuri Security – Auditing, Malware Scanner and Security Hardening 600K+ · 4.2★ (386) wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too low 8 Jetpack Protect 100K+ · 4.6★ (123) wp.org #10 2 too low 9 Quttera ThreatSign – Web Malware Scanner for WordPress 10K+ · 3.9★ (47) wp.org #6 ↓1 3 too high 10 Security Ninja – WordPress Security & Firewall 7K+ · 4.7★ (101) wp.org #16 ↑2 6 too low 11 SecuPress with Simple SSL – Simple and Performant Security 40K+ · 4.1★ (106) wp.org #20 9 too low 12 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #18 ↓1 6 too low 13 WebDefender Security – Protection & AntiSpam 1K+ · 4.0★ (18) wp.org #13 14 DevDome Malware Scanner – WordPress Malware Removal & Security Scanner 300+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 ↑5 7 too high 15 Virusdie | One-click website security 2K+ · 4.0★ (9) wp.org #14 1 too high 16 Protector – Malware Removal, Firewall & Core Repair 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #11 ↓2 5 too high 17 SiteLock Security – WP Hardening, Login Security & Malware Scans 1K+ · 3.4★ (14) wp.org #17 ↓1 18 Segurium – Free Malware Removal & Auto Cleanup for Hacked Websites, Antivirus Scanner, Vulnerability Alerts 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #12 ↓1 6 too high 19 VulnTitan – Malware Scanner, Vulnerability Scanner & Security 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #15 4 too high 20 Moatline Malware Scanner 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 1 too high 21 WordSec – Malware Scanner & Removal, Web Application Firewall (WAF), and 2FA 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 ↑1 22 MoeSec Security – Comprehensive Malware Scanner & Security Suite 50+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #23 ↓2 1 too low 23 Content Guard Pro – Database Malware Scanner & SEO Spam Detector 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↓3 1 too high 24 Nexura Security — Malware Scanner, Firewall, 2FA & WordPress Security 20+ · 3.0★ (2) 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.