wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “matchs”
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 “matchs”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
CookieAdmin – Cookie Consent Banner shows at wp.org #13 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 400K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Relevanssi – A Better Search 100K+ · 4.8★ (406)
wp.org #1 2 
Redirection 2M+ · 4.4★ (703)
wp.org #2 3 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2052)
wp.org #5 ↑5 1 too low 5 
Product Bundle Builder for WooCommerce 6K+ · 4.8★ (61)
wp.org #3 2 too high 6 
Starter Templates: AI-Powered Website Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg 1M+ · 4.9★ (4755)
wp.org #6 7 
Theme My Login 50K+ · 3.7★ (460)
wp.org #7 ↓2 8 
Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528)
wp.org #11 ↑10 3 too low 9 
PixelYourSite – Your smart PIXEL (TAG) & API Manager 400K+ · 4.3★ (281)
wp.org #8 ↑12 1 too high 10 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #12 ↑5 2 too low 11 
Search Regex 100K+ · 4.7★ (101)
wp.org #10 ↓1 1 too high 12 
WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312)
wp.org #14 ↓2 2 too low 13 
Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882)
wp.org #17 ↓3 4 too low 14 
Cart Abandonment Recovery for WooCommerce – Recover Lost Sales with Automated Emails 300K+ · 4.8★ (626)
wp.org #21 ↑2 7 too low 15 
Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery 100K+ · 4.7★ (616)
wp.org #23 8 too low 16 
Widget Context 30K+ · 4.5★ (98)
wp.org #16 ↓3 17 
Timeline Widget For Elementor (Elementor Timeline, Vertical & Horizontal Timeline) 70K+ · 4.8★ (248)
wp.org #24 ↓2 7 too low 18 
WP Responsive Menu 30K+ · 4.3★ (100)
wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too low 19 
Match Me for BuddyPress & BuddyBoss 200+ · 4.6★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #9 ↓2 10 too high 20 
Weight Based Shipping for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.6★ (83)
wp.org #22 ↓7 2 too low 21 
Smooth Back To Top Button 40K+ · 4.9★ (31)
wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too high 22 
Email Customizer for WooCommerce | Drag and Drop Email Templates Builder 9K+ · 4.3★ (44)
wp.org #18 ↓2 4 too high 23 
Google for WooCommerce 800K+ · 2.7★ (268)
wp.org #15 ↓7 8 too high 24 CookieAdmin – Cookie Consent Banner 400K+ · 5.0★ (4) host-installed base thin reviews
wp.org #13 ↓2 11 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.