wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “max count”
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 “max count”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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
Max Upload File Size Manager shows at wp.org #3 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 400+ 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
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor places #12 on merit, 4.9★ from 2052 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.
Min Max Quantities – Set Minimum/Maximum Quantity & Price Limits with Step Control for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.8★ (60)
wp.org #1 2 
GenerateBlocks 200K+ · 4.9★ (122)
wp.org #4 2 too low 3 
Max Addons for Bricks Builder 1K+ · 4.9★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
Email Subscribers & Newsletters by Icegram Express – Email Marketing, Post Notifications & WooCommerce Marekting Automation for WordPress 50K+ · 4.6★ (1170)
wp.org #11 7 too low 5 
WP Bulk Delete 90K+ · 4.6★ (131)
wp.org #9 ↓1 4 too low 6 
WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312)
wp.org #12 ↓2 6 too low 7 
Product Bundle Builder for WooCommerce 6K+ · 4.8★ (61)
wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too low 8 
AJAX Login and Registration modal popup + inline form 3K+ · 4.7★ (120)
wp.org #10 ↑7 2 too low 9 
BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin 400K+ · 4.0★ (1323)
wp.org #13 ↓1 4 too low 10 
Simply Schedule Appointments 50K+ · 5.0★ (155)
wp.org #16 ↑4 6 too low 11 
Google for WooCommerce 800K+ · 2.7★ (268) low rating, top placement
wp.org #5 6 too high 12 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2052)
wp.org #20 8 too low 13 
Advanced Product Labels for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.8★ (252)
wp.org #21 ↑3 8 too low 14 
BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55)
wp.org #14 ↓1 15 
Category Posts Block 40K+ · 4.5★ (79)
wp.org #15 ↓4 16 
Advanced AJAX Product Filters 50K+ · 4.7★ (387)
wp.org #24 8 too low 17 
Redirection 2M+ · 4.4★ (703)
wp.org #18 ↓4 1 too low 18 
PiWeb Min/Max Quantity & Minimum Order Limits for WooCommerce 600+ · 4.3★ (11) thin reviews
wp.org #7 11 too high 19 Max Upload File Size Manager 400+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #3 16 too high 20 
System Dashboard 900+ · 4.9★ (16) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too high 21 
Sales Report for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.8★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #17 4 too high 22 
Init View Count – AI-Powered, Trending, REST API 80+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #6 16 too high 23 
GravityWP – CSS Selector 4K+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #22 1 too high 24 
Order Limit for WooCommerce (Free Version) 800+ · 4.2★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↑2 1 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.