wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “memory log”
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 “memory log”, 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
Memory Meter shows at wp.org #9 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 600+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.3★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
WP STAGING – Backups & Restore, Migration & Clone Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 2470 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
WP-Memory-Usage 10K+ · 4.5★ (21) thin reviews
wp.org #1 2 
Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528)
wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too low 3 
Debug Log Manager – Conveniently Monitor and Inspect Errors 10K+ · 5.0★ (25)
wp.org #2 ↑1 1 too high 4 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5040)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420)
wp.org #8 ↑1 3 too low 6 
Simple Login Log 5K+ · 4.5★ (27)
wp.org #4 2 too high 7 
AI Engine – MCP Server & AI Chatbot for WordPress, with Claude, ChatGPT & Gemini 90K+ · 4.9★ (874)
wp.org #15 ↑3 8 too low 8 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #12 4 too low 9 WP STAGING – Backups & Restore, Migration & Clone Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups 100K+ · 4.8★ (2470)
wp.org #18 ↓4 9 too low 10 
Debug Log Manager Tool 3K+ · 5.0★ (22) thin reviews
wp.org #6 4 too high 11 
NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (220)
wp.org #13 ↑4 2 too low 12 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #11 1 too high 13 
All-in-One WP Migration and Backup 5M+ · 4.5★ (7676)
wp.org #20 ↓1 7 too low 14 
Activity Log Pro – User Activity Log, Audit Log & Security Monitor 400+ · 5.0★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #7 7 too high 15 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #23 ↓2 8 too low 16 
WPVibe – MCP Server for WordPress, works with Claude, ChatGPT & other AI MCP agents 100K+ · 5.0★ (200)
wp.org #22 6 too low 17 
BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin 400K+ · 4.0★ (1323)
wp.org #21 ↓5 4 too low 18 
Docket Cache – Object Cache Accelerator 20K+ · 4.9★ (50)
wp.org #16 ↑6 2 too high 19 
EasyMedia – Increase Media Upload File Size | Role-Based Upload Limit | Increase Execution Time 70K+ · 4.9★ (99)
wp.org #19 ↓4 20 
WooPayments: Integrated WooCommerce Payments 800K+ · 3.4★ (177)
wp.org #24 4 too low 21 
Agent Abilities for MCP – Connect Claude and ChatGPT with Permission Controls and Audit Log 800+ · 4.8★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↓6 4 too high 22 Memory Meter 600+ · 3.3★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #9 ↓1 13 too high 23 
Memory Limit Manager 600+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #10 13 too high 24 
BugTrace – Debug Log Tool 50+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #14 ↓1 10 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.