wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “mobile clock”

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 “mobile clock”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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

World Clocks shows at wp.org #4 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

All-in-one Sticky Floating Contact Form, Call, Click to Chat, and 50+ Social Icon Tabs – My Sticky Elements places #7 on merit, 4.9★ from 542 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #1 ↑1 2

Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680) wp.org #2 ↓1 3

Countdown, Coming Soon, Maintenance – Countdown & Clock 10K+ · 4.7★ (183) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #3 4

Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962) wp.org #7 3 too low 5

Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992) wp.org #9 4 too low 6

Chat Button & Custom ChatGPT-Powered Bot by GetButton.io 20K+ · 4.5★ (175) wp.org #8 2 too low 7

All-in-one Sticky Floating Contact Form, Call, Click to Chat, and 50+ Social Icon Tabs – My Sticky Elements 40K+ · 4.9★ (542) wp.org #15 8 too low 8

Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ · 4.8★ (334) wp.org #14 6 too low 9

Buttonizer – Social Media Share Buttons, Social Icons, & Social Feeds 40K+ · 4.8★ (396) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #11 ↑1 2 too low 10

CoolClock 1K+ · 4.7★ (15) thin reviews wp.org #6 4 too high 11

Master Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Widgets, Mega Menu Builder, Popup Builder, Widget Builder & Template Kits 30K+ · 4.5★ (212) wp.org #17 ↓1 6 too low 12

Buttonizer – Floating Menus, Sticky Buttons, & Popup Builder 70K+ · 4.5★ (151) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #10 ↑1 2 too high 13

WP Compress – Instant Performance & Speed Optimization 9K+ · 4.5★ (155) wp.org #18 ↑2 5 too low 14

Countix Sales Countdown Timer 5K+ · 4.4★ (26) wp.org #12 ↓2 2 too high 15

ERP: Complete HR, Accounting & CRM Suite Built for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.4★ (149) not PHP-current wp.org #20 ↑1 5 too low 16

CP Multi View Events Calendar 900+ · 4.3★ (46) not PHP-current wp.org #16 ↑1 17

Easy Appointment Booking & Scheduling Plugin – Webba Booking Calendar 2K+ · 4.9★ (159) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #23 6 too low 18

Buttonizer – Live Chat, AI Chatbot, Call, Chat, Contact Button 50K+ · 5.0★ (23) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #13 5 too high 19

The School Management – Education & Learning ERP 700+ · 4.5★ (15) thin reviews wp.org #24 5 too low 20

Popup builder with Gamification, Multi-Step Popups, Page-Level Targeting, and WooCommerce Triggers 70K+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews wp.org #22 ↑1 2 too low 21

World Clocks 100+ · 4.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #4 17 too high 22 L Live Clock Widget 90+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #5 17 too high 23

Countdown Timer Block – build urgency for events and launches 2K+ · 4.0★ (4) not PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #19 4 too high 24

Local Time Clock 1K+ · 3.1★ (10) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #21 ↓3 3 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.