wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “modify”
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 “modify”, 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
Modify Comment Parent shows at wp.org #8 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 80+ 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
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 1497 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833)
wp.org #1 2 
PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce 300K+ · 5.0★ (1865)
wp.org #2 3 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8708)
wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too low 4 
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27820)
wp.org #6 ↑4 2 too low 5 
Simple Custom CSS and JS 600K+ · 4.4★ (104)
wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too high 6 
Remove Footer Credit 60K+ · 4.7★ (88)
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 
Custom Post Type UI 1M+ · 4.6★ (276)
wp.org #9 ↑3 2 too low 8 MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress 1M+ · 4.8★ (1497)
wp.org #16 8 too low 9 
Advanced iFrame 40K+ · 4.4★ (54)
wp.org #10 ↓1 1 too low 10 
Options for Twenty Twenty-One 6K+ · 4.9★ (64)
wp.org #12 ↓1 2 too low 11 
WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758)
wp.org #15 4 too low 12 
Media Library Assistant 70K+ · 4.8★ (202)
wp.org #17 ↑5 5 too low 13 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #20 ↑1 7 too low 14 
Profile & Dashboard fields [Modify/Disable/Remove] 200+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #3 11 too high 15 
Converter for Media – Optimize images | Convert WebP & AVIF 500K+ · 4.9★ (1106)
wp.org #24 ↓6 9 too low 16 
Options for Twenty Seventeen 8K+ · 4.8★ (57)
wp.org #14 ↓1 2 too high 17 
Search Regex 100K+ · 4.7★ (101)
wp.org #18 ↓3 1 too low 18 
WP Super Cache 1M+ · 4.3★ (1346)
wp.org #23 5 too low 19 
Remove "Powered by WordPress" 20K+ · 4.4★ (21) thin reviews
wp.org #11 ↓1 8 too high 20 
Options for Twenty Twenty 3K+ · 4.7★ (31)
wp.org #21 ↓4 1 too low 21 
LWS Tools 10K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #13 ↓1 8 too high 22 
Google for WooCommerce 800K+ · 2.7★ (268)
wp.org #19 ↓13 3 too high 23 
RSS Includes Pages 10K+ · 3.9★ (17) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↓2 1 too high 24 Modify Comment Parent 80+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #8 ↓3 16 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.