wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “most”
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 “most”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 5 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
Most And Least Read Posts Widget shows at wp.org #2 but places #10 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 900+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 6 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5040)
wp.org #1 2 
Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery 300K+ · 4.3★ (4342)
wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too low 3 
WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833)
wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too low 4 
Product Feed PRO for WooCommerce by AdTribes – Product Feeds for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.7★ (1072)
wp.org #6 ↓1 2 too low 5 
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #7 2 too low 6 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #4 ↑2 2 too high 7 
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27820)
wp.org #10 ↓2 3 too low 8 
LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778)
wp.org #8 ↑2 9 
TablePress – Tables in WordPress made easy 600K+ · 5.0★ (4625)
wp.org #11 2 too low 10 Most And Least Read Posts Widget 900+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #2 ↑1 8 too high 11 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144)
wp.org #12 ↑2 1 too low 12 
Filter Everything — WordPress & WooCommerce Filters 50K+ · 4.6★ (154)
wp.org #9 3 too high 13 
Responsive Lightbox & Gallery 100K+ · 4.9★ (2003)
wp.org #19 ↓1 6 too low 14 
MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) 2M+ · 4.5★ (3157)
wp.org #14 ↓2 15 
Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection 5M+ · 4.7★ (1187)
wp.org #13 2 too high 16 
Duplicator – Backups & Migration Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups, & More 1M+ · 4.9★ (4940)
wp.org #17 ↓1 1 too low 17 
Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667)
wp.org #16 1 too high 18 
Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186)
wp.org #15 ↑2 3 too high 19 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #18 ↑3 1 too high 20 
Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails 100K+ · 4.8★ (215)
wp.org #22 ↓2 2 too low 21 
Firelight Lightbox 200K+ · 4.8★ (361)
wp.org #24 3 too low 22 
WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758)
wp.org #20 ↑4 2 too high 23 
Joinchat – Enhanced “click to chat” 700K+ · 4.7★ (189)
wp.org #21 ↓6 2 too high 24 
Popup Builder & Popup Maker for WordPress – OptinMonster Email Marketing and Lead Generation 1M+ · 4.3★ (821)
wp.org #23 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.