wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “most shared”
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 shared”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 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
Attribute Stock for WooCommerce – Shared Stock & Variable Quantities (Lite Version) shows at wp.org #11 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.6★ average from 18 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039)
wp.org #2 1 too low 2 
Shared Files – File Upload & Download Manager 3K+ · 4.4★ (34)
wp.org #1 1 too high 3 
Duplicator – Backups & Migration Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups, & More 1M+ · 4.9★ (4940)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery 300K+ · 4.3★ (4342)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #3 2 too high 6 
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ · 4.8★ (1489)
wp.org #6 7 
Product Feed PRO for WooCommerce by AdTribes – Product Feeds for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.7★ (1071)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
Hubbub Lite – Fast, free social sharing and follow buttons 30K+ · 4.7★ (173)
wp.org #7 1 too high 9 
All-in-One WP Migration and Backup 5M+ · 4.5★ (7676)
wp.org #9 10 
Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ · 4.8★ (3221)
wp.org #13 ↑1 3 too low 11 
W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420)
wp.org #12 1 too low 12 
Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186)
wp.org #10 ↑1 2 too high 13 
Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed – Easy Social Feeds Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4358)
wp.org #14 ↓1 1 too low 14 
LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778)
wp.org #15 1 too low 15 
Product Feed Manager for WooCommerce – CTX Feed – Support 220+ Shopping, AI & Social Channels 90K+ · 4.6★ (838)
wp.org #18 ↓1 3 too low 16 
Variation Swatches for WooCommerce 300K+ · 4.8★ (926)
wp.org #22 6 too low 17 
Firelight Lightbox 200K+ · 4.8★ (361)
wp.org #20 ↑1 3 too low 18 
AddToAny Share Buttons 300K+ · 4.7★ (1114)
wp.org #24 6 too low 19 
Docket Cache – Object Cache Accelerator 20K+ · 4.9★ (50)
wp.org #17 ↑2 2 too high 20 
WebberZone Top 10 — Popular Posts 10K+ · 4.6★ (102)
wp.org #21 ↑1 1 too low 21 
Social Preview and Open Graph Tags 50K+ · 4.6★ (122)
wp.org #23 ↑1 2 too low 22 
YITH WooCommerce Wishlist 400K+ · 3.9★ (262)
wp.org #19 ↓1 3 too high 23 Attribute Stock for WooCommerce – Shared Stock & Variable Quantities (Lite Version) 2K+ · 4.6★ (18) thin reviews
wp.org #11 ↓1 12 too high 24 
Variation Shared Inventory for WooCommerce 400+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #16 8 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.