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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “multi byte”

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 “multi byte”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 2 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

Default Permalink shows at wp.org #7 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Download Manager places #6 on merit, 4.1★ from 1006 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Bulk Media Register 8K+ · 4.5★ (22) wp.org #1 2 Product Feed Manager for WooCommerce – CTX Feed – Support 220+ Shopping, AI & Social Channels 90K+ · 4.6★ (838) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 affiliate-toolkit – Multi-Network Affiliate & Amazon Product Display 2K+ · 4.5★ (22) wp.org #3 4 ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities 5K+ · 4.6★ (236) wp.org #9 5 too low 5 WP Google Review Slider 30K+ · 4.9★ (373) wp.org #12 ↑4 7 too low 6 Download Manager 100K+ · 4.1★ (1006) wp.org #21 ↓1 15 too low 7 Squeeze – Browser-Based Image Compression & WebP Converter (No API, No Limits) 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #5 ↑2 2 too high 8 ThumbPress – Compress Images, Manage Thumbnails, Detect Image Issues, WebP/AVIF, Lazy Loading, Hotlinking & More 20K+ · 3.7★ (117) wp.org #13 ↑1 5 too low 9 CryptX 10K+ · 4.5★ (20) wp.org #6 ↓1 3 too high 10 Media from ZIP 600+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 8 too high 11 PushEngage – Web Push Notifications, WooCommerce Automation & Chat Widget 8K+ · 4.3★ (37) wp.org #11 12 hCaptcha for WP 70K+ · 4.6★ (88) wp.org #24 12 too low 13 aBlocks – Gutenberg Blocks, User Dashboard Builder, Popup Builder, Form Builder & Animation Builder 2K+ · 5.0★ (26) wp.org #20 ↑2 7 too low 14 BerqWP – All-In-One Optimization for Core Web Vitals, Cache, CDN, Images, CSS & JavaScript 4K+ · 4.3★ (54) wp.org #22 ↑2 8 too low 15 Event Tickets with Ticket Scanner 1K+ · 4.8★ (24) wp.org #16 ↑1 1 too low 16 Oliver POS – WooCommerce POS for iPhone, iPad & Android 700+ · 4.2★ (90) wp.org #19 ↓1 3 too low 17 Royal MCP – Secure AI Connector for Claude, ChatGPT & any LLM via MCP 10K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #15 2 too high 18 WP Zillow Review Slider 300+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #23 ↓2 5 too low 19 Ultimate Form – Multi-Step Form Builder, Conversion Analytics & Lead Forms 60+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #10 9 too high 20 Segurium – Free Malware Removal & Auto Cleanup for Hacked Websites, Antivirus Scanner, Vulnerability Alerts 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #18 ↑1 2 too high 21 Rank Bix SEO – Lightweight SEO Toolkit with Multi-AI 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 ↓1 7 too high 22 Default Permalink 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 ↓1 15 too high 23 Cubixsol Multi AI Image Generator 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 15 too high 24 Flowbyte Bulk Edit 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↑6 7 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.