wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “multi factor”
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 factor”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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
Two Factor (2FA) Authentication via Email shows at wp.org #4 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 9K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Migrate Guru – Site Migration & Cloning places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 1645 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #1 2 
WP 2FA – Two-factor authentication for WordPress 100K+ · 4.7★ (184)
wp.org #2 ↑1 3 
Two Factor Authentication 20K+ · 4.4★ (77)
wp.org #3 ↑1 4 
miniOrange 2FA – Two Factor Authentication for WordPress (OTP, SMS, Email, Google Authenticator) 10K+ · 4.5★ (385)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention 1M+ · 4.8★ (1488)
wp.org #6 ↓4 1 too low 6 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #8 ↓1 2 too low 7 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #10 3 too low 8 Migrate Guru – Site Migration & Cloning 200K+ · 4.9★ (1645)
wp.org #13 ↓2 5 too low 9 
CookieYes – Cookie Banner for Cookie Consent (Easy to setup GDPR/CCPA Compliant Cookie Notice) 1M+ · 4.8★ (3236)
wp.org #14 ↓1 5 too low 10 
Rublon Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) 400+ · 4.2★ (88)
wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too high 11 
Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile 200K+ · 4.7★ (262) not PHP-current
wp.org #9 ↓1 2 too high 12 
All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) 2M+ · 4.7★ (5231) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too high 13 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8706)
wp.org #18 5 too low 14 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #16 ↓1 2 too low 15 
Weight Based Shipping Table Rate for WooCommerce – Flexible Shipping 100K+ · 4.9★ (706)
wp.org #19 ↓3 4 too low 16 
Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution 100K+ · 4.4★ (590) heavy footprint
wp.org #15 ↓6 1 too high 17 
Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder 500K+ · 4.4★ (1397)
wp.org #21 ↓4 4 too low 18 
Masteriyo LMS – LMS Course Builder, Quizzes & Certificates 6K+ · 4.8★ (184) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #12 6 too high 19 
Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ · 4.8★ (334)
wp.org #24 ↓3 5 too low 20 
Active Directory Integration / LDAP Integration 4K+ · 4.9★ (211)
wp.org #22 ↓4 2 too low 21 Two Factor (2FA) Authentication via Email 9K+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #4 17 too high 22 
Export Single Post Page 3K+ · 4.7★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #20 2 too high 23 
Media Library File Size 6K+ · 4.6★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #23 24 
Duo Universal 2K+ · 4.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↓3 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.