wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “multilevel menu”
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 “multilevel menu”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 5 of the top 20. 8 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
Novalnet Payment Gateway for Easy Digital Downloads shows at wp.org #10 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 20+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Groovy Menu Plugin (Free) 4K+ · 3.6★ (25)
wp.org #1 2 
Custom Product Tabs for WooCommerce & WordPress Tabs Builder – Smart Tabs 10K+ · 4.9★ (134)
wp.org #4 2 too low 3 
Robo Gallery – Photo & Image Slider 40K+ · 4.3★ (406)
wp.org #5 2 too low 4 
Multilevel Navigation Menu 400+ · 5.0★ (3) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviewsstale but ranked
wp.org #2 2 too high 5 
Multilevel Referral Plugin for WooCommerce 30+ · 3.7★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #3 2 too high 6 
iPages – FlipBook Image & PDF Viewer 2K+ · 3.7★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #6 7 
Novalnet Payment Gateway for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.3★ (4) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #7 8 
Navgoco Vertical Multilevel Slide Menu 100+ · 4.0★ (5) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #17 9 too low 9 E Easy Multilevel Nav Menu 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked
wp.org #8 1 too high 10 
Adaptive Login Action — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #11 1 too low 11 
Gravity Forms payment plugin – Novalnet AG 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #13 2 too low 12 
PrivateContent Free 30+ · 0.0★ (0) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #9 3 too high 13 
Ultimate WooCommerce Expandable Categories 200+ · 2.7★ (9) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #16 3 too low 14 
Orbem Studio — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #15 1 too low 15 
MemberPress payment addon – Novalnet AG — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #14 1 too high 16 
SendBSV BSV Payments for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #12 4 too high 17 Novalnet Payment Gateway for Easy Digital Downloads 20+ · 4.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #10 7 too high 18 G GT Push Menu Lite 10+ · 4.0★ (3) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #21 3 too low 19 
WAJ Admin Menu — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #18 1 too high 20 
AccessType — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #20 21 V VertiMenu — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #19 2 too high 22 G Gambit Cache Menus — · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #23 1 too low 23 S StabilityShares Payments for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #24 1 too low 24 S swMenu 10+ · 0.0★ (0) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews
wp.org #22 2 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.