wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “multiple choice question”
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 “multiple choice question”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 6 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
Awesome FAQ – answer questions before customers ask shows at wp.org #11 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 1K+ 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
Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery places #11 on merit, 4.7★ from 616 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Quiz Maker by AYS 20K+ · 4.9★ (601)
wp.org #1 2 
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #4 2 too low 3 
Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1668)
wp.org #5 ↑3 2 too low 4 
MainWP Child – Securely Connects to the MainWP Dashboard to Manage Multiple Sites 700K+ · 5.0★ (71) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #2 2 too high 5 
Masteriyo LMS – LMS Course Builder, Quizzes & Certificates 6K+ · 4.8★ (184) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #3 2 too high 6 
Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) not PHP-current
wp.org #6 ↑1 7 
YOP Poll 10K+ · 4.4★ (452)
wp.org #7 ↓2 8 
Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder 800K+ · 4.8★ (807)
wp.org #8 ↓2 9 
Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) – Quiz Maker & Survey Maker 40K+ · 4.7★ (1282)
wp.org #12 ↓1 3 too low 10 
Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution 100K+ · 4.4★ (590) heavy footprint
wp.org #9 1 too high 11 Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery 100K+ · 4.7★ (616)
wp.org #15 ↓1 4 too low 12 
Wishlist for WooCommerce: Multiple Wishlists per Customer 2K+ · 4.9★ (53)
wp.org #10 2 too high 13 
HD Quiz 6K+ · 4.9★ (145)
wp.org #14 ↓1 1 too low 14 
Advanced Product Fields (Product Addons) for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.8★ (284)
wp.org #18 ↓2 4 too low 15 
Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463) not PHP-current
wp.org #19 4 too low 16 
Form Maker by 10Web – Mobile-Friendly Drag & Drop Contact Form Builder 30K+ · 4.5★ (778) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #13 ↓1 3 too high 17 
Loginizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1033) not PHP-current
wp.org #16 ↑5 1 too high 18 
Watu Quiz 3K+ · 4.7★ (137)
wp.org #17 ↓2 1 too high 19 
Imagify Image Optimization: Optimize Images | Compress & Convert to WebP/AVIF 900K+ · 4.3★ (1656)
wp.org #20 ↓2 1 too low 20 
Slider, Gallery, and Carousel by MetaSlider – Image Slider, Video Slider 500K+ · 4.6★ (742)
wp.org #23 ↓3 3 too low 21 
ManageWP Worker 1M+ · 4.6★ (679)
wp.org #22 ↓3 1 too low 22 
MailPoet – Newsletters, Email Marketing, and Automation 500K+ · 4.4★ (1435) heavy footprint
wp.org #24 2 too low 23 
LearnPress – WordPress LMS Plugin for Create and Sell Online Courses 70K+ · 4.3★ (597) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #21 ↓4 2 too high 24 Awesome FAQ – answer questions before customers ask 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #11 13 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.