wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “multiple locations”
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 locations”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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
BP xProfile Location shows at wp.org #11 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 500+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.4★ average from 10 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security places #11 on merit, 4.7★ from 5039 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Stock Locations for WooCommerce 800+ · 4.8★ (53) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #1 2 
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551) not PHP-current
wp.org #2 3 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8706)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 
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 #6 ↓1 1 too low 6 
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7519)
wp.org #10 ↓1 4 too low 7 
Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667)
wp.org #9 ↑3 2 too low 8 
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #13 ↑1 5 too low 9 
MainWP Child – Securely Connects to the MainWP Dashboard to Manage Multiple Sites 700K+ · 5.0★ (71) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #5 ↑1 4 too high 10 
Booking for Appointments and Events Calendar – Amelia 90K+ · 4.6★ (793)
wp.org #15 ↑3 5 too low 11 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #19 8 too low 12 
My Calendar – Accessible Event Manager 20K+ · 4.7★ (159)
wp.org #17 ↓4 5 too low 13 
LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778)
wp.org #22 ↑1 9 too low 14 
Location Weather – WordPress Weather Forecast, Air Quality & Weather Widget 10K+ · 4.5★ (103)
wp.org #16 ↓1 2 too low 15 
Shipping Packages for WooCommerce – Dropship from multiple locations like AliExpress, eBay, Amazon, Etsy 900+ · 4.8★ (17) thin reviews
wp.org #8 7 too high 16 
Advanced Order Export For WooCommerce 100K+ · 5.0★ (350)
wp.org #24 ↓2 8 too low 17 
Address Book & Multiple Shipping for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.8★ (20) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #7 10 too high 18 
Easy Appointments 10K+ · 4.3★ (131) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #14 ↑2 4 too high 19 
MPG – Multiple Page Generator, Bulk Landing Pages & Programmatic SEO 2K+ · 3.9★ (27)
wp.org #12 ↓2 7 too high 20 
Five Star Restaurant Reservations – WordPress Booking Plugin 10K+ · 4.7★ (211) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #23 3 too low 21 
Kikote – Location Picker at Checkout & Google Address AutoFill Plugin for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (65) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #20 ↓3 1 too high 22 
Five Star Business Profile and Schema 7K+ · 4.8★ (52) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #18 4 too high 23 B BP xProfile Location 500+ · 4.4★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #11 12 too high 24 
User IP and Location 3K+ · 4.2★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↓1 3 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.