wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “multisite redirects”

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 “multisite redirects”, 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

Ultimate Multisite – WordPress Multisite SaaS & WaaS Platform shows at wp.org #10 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 90+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 11 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 1146 reviews, but shows at wp.org #12. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Simple 301 Redirects by BetterLinks – Easy Redirect Manager 100K+ · 3.8★ (162) wp.org #1 2

Safe Redirect Manager 40K+ · 4.7★ (78) wp.org #2 ↓1 3

LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778) wp.org #4 ↓2 1 too low 4

Multisite Language Switcher 3K+ · 4.8★ (99) wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too high 5

404 to 301 – Redirect Manager, 301 Redirection, 404 Error Logs & 404 Monitoring 100K+ · 4.7★ (321) wp.org #5 6

Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7519) wp.org #7 ↓2 1 too low 7

Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint wp.org #8 1 too low 8

WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146) wp.org #12 4 too low 9

WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – SMTP for Reliable Email Delivery with Gmail, Outlook, Amazon SES, Brevo, Other SMTP & More 4M+ · 4.8★ (5209) wp.org #11 ↓2 2 too low 10

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 #9 ↓3 1 too high 11

Relevanssi – A Better Search 100K+ · 4.8★ (406) wp.org #14 ↓4 3 too low 12 D Dropdown Multisite Selector 900+ · 5.0★ (19) thin reviews wp.org #6 ↑1 6 too high 13

WPvivid — Backup, Migration & Staging 900K+ · 4.9★ (1568) wp.org #17 ↓2 4 too low 14

Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #18 ↓2 4 too low 15

All-in-One WP Migration and Backup 5M+ · 4.5★ (7676) wp.org #20 ↑3 4 too low 17

BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin 400K+ · 4.0★ (1323) not PHP-current wp.org #13 4 too high 18

Force Login 30K+ · 4.8★ (101) wp.org #22 4 too low 19

PublishPress Capabilities: User Role Access Control, Admin Area Permissions 90K+ · 4.7★ (143) wp.org #24 ↓6 5 too low 20

Custom Post Type UI 1M+ · 4.6★ (276) wp.org #21 1 too low 21

Domain Mapping System | Create Microsites with Multiple Alias Domains (multisite optional) 2K+ · 4.5★ (56) wp.org #19 2 too high 22

Broken Link Checker 500K+ · 3.8★ (605) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #16 ↑1 6 too high 23

Ultimate Multisite – WordPress Multisite SaaS & WaaS Platform 90+ · 5.0★ (11) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #10 ↑4 13 too high 24

DevDome Redirect Manager: Link Rotator, Geo Redirect & 302 Redirect 300+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #23 1 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.