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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “neon”

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 “neon”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 of the top 20. 2 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

Neon Product Designer shows at wp.org #10 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 20+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Master Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Widgets, Mega Menu Builder, Popup Builder, Widget Builder & Template Kits places #6 on merit, 4.5★ from 212 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Contact Form by Supsystic – Drag & Drop Form Builder with Templates & Form Statistics 6K+ · 4.7★ (92) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 OAuth Single Sign On – SSO (OAuth Client) 6K+ · 4.9★ (327) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 Maps Widget for Google Maps 20K+ · 4.6★ (512) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Unlimited Elements for Elementor 300K+ · 4.8★ (525) wp.org #7 3 too low 5 Image Gallery 3K+ · 4.4★ (32) wp.org #6 ↑5 1 too low 6 Master Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Widgets, Mega Menu Builder, Popup Builder, Widget Builder & Template Kits 30K+ · 4.5★ (212) wp.org #17 ↓1 11 too low 7 Read More Without Refresh 20K+ · 4.2★ (55) wp.org #14 7 too low 8 WBD Logo Carousel For Gutenberg 600+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 5 too high 9 Neon Channel Product Customizer Free 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 8 too high 10 Print Page Block – make any page printable in one click 1K+ · 4.9★ (7) wp.org #12 ↑1 2 too low 11 IfElse Pages – Coming Soon and Maintenance Mode 200+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #8 ↓2 3 too high 12 Text Typing – grab attention with animated typing headlines 3K+ · 3.8★ (6) wp.org #9 3 too high 13 Right Click Ban – Disable Right Click & Content Copy Protection 400+ · 4.3★ (7) wp.org #21 ↓1 8 too low 14 InDesign Random Quotes Widgets 10+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #23 ↓1 9 too low 15 Digital Clock 300+ · 4.3★ (3) wp.org #13 ↓3 2 too high 16 MWR Hit Counter 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 ↑1 5 too high 17 Hash Form – Drag & Drop Form Builder 3K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 7 too low 18 Customize My Account for WooCommerce – Custom Tabs, Login, Registration, 2FA & Design 900+ · 3.4★ (5) wp.org #22 ↑2 4 too low 19 LMSCrafter Gradient Text for Elementor 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too low 20 Scroll to Top – Smooth Scroll Up, Back to Top & Reading Progress Bar 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 5 too high 21 AMSites Login Customizer 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 ↑1 5 too high 22 CopyBlocker Pro – Content Protection 80+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 4 too high 23 Webdevez Testimonials Slider for Elementor 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↑2 4 too high 24 Neon Product Designer 20+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #10 ↓2 14 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.