wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “new user”
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 “new user”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20.
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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Custom New User Email Template shows at wp.org #9 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 200+ 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
User Menus – Nav Menu Visibility places #11 on merit, 5.0★ from 1281 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.
New User Approve 20K+ · 4.3★ (131)
wp.org #1 2 
User Role Editor 700K+ · 4.5★ (288)
wp.org #2 3 
User Switching 200K+ · 4.9★ (238)
wp.org #3 ↑1 4 
User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738)
wp.org #4 ↓1 5 
User Registration & Membership – Free & Paid Memberships, Subscriptions, Content Restriction, User Profile, Custom User Registration & Login Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (832)
wp.org #5 ↑1 6 
Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin 200K+ · 4.4★ (1445)
wp.org #6 ↓1 7 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #7 8 
The Events Calendar 600K+ · 4.2★ (2461)
wp.org #8 9 
Stop User Enumeration 60K+ · 4.9★ (132)
wp.org #10 1 too low 10 
WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory 10K+ · 4.7★ (350)
wp.org #13 ↓2 3 too low 11 User Menus – Nav Menu Visibility 80K+ · 5.0★ (1281)
wp.org #17 ↓3 6 too low 12 
User Frontend – Membership, User Registration, User Profile, User Directory & Content Restriction with Frontend Post Submission 20K+ · 4.1★ (537)
wp.org #12 ↑8 13 
Import and export users and customers 70K+ · 4.7★ (259)
wp.org #15 2 too low 14 
Login as User: See the Site as Any User 30K+ · 4.8★ (41)
wp.org #11 ↑5 3 too high 15 
Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70)
wp.org #18 ↓1 3 too low 16 
External Links in New Window / New Tab 30K+ · 4.5★ (77)
wp.org #16 ↓3 17 
One User Avatar | User Profile Picture 100K+ · 4.7★ (41)
wp.org #14 ↓2 3 too high 18 
User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112)
wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too low 19 
ProfilePress – Paid Membership, Online Courses (LMS), Ecommerce, User Registration & Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content 100K+ · 3.1★ (938)
wp.org #21 ↓2 2 too low 20 
Activity Log – Monitor User and Agent Changes 200K+ · 4.3★ (74)
wp.org #20 21 
WPFront User Role Editor 30K+ · 4.5★ (65)
wp.org #24 ↓1 3 too low 22 
WP User Avatars 20K+ · 4.5★ (29)
wp.org #23 ↓1 1 too low 23 
Simple User Avatar 20K+ · 4.6★ (19) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too high 24 Custom New User Email Template 200+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #9 15 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.