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

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 “nggallery”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 8 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

Tags for Media Library shows at wp.org #7 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 10+ 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.

merit plugin signals wp.org

WP GPX Maps 4K+ · 4.1★ (59) not PHP-current wp.org #4 3 too low 2 N NextGEN Gallery Image Chooser 200+ · 4.7★ (3) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews wp.org #1 1 too high 3

NextGEN Download Gallery 2K+ · 5.0★ (11) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #5 2 too low 4 N NextGEN Custom Fields 1K+ · 5.0★ (8) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #6 2 too low 5

oik-nivo-slider 100+ · 2.4★ (5) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #2 3 too high 6 R Responsive NextGEN Flex Slider Template 200+ · 4.1★ (10) not PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #9 3 too low 7 J JPrompt Description Editor with TinyMCE for NextGEN Gallery 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #3 4 too high 8 P Photoswipe for NextGEN Gallery 300+ · 4.5★ (11) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #12 4 too low 9

Great Real Estate: WordPress Real Estate and Property Management Plugin 20+ · 5.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #18 19 N NextGEN Gallery Date 20+ · 5.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #20 1 too low 20 N NGG Image Rotation 10+ · 2.0★ (2) not PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #16 4 too high 21 N NextGEN Gallery Comments 60+ · 1.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #19 2 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.