wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “nice”
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 “nice”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 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
Cyr to Lat Reloaded – Transliteration of Links and File Names shows at wp.org #11 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 30K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.5★ average from 15 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Popup Maker – Boost Sales, Conversions, Optins, Subscribers with the Ultimate WP Popup Builder places #11 on merit, 4.9★ from 4514 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962)
wp.org #2 1 too low 2 
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051)
wp.org #3 1 too low 3 
Manage Notification E-mails 100K+ · 4.8★ (56)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
Cyrlitera – Transliteration of Links and File Names 40K+ · 4.6★ (62)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
Nice page transition 500+ · 4.2★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #1 4 too high 6 
WP Dashboard Notes 20K+ · 4.6★ (110)
wp.org #7 ↑2 1 too low 7 
Ultimate Blocks – 25+ Gutenberg Blocks for Block Editor 50K+ · 4.9★ (729) not PHP-current
wp.org #9 ↑1 2 too low 8 
MouseWheel Smooth Scroll 90K+ · 4.5★ (44)
wp.org #6 ↑1 2 too high 9 
Simple Download Monitor 20K+ · 4.7★ (158)
wp.org #10 ↓4 1 too low 10 
Redirection for Contact Form 7 200K+ · 4.7★ (275) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #8 2 too high 11 Popup Maker – Boost Sales, Conversions, Optins, Subscribers with the Ultimate WP Popup Builder 600K+ · 4.9★ (4514)
wp.org #21 ↓2 10 too low 12 
Animate It! 20K+ · 4.9★ (127)
wp.org #14 2 too low 13 
Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1525)
wp.org #24 11 too low 14 
List category posts 80K+ · 4.7★ (254)
wp.org #19 ↑3 5 too low 15 
WP-Polls 40K+ · 4.2★ (136)
wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too low 16 
WP Responsive Menu 30K+ · 4.3★ (100)
wp.org #17 1 too low 17 
BEAR – Bulk Editor for WooCommerce Professional. AI assistant on board (MCP Server) 30K+ · 4.7★ (228) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #15 ↑6 2 too high 18 
Simple Author Box 90K+ · 4.3★ (115) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #13 ↓1 5 too high 19 Cyr to Lat Reloaded – Transliteration of Links and File Names 30K+ · 4.5★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #11 8 too high 20 
Organization chart 5K+ · 5.0★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #12 ↑1 8 too high 21 
YITH WooCommerce Wishlist 400K+ · 3.9★ (262) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #18 3 too high 22 
Include Mastodon Feed 800+ · 5.0★ (16) thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↑3 2 too high 23 
Image Picker For Gravity Forms 1K+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #23 24 C Cornerstone 20K+ · 4.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↑2 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.