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← Rankings

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

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 “nocache”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 19 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Shakvaro EGF Reader Shortcode shows at wp.org #5 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its — installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Enlighter – Customizable Syntax Highlighter places #7 on merit, 4.8★ from 65 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Easy Digital Downloads – eCommerce Payments and Subscriptions made easy 40K+ · 4.7★ (591) wp.org #7 6 too low 2 Password Protected 300K+ · 4.4★ (142) wp.org #9 7 too low 3 NextMove Lite – Thank You Page for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.7★ (150) wp.org #13 10 too low 4 XML Sitemap & Google News 100K+ · 4.4★ (85) wp.org #10 6 too low 5 Simple Page Access Restriction 6K+ · 4.9★ (32) wp.org #11 6 too low 6 Instant Back/Forward 10K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 5 too high 7 Enlighter – Customizable Syntax Highlighter 10K+ · 4.8★ (65) wp.org #18 11 too low 8 Easy Optimizer – PageSpeed, Cache & Core Web Vitals (Unused CSS, Delay JS, Lazy Load) 1K+ · 4.6★ (18) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 Curlest 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #2 7 too high 10 M MW WP Form 200K+ · 4.2★ (23) wp.org #19 9 too low 11 LWS Optimize – All-in-One Speed Booster & Cache Tools 20K+ · 4.6★ (9) wp.org #15 4 too low 12 Support Genix – Helpdesk, AI Chatbot, Knowledge Base & Customer Support Ticketing System 3K+ · 4.5★ (10) wp.org #16 4 too low 13 SEO Agent — AI Alt Text & SEO Doctor 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 10 too high 14 Matterport Shortcode 3K+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #21 7 too low 15 PufferSights – AI Crawler Insights 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 11 too high 16 MembershipWorks Login Connector 800+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #8 8 too high 17 Shakvaro EGF Reader Shortcode — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 12 too high 18 BrenWP Cache — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 12 too high 19 Auto podcast import 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 Bottle 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 21 Mescio for Agents 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 CiteNexus GEO Engine AI — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↑1 1 too low 23 LH No Cache Shortcode — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↑1 1 too high 24 BilloraOne Connector — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24

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.