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

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 “nonprofits”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

GoFundMe Pro | Nonprofit Donation Forms shows at wp.org #9 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 400+ 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

Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution places #11 on merit, 4.4★ from 590 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 Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962) wp.org #1 2 Translate WordPress – Google Language Translator 100K+ · 4.7★ (620) wp.org #3 ↑2 1 too low 3 Charitable – Donation & Fundraising Platform (Donation Forms, Recurring Donations & Fundraising Campaigns) 10K+ · 4.9★ (219) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder 500K+ · 4.4★ (1397) wp.org #4 5 Starter Templates: AI-Powered Website Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg 1M+ · 4.9★ (4755) wp.org #6 ↑2 1 too low 6 GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform 100K+ · 4.6★ (708) wp.org #5 ↓2 1 too high 7 Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551) wp.org #8 ↓2 1 too low 8 Donorbox – Free Recurring Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform 8K+ · 4.8★ (34) wp.org #7 ↑13 1 too high 9 Cool Timeline (Horizontal & Vertical Timeline) 20K+ · 4.7★ (333) wp.org #15 ↓2 6 too low 10 Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (167) wp.org #14 ↑7 4 too low 11 Tutor LMS – eLearning and online course solution 100K+ · 4.4★ (590) wp.org #18 ↓7 7 too low 12 CartFlows – Funnel Builder & Checkout Plugin for WooCommerce 200K+ · 4.8★ (517) wp.org #19 ↑4 7 too low 13 Wired Impact Volunteer Management 1K+ · 4.8★ (24) wp.org #12 ↓2 1 too high 14 Team – Team Members Showcase Plugin 10K+ · 4.5★ (67) wp.org #24 10 too low 15 WP eCards – Branded Digital Greeting Cards 300+ · 4.4★ (26) wp.org #22 ↓3 7 too low 16 Sign-up Sheets 1K+ · 4.8★ (16) wp.org #21 ↓3 5 too low 17 Timeline Module for Divi 3K+ · 4.8★ (9) wp.org #17 ↓1 18 Online Forms — Customizable Payment, Contact, Quiz, Survey Form Builder – Jotform 20K+ · 3.2★ (29) wp.org #23 ↓1 5 too low 19 Zeffy Donate Button 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #11 ↓2 8 too high 20 Disable User Login 6K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #20 ↓5 21 Nonprofit Board Management 100+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #10 ↑2 11 too high 22 WBD Logo Carousel For Gutenberg 600+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 ↓2 6 too high 23 GoFundMe Pro | Nonprofit Donation Forms 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↓2 14 too high 24 SureDonation – Donation Forms, Fundraising Campaigns & Donor Management 4K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 11 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.