wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “open table shortcode”

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 “open table shortcode”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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

Pricing Table – Responsive & Easy shows at wp.org #10 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 3K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.2★ average from 26 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Shortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements places #6 on merit, 4.9★ from 5925 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Table of Contents Plus – Automatic Table of Contents for Posts & Pages 200K+ · 4.5★ (187) wp.org #1 2

WP Table Builder – Drag & Drop Table Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (681) wp.org #2 3

Easy Table of Contents 600K+ · 4.4★ (221) wp.org #3 4

wpDataTables – WordPress Data Table, Dynamic Tables & Table Charts Plugin 60K+ · 4.5★ (449) wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too low 5

Social Preview and Open Graph Tags 50K+ · 4.6★ (122) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too high 6

Shortcodes Ultimate – Content Elements 400K+ · 4.9★ (5925) wp.org #11 ↓5 5 too low 7

Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70) wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too high 8

Product Table & List Builder for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.9★ (254) wp.org #9 ↑1 1 too low 9

Pricing Table by Supsystic – Responsive Pricing Plans & Comparison Tables 10K+ · 4.1★ (288) wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too high 10

Ninja Tables – Easy Data Table Builder 70K+ · 4.6★ (472) wp.org #12 ↓4 2 too low 11

We’re Open! 5K+ · 5.0★ (45) wp.org #7 ↑6 4 too high 12

Data Tables Generator by Supsystic – Excel-like, WooCommerce & Pricing Tables 10K+ · 4.7★ (497) wp.org #15 3 too low 13

All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) 2M+ · 4.7★ (5231) wp.org #16 ↓2 3 too low 14

Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #17 ↓1 3 too low 15

WP Data Access – App Builder for Tables, Forms, Dashboards, Charts & Maps 10K+ · 4.9★ (88) wp.org #13 ↑4 2 too high 16

Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #19 ↑1 3 too low 17

Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) wp.org #18 1 too low 18

Relevanssi – A Better Search 100K+ · 4.8★ (406) wp.org #24 6 too low 19

Pricing Table – Responsive & Easy 3K+ · 4.2★ (26) wp.org #10 ↑1 9 too high 20

Snippet Shortcodes 3K+ · 4.7★ (25) wp.org #14 ↓2 6 too high 21

SureRank SEO – Meta Tags, Social Preview, XML Sitemap, Schema & Open Graph 300K+ · 4.8★ (51) wp.org #20 ↓2 1 too high 22

Open Accessibility 50+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #21 ↓2 1 too high 23

Affiliate Amazon Shortcode 300+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too high 24

Responsive Table for Elementor 200+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #23 ↓1 1 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.