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

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 “opensource”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 5 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 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

Auto Scrolling Testimonials shows at wp.org #10 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

WP Maps – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, Store Locator with Search, Filters & Listings places #5 on merit, 4.3★ from 122 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 NotificationX – FOMO, Live Sales Notification, WooCommerce Sales Popup, GDPR, Social Proof, Announcement Banner & Floating Notification Bar 30K+ · 4.8★ (228) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 B BuddyPress Xprofile Custom Field Types 3K+ · 4.9★ (16) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 BackUpWordPress 80K+ · 4.7★ (1373) wp.org #7 ↓1 4 too low 4 AntiSpam for Contact Form 7 10K+ · 4.2★ (13) wp.org #3 ↑1 1 too high 5 WP Maps – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, Store Locator with Search, Filters & Listings 60K+ · 4.3★ (122) wp.org #22 ↓1 17 too low 6 Show Post In lightbox 40+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #5 1 too high 7 FeedFocal 2K+ · 4.0★ (3) wp.org #4 ↓1 3 too high 8 Responsive Logo Slideshow 60+ · 2.9★ (7) wp.org #6 ↑2 2 too high 9 Bucky SEO Tools 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 ↓1 11 too low 10 MyClub Groups 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 Open Source Media Connect — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 12 Gellum Business Hours for WooCommerce 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 13 LinkRevive AI – Broken Link Checker & Fixer — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 14 OST 3D Image Tag Cloud 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 15 MyClub Booking — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↓2 16 Latest Posts by Author with content 30+ · 3.5★ (2) wp.org #8 ↓1 8 too high 17 MyClub Sections — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too high 18 Aivie for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↓1 1 too high 19 OST Read Aloud — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 1 too high 20 OST Editorial Workflow — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓2 1 too high 21 Category Maps — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓1 22 Auto Scrolling Testimonials 10+ · 3.0★ (3) wp.org #10 12 too high 23 UrubutoPay — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 24 UrubutoPay For Woocommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1

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.