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← Rankings

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

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 “orphans”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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

Cleanup Orphan Images shows at wp.org #3 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Advanced Database Cleaner – Optimize & Clean Database to Speed Up Site Performance places #3 on merit, 4.9★ from 1962 reviews, but shows at wp.org #9. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Orphans 50K+ · 5.0★ (164) wp.org #1 2 WP Bulk Delete 90K+ · 4.6★ (131) wp.org #2 3 Advanced Database Cleaner – Optimize & Clean Database to Speed Up Site Performance 100K+ · 4.9★ (1962) wp.org #9 ↓3 6 too low 4 Shortcodes Finder 4K+ · 4.9★ (53) wp.org #4 5 Link Whisper Free 30K+ · 4.2★ (150) wp.org #5 6 Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions 60K+ · 4.7★ (181) wp.org #11 5 too low 7 Autoremove Attachments 3K+ · 5.0★ (15) wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too high 8 LWS Cleaner 20K+ · 4.8★ (16) wp.org #7 ↑1 1 too high 9 E Easy WP Cleaner 2K+ · 5.0★ (41) wp.org #16 7 too low 10 LinkBoss – Semantic AI Internal Linking 2K+ · 4.8★ (17) wp.org #12 2 too low 11 Cleanup Orphan Images 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 8 too high 12 MxChat – AI Chatbot & Content Generation for WordPress 2K+ · 5.0★ (31) wp.org #18 ↑2 6 too low 13 SweepPress: Website Cleanup and Optimization 500+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #8 ↑1 5 too high 14 WP Cron Cleaner 400+ · 3.4★ (12) wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too low 15 Link Manager – Analyze, Automate, and Monitor Links 1K+ · 4.4★ (10) wp.org #21 ↑1 6 too low 16 WP-Orphanage Extended 100+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #22 ↓1 6 too low 17 DevDome Media Cleaner: Remove Unused Images & Media Library Cleanup 400+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 ↑1 3 too high 18 BKoding – Orphan Page Finder 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 8 too high 19 Relinka – Internal Linking & Orphan Page Finder 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 6 too high 20 Gerdoo Orphan Media Cleaner 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too high 21 Thumbnail Manager 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too high 22 Intouch Orphan Table Cleaner 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 5 too high 23 DominoPost – Advanced Post Editor with AI Writer, Link Building Suite, Free Google Search Console & GA4 Analytics 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Interlink – Internal Links Manager, Orphan Page Finder & SEO Link Suggestions 40+ · 3.0★ (1) wp.org #23 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.