Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “owasp security”

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 “owasp security”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 3 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

Nexura Security — Malware Scanner, Firewall, 2FA & WordPress Security shows at wp.org #4 but places #10 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 20+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More places #3 on merit, 4.8★ from 14387 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 Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP 90K+ · 4.8★ (80) wp.org #1 2 Atomic Edge Security – Firewall, Malware Scan and Login Security 700+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #2 3 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387) wp.org #18 ↓2 15 too low 4 Frontend Reset Password 10K+ · 4.4★ (38) wp.org #11 7 too low 5 WP Anti-Clickjack 3K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #5 ↑1 6 Simple Admin Language Change 10K+ · 4.7★ (22) wp.org #22 ↓2 16 too low 7 Zen Site Security 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 4 too high 8 Anti-Hacker – Security Plugin 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 BaseCloud Security Manager 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 2 too high 10 Nexura Security — Malware Scanner, Firewall, 2FA & WordPress Security 20+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #4 6 too high 11 Teydea Login Security – Password Policy, Complexity Rules & Expiration 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 ↓1 5 too high 12 Beagle Security – WP Security, Advanced Penetration Testing 100+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #10 2 too high 13 WPLifeCycle – Free PHP Version Info & Website Manager 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 5 too high 14 SecurynAI – Security, Firewall, Malware Scan, and Vulnerability Alerts 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 5 too high 15 SMEPlan Security Shield — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 2 too high 16 ShadowScan Security Link — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too high 17 WPS Protect: Login URL & Security Headers — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↓2 18 Signclave – SSO for SAML and LDAP — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↑7 4 too high 19 ncdLabs Assure – Security & Compliance Scanner — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓2 20 CloudScale Cyber & DevTools 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 4 too high 21 TibaCheck — Site Audit — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓2 22 Jass Bots Entry Control Manager — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 1 too low 23 BANKpay+ Instant Bank Payments for WooCommerce (EUR) 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓2 3 too high 24 WebHosting4U Secure Card Gateway for ePay Paycenter (Piraeus Bank) 40+ · 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.