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

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 “password”, 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

Teydea Login Security – Password Policy, Complexity Rules & Expiration shows at wp.org #12 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 10 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

Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 397 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 Password Protected 300K+ · 4.4★ (142) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 Temporary Login Without Password 90K+ · 5.0★ (1549) wp.org #3 ↑2 4 PPWP – Password Protect Pages 30K+ · 4.7★ (271) wp.org #4 5 Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992) wp.org #5 ↓2 6 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #18 12 too low 7 Frontend Reset Password 10K+ · 4.4★ (38) wp.org #10 ↓1 3 too low 8 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #22 ↓1 14 too low 9 Passster – Password Protect Pages and Content 10K+ · 4.2★ (60) wp.org #7 ↓1 2 too high 10 Password Policy Manager 6K+ · 4.4★ (14) wp.org #6 ↑1 4 too high 11 WPEPP – Essential Security, Password Protect & Login Page Customizer 3K+ · 4.1★ (19) wp.org #9 ↑1 2 too high 12 PDF Ink Lite – Free PDF Watermark & Password Protection 2K+ · 4.6★ (51) wp.org #19 7 too low 13 U Use Administrator Password 800+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #11 2 too high 14 Disable Application Passwords 3K+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #17 3 too low 15 A Add Password Field for Contact Form 7 3K+ · 4.6★ (5) wp.org #8 7 too high 16 MASS Users Password Reset 600+ · 4.0★ (14) wp.org #15 ↓2 1 too high 17 Disable User Password Reset Admin Notifications 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #16 1 too high 18 Expire User Passwords 3K+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #20 2 too low 19 Teydea Password Reset – Force Password Reset & Expiration 500+ · 4.3★ (3) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 H Hidden Password Protected Pages 600+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 ↑1 1 too low 21 Disable Password Changed Admin Email 300+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 ↓1 3 too low 22 Teydea Login Security – Password Policy, Complexity Rules & Expiration 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 10 too high 23 Simple Password Protect 500+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 10 too high 24 PDF Password Protect 200+ · 5.0★ (1) 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.