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

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 protected”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

Password Protected Site and Store shows at wp.org #7 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 90+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) places #9 on merit, 4.9★ from 8869 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. 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 2 PPWP – Password Protect Pages 30K+ · 4.7★ (271) wp.org #2 3 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387) wp.org #8 ↓2 4 too low 5 Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528) wp.org #12 ↓2 7 too low 6 Quiz Maker by AYS 20K+ · 4.9★ (601) wp.org #16 ↑6 10 too low 7 WPEPP – Essential Security, Password Protect & Login Page Customizer 3K+ · 4.1★ (19) wp.org #4 3 too high 8 hCaptcha for WP 70K+ · 4.6★ (88) wp.org #10 ↑2 2 too low 9 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #23 14 too low 10 Ivory Search – WordPress Search Plugin 90K+ · 4.9★ (1562) wp.org #22 ↓8 12 too low 11 Passster – Password Protect Pages and Content 10K+ · 4.2★ (60) wp.org #9 ↓1 2 too high 12 Simple Membership 40K+ · 4.6★ (475) wp.org #20 8 too low 13 PDF Ink Lite – Free PDF Watermark & Password Protection 2K+ · 4.6★ (51) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 Multiple Post Passwords 2K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #11 3 too high 15 H Hidden Password Protected Pages 600+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 12 too high 16 Protect the Children! 1K+ · 4.9★ (15) wp.org #15 ↑6 1 too high 17 Protect Uploads 30K+ · 4.8★ (12) wp.org #14 ↑1 3 too high 18 Customize Private & Protected: Password Form & Prefix 400+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #6 ↑1 12 too high 19 Fluent PDF Generator 20K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too high 20 P Password Passthrough 500+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #21 ↓4 1 too low 21 Password Protected Site and Store 90+ · 4.0★ (3) wp.org #7 ↑2 14 too high 22 PDF Password Protect 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↑1 9 too high 23 Password Protect – Temporary Login Without Password & Password Protect Entire Site 100+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #24 ↓4 1 too low 24 WPC Advanced Password Protect for WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↓2 5 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.