Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “payroll”, 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

HR Management Lite shows at wp.org #4 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 200+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.5★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Dynamic Time 200+ · 4.7★ (21) wp.org #1 2 ERP: Complete HR, Accounting & CRM Suite Built for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.4★ (149) wp.org #5 ↓1 3 too low 3 OttoKit: All-in-One Automation Platform 90K+ · 4.9★ (124) wp.org #6 3 too low 4 Netcash WooCommerce Payment Gateway 300+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Clockinator Lite 80+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 3 too high 6 Gym Builder – Class Timetable & Booking for Gyms, Fitness & Yoga Studios 100+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #13 7 too low 7 Content Writer 100+ · 4.3★ (7) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 Codersly ERP 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 1 too high 9 EmpRoster — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #12 3 too low 10 R ReadyStack Payroll Tax Spreadsheet — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 2 too high 11 HR Management Lite 200+ · 3.5★ (2) wp.org #4 ↑1 7 too high 12 HR Press Lite 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 2 too high 13 Pay Check Mate 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 2 too high 14 ComptaFlow by MeeTempo – French Accounting for WordPress — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 ↓1 5 too low 15 WPChef Employee Attendance Tracker 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↑1 1 too high 16 MF StaffCore Lite: HR Management — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↓1 2 too low 17 LuviaEdu – School Management System — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↓2 2 too high 18 P PratikHesap Net Brüt Maaş Hesaplama Aracı — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too low 19 Oikko – All-in-One Team Management — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓1 2 too low 20 NotifyCrew – Team reminders for Slack — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↓1 3 too high 21 Manfi Expense Tracker — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too low 22 WebQuicky – Employee Time Clock — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 1 too low 23 HugeProfit: Inventory, Profit & Finance – CRM for WooCommerce 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↓2 7 too high 24 T Take Home Pay Calculator — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓2

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.