wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “phone widget”
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 “phone widget”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 4 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
Lead Generation Contact Widget & AI Chatbot: Chat Button, Phone Call, Telegram, Email – SiteLeads shows at wp.org #10 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 10K+ 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
Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 3221 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051)
wp.org #1 2 
Widget Options – Advanced Conditional Visibility for Gutenberg Blocks & Classic Widgets 100K+ · 4.9★ (1516)
wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too low 3 
Rich Showcase for Google Reviews 100K+ · 4.9★ (1623)
wp.org #4 ↑2 1 too low 4 
Widgets for Social Photo Feed 10K+ · 4.7★ (28)
wp.org #2 ↑1 2 too high 5 
Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty 300K+ · 5.0★ (1244)
wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too low 6 
Email Encoder – Protect Email Addresses and Phone Numbers 90K+ · 4.9★ (94)
wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too high 7 
WPZOOM Connect: Social Icons Widget & Block, Share Buttons & Click to Chat 90K+ · 4.9★ (144)
wp.org #7 ↑7 8 
Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962)
wp.org #12 ↓1 4 too low 9 Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ · 4.8★ (3221)
wp.org #15 6 too low 10 
Sticky Chat Widget – Floating Chat Icons, Contact Form, Call, Click to Chat, Email & Message Buttons 10K+ · 5.0★ (39)
wp.org #8 ↓1 2 too high 11 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144)
wp.org #16 ↑2 5 too low 12 
Buttonizer – Social Media Share Buttons, Social Icons, & Social Feeds 40K+ · 4.8★ (396) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too high 13 
Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor 600K+ · 4.8★ (612)
wp.org #18 ↓2 5 too low 14 
Chatway Live Chat – AI Chatbot, Customer Support, FAQ & Helpdesk Customer Service & Chat Buttons 30K+ · 5.0★ (775)
wp.org #24 ↓1 10 too low 15 
Social Slider Feed – Social Media Feed & Gallery Widgets 10K+ · 3.9★ (127)
wp.org #13 ↓1 2 too high 16 
Bazz CallBack widget 3K+ · 4.3★ (33)
wp.org #9 ↓1 7 too high 17 
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551) not PHP-current
wp.org #17 ↓4 18 
Simple Business Directory – AI Powered 300+ · 4.9★ (62)
wp.org #19 1 too low 19 
Reviews Widgets for Google & 45+ platforms by Repuso 1K+ · 4.8★ (25)
wp.org #14 ↑3 5 too high 20 
WP Social Ninja – Embed Social Feeds, User Reviews & Chat Widgets 30K+ · 4.8★ (71)
wp.org #22 2 too low 21 
Contact Form Widget – Responsive Contact Form, Query Form & Form Builder 1K+ · 5.0★ (10) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #20 1 too high 22 Lead Generation Contact Widget & AI Chatbot: Chat Button, Phone Call, Telegram, Email – SiteLeads 10K+ · 5.0★ (2) not PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #10 ↓1 12 too high 23 
Store Locator Widget 300+ · 3.7★ (3) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↓1 24 
Footer Widget Bundle 100+ · 5.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #21 3 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.