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

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 “planets”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20.

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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Gelato Integration for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #5 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 5K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.3★ average from 12 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End places #3 on merit, 4.8★ from 913 reviews, but shows at wp.org #8. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Parsi Date | بسته فارسی ساز وردپرس و ووکامرس پارسی دیت 100K+ · 4.6★ (130) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 Under Construction 600K+ · 4.8★ (1285) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End 10K+ · 4.8★ (913) wp.org #8 5 too low 4 F FeedWordPress 8K+ · 4.2★ (61) wp.org #4 5 Theme Switcha – Easily Switch Themes for Development and Testing 7K+ · 4.4★ (63) wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too low 6 ThumbPress – Compress Images, Manage Thumbnails, Detect Image Issues, WebP/AVIF, Lazy Loading, Hotlinking & More 20K+ · 3.7★ (117) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Planet Pay payments 100+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #3 4 too high 8 iPanorama 360 – Advanced Virtual Tour Builder 4K+ · 4.5★ (31) wp.org #9 1 too low 9 Smart Search & Product Filter for WooCommerce – Searchanise 900+ · 4.4★ (43) wp.org #11 2 too low 10 Contact Form X 300+ · 5.0★ (32) wp.org #14 4 too low 11 Gelato Integration for WooCommerce 5K+ · 3.3★ (12) wp.org #5 ↑1 6 too high 12 Awesome Support – WordPress HelpDesk & Support Plugin 6K+ · 3.5★ (194) wp.org #17 ↓1 5 too low 13 Admiral Adblock Analytics 300+ · 3.5★ (12) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 DWL Preloader 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #12 ↑1 2 too high 15 AI powered Toolbar for writing and translating 30+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #15 16 CopySafe Video Protection – Copy Protect Video 100+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #19 3 too low 17 Spreadconnect 600+ · 2.8★ (9) wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too low 18 PlanetStudio Payment Gateway 80+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↓1 5 too high 19 Planet Pop — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Footprint – Find what slows your site 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 ↑2 4 too high 21 VedicAstroAPI 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 22 Planet Social Redirector — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 AstroWay – Astrology, Birth Chart & Horoscope Widgets 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 24 Carbonfooter 20+ · 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.