wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “plugin deactivation”
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 “plugin deactivation”, 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
Fatal Plugin Auto Deactivator – Never let a plugin break your site shows at wp.org #10 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 100+ 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
Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed – Easy Social Feeds Plugin places #6 on merit, 4.9★ from 4358 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8709)
wp.org #1 2 
BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin 400K+ · 4.0★ (1323)
wp.org #2 3 
Plugin Organizer 10K+ · 4.7★ (227)
wp.org #3 4 
Payment Plugins for PayPal WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.8★ (127)
wp.org #4 ↑3 5 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144)
wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too low 6 Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed – Easy Social Feeds Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4358)
wp.org #11 ↓3 5 too low 7 
Freesoul Deactivate Plugins – Disable plugins on individual WordPress pages 8K+ · 4.8★ (104)
wp.org #7 ↓1 8 
Sitemap by BestWebSoft – WordPress XML Site Map Page Generator Plugin 20K+ · 4.3★ (115)
wp.org #8 ↑2 9 
HivePress – Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads Plugin 10K+ · 4.9★ (222)
wp.org #12 3 too low 10 
Plugins Garbage Collector (Database Cleanup) 10K+ · 4.4★ (92)
wp.org #9 1 too high 11 
WP Plugin Manager – Deactivate plugins per page 3K+ · 4.4★ (23) thin reviews
wp.org #5 ↓1 6 too high 12 
MailPoet – Newsletters, Email Marketing, and Automation 500K+ · 4.4★ (1435)
wp.org #15 ↑2 3 too low 13 
FooGallery Photo Gallery : Image, Video & Masonry Galleries 100K+ · 4.8★ (995)
wp.org #20 ↓4 7 too low 14 
Contact Form by BestWebSoft – Advanced WP Contact Form Builder for WordPress 30K+ · 4.0★ (292)
wp.org #13 ↑1 1 too high 15 
MalCare WordPress Security Plugin – Malware Scanner, Cleaner, Security Firewall 100K+ · 4.4★ (559)
wp.org #19 4 too low 16 
Gallery by BestWebSoft – Customizable Image and Photo Galleries for WordPress 10K+ · 4.0★ (158)
wp.org #16 ↓1 17 
Five Star Restaurant Reservations – WordPress Booking Plugin 10K+ · 4.7★ (211)
wp.org #23 6 too low 18 
Feeds for YouTube (YouTube video, channel, and gallery plugin) 100K+ · 4.8★ (205)
wp.org #24 6 too low 19 
ThinkRank SEO – AI SEO Plugin for SEO & Google Search Console 20K+ · 4.9★ (36)
wp.org #17 2 too high 20 P Plugin Logic 90+ · 4.7★ (27)
wp.org #14 ↓1 6 too high 21 
WPMasterToolKit (WPMTK) – All in one plugin 5K+ · 5.0★ (28)
wp.org #18 3 too high 22 
Custom Search by BestWebSoft – WordPress Custom Search Plugin 900+ · 3.9★ (29)
wp.org #21 ↓2 1 too high 23 Fatal Plugin Auto Deactivator – Never let a plugin break your site 100+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #10 ↑1 13 too high 24 
MLSImport: IDX Plugin & MLS Plugin for Real Estate Listings 5K+ · 4.2★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #22 2 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.