wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “plugin group”
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 group”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 8 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
Button Group shows at wp.org #16 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More places #11 on merit, 4.8★ from 14387 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #3 ↑3 2 too low 2 
Plugin Groups 1K+ · 4.3★ (31) not PHP-current
wp.org #1 1 too high 3 
Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin 200K+ · 4.4★ (1445)
wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too low 4 
All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) 2M+ · 4.7★ (5231) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
Hyperlink Group Block 7K+ · 4.3★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #2 ↑1 3 too high 6 
Groups – Memberships and Access Control 10K+ · 4.8★ (382)
wp.org #10 ↑1 4 too low 7 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2143)
wp.org #11 ↓1 4 too low 8 
Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots 10K+ · 4.8★ (142)
wp.org #8 ↓1 9 
GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform 100K+ · 4.6★ (708) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #6 ↓2 3 too high 10 
Plugin Organizer 10K+ · 4.7★ (227) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #7 ↑1 3 too high 11 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #17 ↓2 6 too low 12 
GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155)
wp.org #9 3 too high 13 
BuddyPress 90K+ · 4.1★ (375)
wp.org #13 14 
ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities 5K+ · 4.6★ (236) not PHP-current
wp.org #12 2 too high 15 
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7520)
wp.org #21 ↓1 6 too low 16 
WP Rollback – Rollback Plugins and Themes 200K+ · 4.9★ (215)
wp.org #22 ↓3 6 too low 17 
CartFlows – Funnel Builder & Checkout Plugin for WooCommerce 200K+ · 4.8★ (517) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #18 ↑4 1 too low 18 P Private groups 1K+ · 4.9★ (49) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #14 4 too high 19 
Team – Team Members Showcase Plugin 10K+ · 4.5★ (67)
wp.org #24 5 too low 20 
Plugin Detective – Troubleshooting Conflicts 5K+ · 4.0★ (49) not PHP-current
wp.org #15 ↑1 5 too high 21 
WP Maps – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, Store Locator with Search, Filters & Listings 60K+ · 4.3★ (122) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #23 ↑1 2 too low 22 
WUPO Group Attributes for WooCommerce 400+ · 3.6★ (14) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↓1 3 too high 23 Button Group 100+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #16 ↑1 7 too high 24 
FOXPOST – Packeta Group 400+ · 5.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↑1 4 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.