wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “plugin monitor”
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 monitor”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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
Traffic Monitor shows at wp.org #15 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 900+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Download Monitor 80K+ · 4.5★ (525)
wp.org #1 2 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5040)
wp.org #2 3 
Query Monitor 200K+ · 4.9★ (470)
wp.org #3 4 
Simple Download Monitor 20K+ · 4.7★ (158)
wp.org #4 5 
All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) 2M+ · 4.7★ (5231)
wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too low 6 
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7520)
wp.org #9 ↓2 3 too low 7 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ · 4.5★ (157)
wp.org #5 3 too high 9 
GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform 100K+ · 4.6★ (708)
wp.org #11 ↓2 2 too low 10 
BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin 400K+ · 4.0★ (1323)
wp.org #10 11 
WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833)
wp.org #13 2 too low 12 
Activity Log – Monitor User and Agent Changes 200K+ · 4.3★ (74)
wp.org #7 ↑5 5 too high 13 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144)
wp.org #17 4 too low 14 
GeoDirectory – WP Business Directory Plugin and Classified Listings Directory 10K+ · 4.8★ (716)
wp.org #19 ↑1 5 too low 15 
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #22 ↓2 7 too low 16 
Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (167)
wp.org #16 17 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #23 6 too low 18 E Error Log Monitor 20K+ · 4.3★ (48)
wp.org #12 6 too high 19 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #18 1 too high 20 
Melapress File Monitor 5K+ · 4.1★ (32)
wp.org #14 6 too high 21 
Outdated Plugin Notifier 400+ · 5.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↓2 22 
SEO Backlink Monitor 700+ · 4.6★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too high 23 Traffic Monitor 900+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #15 8 too high 24 
Plugin Memory Usage 600+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓1 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.