wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “post custom css”
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 “post custom css”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 3 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
Real Custom Post Order: Create a custom order for your content shows at wp.org #10 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 8K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.8★ average from 42 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager places #12 on merit, 4.7★ from 1028 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Simple Custom CSS and JS 600K+ · 4.4★ (104)
wp.org #1 2 
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440) heavy footprint
wp.org #2 ↑1 3 
Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (587)
wp.org #3 ↓1 4 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2143)
wp.org #5 ↑2 1 too low 5 
Post Types Order 600K+ · 4.5★ (296)
wp.org #4 1 too high 6 
Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418)
wp.org #6 7 
Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528)
wp.org #8 ↓3 1 too low 8 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #7 ↑1 1 too high 9 
WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1916)
wp.org #12 ↑2 3 too low 10 
ECS – Ele Custom Skin for Elementor 100K+ · 4.6★ (117)
wp.org #9 ↑10 1 too high 11 
Post Views Counter 100K+ · 4.9★ (1237)
wp.org #16 5 too low 12 Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager 100K+ · 4.7★ (1028)
wp.org #19 ↓2 7 too low 13 
CSS & JavaScript Toolbox 10K+ · 4.8★ (84)
wp.org #13 ↓2 14 
LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778)
wp.org #20 6 too low 15 
Content Blocks (Custom Post Widget) 10K+ · 4.9★ (80)
wp.org #15 ↓2 16 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #22 ↓1 6 too low 17 
Post/Page Specific Custom Code 6K+ · 4.6★ (42)
wp.org #11 ↓1 6 too high 18 Real Custom Post Order: Create a custom order for your content 8K+ · 4.8★ (42) not PHP-current
wp.org #10 ↓1 8 too high 19 
Custom Fonts – Host Your Fonts Locally 400K+ · 4.3★ (62)
wp.org #14 ↓2 5 too high 20 
Post Duplicator 200K+ · 4.8★ (80)
wp.org #21 ↓3 1 too low 21 
Ultimate Post Kit – Elementor Post Grid, Post Carousel, Post Slider & Blog Layout Widgets 30K+ · 4.8★ (58)
wp.org #23 2 too low 22 
FluentSnippets – High-Performance Code Snippets, Header & Footer Code, Custom CSS & PHP Code Manager 50K+ · 4.7★ (78)
wp.org #24 2 too low 23 
Custom Post Types and Custom Fields creator – WCK 10K+ · 4.7★ (97) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #17 ↓2 6 too high 24 
Modular Custom CSS 400+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↓2 6 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.