wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “post format”
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 format”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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
Duplicate Post – duplicate pages, copy content, clone posts shows at wp.org #8 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 5K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.7★ average from 7 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Post Types Order 600K+ · 4.5★ (296)
wp.org #1 2 
Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528)
wp.org #2 3 
Post Views Counter 100K+ · 4.9★ (1237)
wp.org #4 ↑3 1 too low 4 
Post Duplicator 200K+ · 4.8★ (80)
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 
The Post Grid – Shortcode, Gutenberg Blocks and Elementor Addon for Post Grid 100K+ · 4.8★ (265)
wp.org #7 ↓1 2 too low 6 
Ultimate Post Kit – Elementor Post Grid, Post Carousel, Post Slider & Blog Layout Widgets 30K+ · 4.8★ (58)
wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too high 7 
Smart Post – Post Grid, Post Carousel, Post Slider Gutenberg Blocks for Blog & News 20K+ · 4.7★ (210) heavy footprint
wp.org #9 ↓1 2 too low 8 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #10 ↓1 2 too low 9 
AnWP Post Grid and Post Carousel Slider for Elementor 20K+ · 4.9★ (84)
wp.org #12 ↓1 3 too low 10 
Custom Post Type Permalinks 200K+ · 4.8★ (71)
wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too low 11 
Post Grid 30K+ · 4.3★ (163)
wp.org #13 ↓1 2 too low 12 
Modern Image Formats 100K+ · 3.6★ (26)
wp.org #6 ↓1 6 too high 13 
Post Grid Addon for Elementor 10K+ · 4.9★ (76)
wp.org #18 5 too low 14 
Content Views – Post Grid & Filter (Shortcode, Blocks, Elementor Widgets) 100K+ · 4.8★ (333) heavy footprint
wp.org #22 ↓2 8 too low 15 
W4 Post List 3K+ · 4.7★ (94)
wp.org #20 ↓1 5 too low 16 
Archive Content with Archived Post Status 5K+ · 4.9★ (36)
wp.org #21 5 too low 17 
SEO Media Manager 5K+ · 4.8★ (18) thin reviews
wp.org #15 2 too high 18 Duplicate Post – duplicate pages, copy content, clone posts 5K+ · 4.7★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #8 ↑14 10 too high 19 
MB Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies 10K+ · 4.7★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #17 2 too high 20 
Better Post & Filter Widgets for Elementor 4K+ · 5.0★ (18) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #16 4 too high 21 
Advanced Post Block – Display Your Posts Exactly How You Want 10K+ · 4.2★ (17) not PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #14 ↓1 7 too high 22 
Post Types Unlimited 10K+ · 5.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↓2 1 too low 23 
VK Post Author Display 10K+ · 4.5★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24 
Bulk Convert Post Format 70+ · 4.4★ (8) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↓5 5 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.