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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “postage”

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 “postage”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 5 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

ChitChats Shipping for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #11 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 200+ 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 ELEX WooCommerce USPS Shipping Method 800+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #1 2 ELEX WooCommerce DHL Express Shipping Method 200+ · 4.5★ (10) wp.org #2 3 Express, Certified Post, Bike Delivery and Iranian Postal Companies for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.1★ (16) wp.org #3 ↑2 4 Australia Post WooCommerce Extension 3K+ · 4.4★ (19) wp.org #4 ↓1 5 Quick PayPal Payments: Payment Button & Form 1K+ · 4.4★ (32) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 ELEX WooCommerce Australia Post Shipping 200+ · 4.1★ (13) wp.org #8 2 too low 7 ووسلام – همگام سازی ووکامرس و باسلام 6K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too high 8 Multi-Carrier Shippo Shipping Rates & Address Validation for WooCommerce 3K+ · 3.8★ (11) wp.org #9 1 too low 9 ShipStation Live Rates for WooCommerce 800+ · 3.6★ (11) wp.org #15 6 too low 10 Shipping Rates for HK Post 60+ · 4.5★ (4) wp.org #13 ↓1 3 too low 11 ELEX ShipEngine UPS & FedEx Shipping Method 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 5 too high 12 Export Orders for WooCommerce – AI & MCP for Claude and ChatGPT 500+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #10 2 too high 13 Demfilz Shipping Rates for Australia Post 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↑1 1 too high 14 Shipvista Live Shipping Rates 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #21 ↓2 7 too low 15 PDF Invoice Document Manager for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 9 too low 16 Minimum Order Amount for WooCommerce 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↓1 1 too low 17 PostAge Tracker — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 KeenToDesign Shipping with Australia Post for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓2 1 too low 19 DawsonyWeb Label and Document Designer for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Saudi Address Pro 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #16 4 too high 21 ChitChats Shipping for WooCommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 10 too high 22 BazaarKit – Multivendor Shipping for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓1 23 Multi-Carrier EasyPost Shipping Methods & Address Validation for WooCommerce 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 9 too high 24 Multi-Carrier ShipEngine Shipping Rates & Address Validation for WooCommerce 20+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #23 ↓1 1 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.