Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “postcode check”

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 “postcode check”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 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

Postcode.eu Address Validation shows at wp.org #2 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 14 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.

Buried gem

Flexible Checkout Fields for WooCommerce – WooCommerce Checkout Manager places #8 on merit, 4.7★ from 296 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312) wp.org #4 3 too low 2 WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) wp.org #5 3 too low 3 Checkout Field Editor (Checkout Manager) for WooCommerce 400K+ · 4.9★ (1056) wp.org #8 5 too low 4 UK Address Postcode Validation 700+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #1 3 too high 5 Shipping Simulator for WooCommerce 6K+ · 5.0★ (40) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Product page shipping calculator for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.9★ (77) wp.org #11 ↓1 5 too low 7 Campos Checkout Brasileiro para WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.9★ (45) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 Flexible Checkout Fields for WooCommerce – WooCommerce Checkout Manager 80K+ · 4.7★ (296) wp.org #17 ↑1 9 too low 9 Weight Based Shipping for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.6★ (83) wp.org #14 5 too low 10 Kybernaut IČO DIČ 2K+ · 5.0★ (38) wp.org #12 ↓1 2 too low 11 Check Pincode For WooCommerce 300+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #3 8 too high 12 Smart COD for WooCommerce 30K+ · 4.6★ (52) wp.org #15 ↑1 3 too low 13 Shipping Zones by Drawing for WooCommerce 500+ · 4.1★ (24) wp.org #10 ↑2 3 too high 14 WSB HUB3 1K+ · 5.0★ (20) wp.org #18 ↑1 4 too low 15 PiWeb Disable payment method / Partial payment for WooCommerce 4K+ · 5.0★ (38) wp.org #24 9 too low 16 Postcode.eu Address Validation 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 14 too high 17 iNext Woo Pincode Checker 600+ · 4.2★ (13) wp.org #16 ↑1 1 too high 18 NIF (Num. de Contribuinte Português) for WooCommerce 5K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #20 2 too low 19 WC – APG Free Shipping 1K+ · 4.6★ (11) wp.org #22 3 too low 20 Rsilitech Postcode Availability 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 13 too high 21 Portugal CTT Tracking for WooCommerce 500+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #19 ↑2 2 too high 22 Fetchify 600+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #21 ↑1 1 too high 23 Postcode Checkout – Address Validation | WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 ↑2 10 too high 24 Payment Gateways by Customer Location for WooCommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 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.