Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “postman”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20. 2 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

API Press – External API data, Connect API, Import API shows at wp.org #10 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 30+ 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

OoohBoi Steroids for Elementor places #6 on merit, 4.8★ from 118 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Simply Static – The Static Site Generator 30K+ · 4.5★ (195) wp.org #1 2 WP SMTP Mailer – SMTP7 8K+ · 5.0★ (115) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 WP OAuth Server ( Login with WordPress ) 1K+ · 4.9★ (41) wp.org #3 4 Kargo Takip, WooCommerce & Dokan Kargo Takip, SMS ve E-posta 2K+ · 4.9★ (39) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 O One Time Login 40K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #2 3 too high 6 OoohBoi Steroids for Elementor 40K+ · 4.8★ (118) wp.org #20 ↑1 14 too low 7 CoCart – Headless REST API for WooCommerce 900+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #7 8 Enwikuna License Manager for WooCommerce 20+ · 5.0★ (21) wp.org #13 5 too low 9 HuxxConnect – REST API Connector for WordPress 20+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #8 ↑2 1 too high 10 OrganicStack Publisher 70+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 M MksDdn Collection for Postman 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 5 too high 12 Query All The Post Types 30+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #15 3 too low 13 Simple JWT Auth – JWT Authentication for WP REST API — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 1 too low 14 Advanced REST API DevTools 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 ↑1 3 too high 15 Linkjet 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 ↑4 3 too high 16 Restico API Explorer — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↑1 17 GlotCore REST API — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↑1 18 TypeForge CPT and Meta Builder — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↑1 19 RealTrace AI – Real Human and AI Traffic Counter — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↑1 20 API Press – External API data, Connect API, Import API 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↓2 10 too high 21 Routemark — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 22 M MksDdn Reddy Auth — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 WordsPost Content Publisher — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 API Grid Viewer 10+ · 0.0★ (0) 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.