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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “posts listing”

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 “posts listing”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 4 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

Hide Posts shows at wp.org #11 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 20K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.7★ average from 22 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

TablePress – Tables in WordPress made easy places #8 on merit, 5.0★ from 4625 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Classified Listing – AI-Powered Classified ads & Business Directory 9K+ · 4.8★ (138) wp.org #1 2 GeoDirectory – WP Business Directory Plugin and Classified Listings Directory 10K+ · 4.8★ (716) wp.org #2 3 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) wp.org #3 4 List category posts 80K+ · 4.7★ (254) wp.org #4 5 Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680) wp.org #5 ↑1 6 Business Directory Plugin – Easy Listing & Member Directories for WordPress 10K+ · 4.6★ (504) wp.org #6 ↓1 7 Directorist: AI-Powered Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads 20K+ · 4.6★ (698) wp.org #7 8 TablePress – Tables in WordPress made easy 600K+ · 5.0★ (4625) wp.org #13 5 too low 9 HivePress – Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads Plugin 10K+ · 4.9★ (222) wp.org #10 ↓2 1 too low 10 Delete Duplicate Posts 10K+ · 4.8★ (153) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 Table of Contents Plus – Automatic Table of Contents for Posts & Pages 200K+ · 4.5★ (187) wp.org #8 ↑3 3 too high 12 HireZoot – Job Listings, Career Page & Recruitment Tool 30K+ · 4.8★ (194) wp.org #16 4 too low 13 Filter Everything — WordPress & WooCommerce Filters 50K+ · 4.6★ (154) wp.org #15 2 too low 14 Easy Property Listings 5K+ · 4.7★ (112) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 The Plus Addons for Elementor – Mega Menu, Header Footer, Post Grid, AI Widgets & Templates 100K+ · 4.6★ (388) wp.org #21 6 too low 16 Category AJAX Filter – Posts, Custom Post Types & Product Filter 6K+ · 4.9★ (158) wp.org #19 3 too low 17 Hide Posts 20K+ · 4.7★ (22) wp.org #11 ↓1 6 too high 18 Post Duplicator 200K+ · 4.8★ (80) wp.org #18 19 Tabbed Category Product Listing for Woocommerce 1K+ · 4.9★ (28) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 WP Maps – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, Store Locator with Search, Filters & Listings 60K+ · 4.3★ (122) wp.org #17 3 too high 21 Motors – Car Dealership & Classified Listings Plugin 9K+ · 4.5★ (79) wp.org #20 1 too high 22 Auto Listings – Car Listings & Car Dealership Plugin for WordPress 2K+ · 4.3★ (31) wp.org #24 ↓1 2 too low 23 Post Type Transfer 2K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #22 1 too high 24 Advanced Post Manager 4K+ · 3.5★ (11) 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.