Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “press releases”

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 “press releases”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 #11 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 40+ 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

Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal places #6 on merit, 4.8★ from 397 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Press This 5K+ · 3.7★ (25) wp.org #1 2 WP-ShowHide 9K+ · 4.2★ (43) wp.org #2 3 Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491) wp.org #9 ↓1 6 too low 4 EmbedPress 100K+ · 4.8★ (307) wp.org #14 ↑4 10 too low 5 Table Field Add-on for ACF and SCF 50K+ · 4.9★ (60) wp.org #13 ↑1 8 too low 6 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #21 ↑2 15 too low 7 Simple:Press Forum 300+ · 4.2★ (24) wp.org #7 8 Nooz 500+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 Press This Extended 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #3 6 too high 10 GDPRess | Eliminate external requests to increase GDPR compliance 1K+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #8 ↑1 2 too high 11 RPS Include Content 700+ · 4.9★ (18) wp.org #19 ↑1 8 too low 12 Changeloger – Changelog, Release Notes, Roadmap & Feature Requests 200+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #12 13 Press Release 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 8 too high 14 Press Release Distribution 600+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 10 too high 15 WP Wand – AI Content Writer for OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter and Deepseek 1K+ · 3.8★ (10) wp.org #22 7 too low 16 Mynewsdesk 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 ↓1 17 Chainwire Integration 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↑1 7 too high 18 BanglaPress – bKash, & Mobile Payment with Order Tracking & Invoice & Shipping Label Printing for WooCommerce 300+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #18 ↓1 19 Ajax Filter Search 70+ · 4.5★ (2) wp.org #23 4 too low 20 Press Release Template 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↑1 5 too high 21 Press Release Writer 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↑2 4 too high 22 HR Press Lite 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↑1 2 too high 23 API Press – External API data, Connect API, Import API 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #11 ↑2 12 too high 24 Socialwire Article Generator 90+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24

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.