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

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 “profiler”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

AIO Performance Profiler, Monitor, Optimize, Compress & Debug shows at wp.org #11 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 5 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall places #2 on merit, 4.9★ from 220 reviews, but shows at wp.org #7. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Code Profiler – WordPress Performance Profiling and Debugging Made Easy 8K+ · 4.3★ (36) wp.org #1 2 NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (220) wp.org #7 5 too low 3 F12 Profiler 400+ · 4.0★ (6) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 atec Cache APCu 3K+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Black Bar 500+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 atec Profiler 80+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 3 too high 7 WP SpeedUp 200+ · 4.1★ (9) wp.org #15 8 too low 8 Profiler Integration for Gravity Forms 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 4 too high 9 Scrutoscope – WordPress Performance Profiler 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 1 too low 10 Footprint – Find what slows your site 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 2 too high 11 ElementsBoost – Elementor Asset Cleanup & Page Speed Optimizer 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 7 too low 12 SitePulse – Performance Monitor and AI Diagnostics 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 3 too high 13 MITS Profiler — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 14 Checkout Profiler for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 15 Pagemeter 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 1 too low 16 AIO Performance Profiler, Monitor, Optimize, Compress & Debug 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 5 too high 17 Dynamic Inspector for Elementor – Performance Profiler & Debugger 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 5 too high 18 Profiling Tool For WP 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 1 too high 19 Mochyon Pulse 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 2 too low 20 Xerotact SHIELD-X Security — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 BloomWatcher – Live Server & Site Health Dashboard 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 Advanced REST API DevTools — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 2 too high 23 Speedix 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 4 too high 24 SpeeSeek — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 2 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.