Plugin Pulse Beta
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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “pusher”

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 “pusher”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 6 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

WinaltChat for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #8 but places #14 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its — 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

Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer places #4 on merit, 4.5★ from 81 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. 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 ConveyThis AI Multilingual Translation 1K+ · 4.4★ (145) wp.org #2 3 Project Manager – AI Powered Project Management, Task Management, Kanban Board & Time Tracker 5K+ · 3.8★ (187) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer 500K+ · 4.5★ (81) wp.org #11 7 too low 5 Popular Brand Icons – Simple Icons 3K+ · 4.7★ (10) wp.org #12 ↑1 7 too low 6 BotBlocker Security – Complete security platform 3K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #13 ↓1 7 too low 7 MainWP Child Reports 100K+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #10 3 too low 8 WSChat – WordPress Live Chat 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 5 too high 9 BlueCheck – Age Verification 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 3 too high 10 SRKP Live Support — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 5 too high 11 BconGlobal – Crypto Payment Gateway — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 Documents from Git 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #18 6 too low 13 Gigneo – WordPress Service Marketplace & Platform Builder 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 4 too high 14 WinaltChat for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 6 too high 15 LobbyChat 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 16 Real Time Comments With Pusher — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 2 too high 17 Pusher – Pushing mobile notification with FCM — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 1 too high 18 P Product Watcher – Display Realtime Product Viewer Count to Your Customers — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 1 too high 19 Message Hub — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 L Line In Typography for WordPress — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 W WP Pusher Slack Notifications 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 2 too high 22 Meveto — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 Stay Alive — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 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.