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

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 “pwned”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20.

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

Authlify – Custom Login URL, Login Security, 2FA & Login Page Designer shows at wp.org #10 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 30+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ · 4.8★ (334) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 Login Armor 600+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 Passwords Evolved 400+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Loyal Security – Firewall & Malware Scanner 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #8 4 too low 5 Fleet Agent Site Manager – Securely Connects Your Sites to a WPMgr Dashboard 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #6 1 too low 6 Teydea Login Security – Password Policy, Complexity Rules & Expiration 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 3 too high 7 SiteFort Security – Malware Scanner, Firewall, Login Security & Hardening 50+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #15 8 too low 8 Better Passwords 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #9 1 too low 9 Open24 Security 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 4 too high 10 BetterShield – Security Audit, 2FA, Passkeys & Login Protection 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 3 too high 11 Forge12 Security – Firewall, Malware Scanner, 2FA & Login Security 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 ↑1 12 WordSec – Malware Scanner & Removal, Web Application Firewall (WAF), and 2FA 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #18 ↑5 6 too low 13 Locktura Security 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↑2 1 too high 14 Keel Defaults 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 2 too low 15 Cybexsoft Shield — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 2 too high 16 Owl Security 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 1 too low 17 ReportedIP Hive: Firewall, Brute Force Protection, 2FA and Anti-Spam 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓1 3 too low 18 Cypress North Password Policy — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 too low 19 Eyesite Monitor 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 3 too low 20 Zen Login & Authentication — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓2 3 too low 21 Ensomedia Security powered by shieldwave.io — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 Nexura Security — Malware Scanner, Firewall, 2FA & WordPress Security 10+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #14 ↓4 8 too high 23 Qevix Shield – 2FA, Hide Login, Firewall, File Security & Malware Scanner — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↓1 4 too high 24 Authlify – Custom Login URL, Login Security, 2FA & Login Page Designer 30+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↑1 14 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.