wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “quick menu”
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 “quick menu”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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
Ollie Menu Designer shows at wp.org #11 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 6K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 8 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed places #12 on merit, 4.2★ from 1012 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Admin Menu Editor 300K+ · 4.6★ (312)
wp.org #1 2 
Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882)
wp.org #2 3 
WP Mobile Menu – The Mobile-Friendly Responsive Menu 70K+ · 4.7★ (256)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
Quick Featured Images 50K+ · 4.7★ (235)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
WPC Smart Quick View for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.9★ (31) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #3 2 too high 6 
Float menu – awesome floating side menu 30K+ · 4.4★ (41)
wp.org #6 7 
Menu Cart for WooCommerce 70K+ · 4.6★ (99)
wp.org #10 3 too low 8 
Quick Adsense 20K+ · 3.9★ (74)
wp.org #8 9 D Duplicate Menu 100K+ · 4.6★ (104)
wp.org #13 ↓1 4 too low 10 
Simple Floating Menu 10K+ · 5.0★ (38)
wp.org #12 ↑1 2 too low 11 
Quick and Easy FAQs 10K+ · 4.6★ (36) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #7 4 too high 12 Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012)
wp.org #17 ↑2 5 too low 13 
QuadMenu – Mega Menu 10K+ · 4.5★ (270)
wp.org #24 11 too low 14 
Quick 301 Redirects 7K+ · 4.6★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #9 5 too high 15 
WP Menu Cart 8K+ · 4.8★ (23) thin reviews
wp.org #14 1 too high 16 
Food Menu – Restaurant Menu & Online Ordering for WooCommerce 2K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↓1 3 too low 17 Ollie Menu Designer 6K+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #11 6 too high 18 
Five Star Restaurant Menu and Food Ordering 5K+ · 4.6★ (107) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #21 3 too low 19 
WPB Accordion Menu – Collapsible Vertical Sidebar Responsive Mobile Menu – WooCommerce Category Accordion 10K+ · 4.4★ (54) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #20 1 too low 20 
Side Menu Lite – Sticky Floating Side Menu 7K+ · 4.0★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #16 4 too high 21 
Restaurant Menu and Food Ordering 2K+ · 4.5★ (15) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #15 6 too high 22 
Navigation menu as Dropdown Widget 2K+ · 5.0★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #23 1 too low 23 
Bubble Menu – Floating Button Menu with Sticky Navigation 1K+ · 4.2★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #22 1 too high 24 
Quick and Easy Testimonials 3K+ · 4.3★ (4) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↓1 6 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.