Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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

Content Randomizer – Rotate Any Block shows at wp.org #6 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Logo Slider – Logo Showcase, Logo Carousel, Logo Gallery and Client Logo Presentation places #11 on merit, 4.7★ from 252 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 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #1 2 Quiz Maker by AYS 20K+ · 4.9★ (601) wp.org #2 3 Videopack 10K+ · 4.8★ (63) wp.org #3 4 HD Quiz 6K+ · 4.9★ (145) wp.org #4 5 CAOS | Host Google Analytics Locally 10K+ · 4.9★ (128) wp.org #5 6 Survey Maker by AYS 5K+ · 4.8★ (79) wp.org #10 ↓3 4 too low 7 Watu Quiz 3K+ · 4.7★ (137) wp.org #12 ↑1 5 too low 8 Post Date Randomizer 8K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #7 ↑1 1 too high 9 Random Content 3K+ · 4.8★ (35) wp.org #14 5 too low 10 AliNext – AliExpress Dropshipping Plugin for WooCommerce 4K+ · 4.3★ (53) wp.org #9 ↑1 1 too high 11 Logo Slider – Logo Showcase, Logo Carousel, Logo Gallery and Client Logo Presentation 30K+ · 4.7★ (252) wp.org #21 10 too low 12 Rearrange Products for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.6★ (58) wp.org #18 ↓7 6 too low 13 A Add Custom Header Images 400+ · 4.7★ (3) wp.org #8 ↑1 5 too high 14 Bulk Edit Coupons for WooCommerce – WP Sheet Editor 500+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #13 ↑3 1 too high 15 Content Randomizer – Rotate Any Block 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #6 9 too high 16 S Super Light Cache Buster 1K+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #24 8 too low 17 Video Gallery – YouTube, Vimeo & Video Slider with Lightbox 1K+ · 4.4★ (7) wp.org #20 ↓1 3 too low 18 DFX Random User IDs 200+ · 4.0★ (5) wp.org #15 ↑2 3 too high 19 P PiwigoPress 200+ · 3.7★ (6) wp.org #11 ↑1 8 too high 20 Simple Logo Carousel 100+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #16 ↑4 4 too high 21 Testimonial Customer Feedback 1K+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #19 ↓1 2 too high 22 Featured Image Pro Post Grid 900+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #22 23 Quizably – Quiz Maker, Personality Quiz & Survey Builder 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #23 24 Light Particles 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 ↓2 7 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.