wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “reboot”
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 “reboot”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 17. 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Reboot Addons shows at wp.org #1 but places #5 on merit, a gap of 4 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
WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect places #2 on merit, 4.9★ from 1146 reviews, but shows at wp.org #6. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Advanced WordPress Reset – Debug, Recover & Reset WP 10K+ · 4.9★ (1233)
wp.org #2 1 too low 2 WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146)
wp.org #6 4 too low 3 
Malcure Malware Shield — Removal, Repair, Monitor 10K+ · 4.4★ (74)
wp.org #5 2 too low 4 
Estatik Real Estate Plugin 10K+ · 4.6★ (187)
wp.org #7 3 too low 5 Reboot Addons 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement
wp.org #1 4 too high 6 
Betterify 10+ · 4.7★ (15) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #15 9 too low 7 
Hawsome Site Reset — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement
wp.org #3 4 too high 8 
SiteFlush — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewslow rating, top placement
wp.org #4 4 too high 9 
CloudScale Backup & Restore 10+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #8 1 too high 10 
Beer Blocks 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviewsstale but ranked
wp.org #9 1 too high 11 
AmazoLinkenator 20+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked
wp.org #10 1 too high 12 W Worserify — · 5.0★ (2) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #16 4 too low 13 B bStat 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #12 1 too high 14 W WP-LDAP 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #14 15 T txt2img (山寨长微博) 10+ · 5.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #11 4 too high 16 W WP To Top 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #13 3 too high 17 F Front Page Exclude By Date 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews
wp.org #17 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.