wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “referrer”
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 “referrer”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20. 3 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
Statify – Extended Evaluation shows at wp.org #13 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 20K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.6★ average from 11 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #1 2 
Redirection 2M+ · 4.4★ (703)
wp.org #3 1 too low 3 
Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869)
wp.org #6 ↓1 3 too low 4 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #4 ↑2 5 
Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (167)
wp.org #5 ↓1 6 
W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420)
wp.org #7 ↑9 1 too low 7 
CP Referrer and Conversion Tracking 300+ · 4.7★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #2 5 too high 8 
PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ · 4.8★ (1322)
wp.org #9 ↓1 1 too low 9 
Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186)
wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too high 10 
Redirection 100K+ · 5.0★ (419)
wp.org #12 ↑6 2 too low 11 
404 to 301 – Redirect Manager, 301 Redirection, 404 Error Logs & 404 Monitoring 100K+ · 4.7★ (321)
wp.org #11 ↓2 12 
WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (759)
wp.org #10 ↑10 2 too high 13 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #14 ↓2 1 too low 14 
LoginWP (Formerly Peter's Login Redirect) 80K+ · 4.8★ (503)
wp.org #17 ↓3 3 too low 15 
Post Views Counter 100K+ · 4.9★ (1236)
wp.org #24 9 too low 16 
WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code Snippets – WordPress Code Manager 3M+ · 4.9★ (1915)
wp.org #20 ↓9 4 too low 17 
BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security 100K+ · 4.9★ (160)
wp.org #19 ↓2 2 too low 18 
Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463) not PHP-current
wp.org #23 5 too low 19 
Statify 100K+ · 4.8★ (51)
wp.org #15 ↓2 4 too high 20 
Depicter — Popup & Slider Builder 70K+ · 4.6★ (235) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #16 ↓1 4 too high 21 
HTTP Headers 40K+ · 4.3★ (70)
wp.org #21 22 Statify – Extended Evaluation 20K+ · 4.6★ (11) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #13 ↓3 9 too high 23 
WP-Ban 8K+ · 3.7★ (27)
wp.org #22 ↓3 1 too high 24 
Gravatar Enhanced – Avatars, Profiles, and Privacy 100K+ · 5.0★ (3) host-installed base thin reviews
wp.org #18 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.