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

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 “relic”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

HarborCache – Object Cache with Redis shows at wp.org #7 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its — 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.

Buried gem

W3 Total Cache places #3 on merit, 4.4★ from 5420 reviews, but shows at wp.org #9. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP 90K+ · 4.8★ (80) wp.org #3 2 too low 2 New Relic Reporting for WordPress 500+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #1 1 too high 3 W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420) wp.org #9 6 too low 4 g-FFL Checkout 600+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 Reviews Widgets for Google & 45+ platforms by Repuso 1K+ · 4.8★ (25) wp.org #11 ↓1 6 too low 6 Popular Brand Icons – Simple Icons 3K+ · 4.7★ (10) wp.org #12 6 too low 7 X3P0: Breadcrumbs 200+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #14 7 too low 8 Rocketship SEO 10+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #18 ↓1 10 too low 9 Instant Programming Compatibility Scanner for PHP 8 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 4 too high 10 Headless Login Guard — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 6 too high 11 WoWpi 10+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #23 ↓1 12 too low 12 Checkout Profiler for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 6 too high 13 רב מסר – תוסף הטפסים (Responder) 3K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 ↑1 3 too high 14 G Gigaom New Relic 50+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #20 ↓1 6 too low 15 CronWatch — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 7 too high 16 Super Social Content Locker Lite 30+ · 3.4★ (5) wp.org #16 ↓1 17 A App Performance Tool — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↓1 18 UpdatePulse Server 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 W What The WP? — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓1 20 SimpleSocial 100+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #13 7 too high 21 Relic Sales Motivator WooCommerce Lite — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓1 22 New Relic log splitter — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↓1 23 HarborCache – Object Cache with Redis — · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #7 16 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.