wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “remove category base”
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 “remove category base”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20.
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
No Category Parents shows at wp.org #5 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 6K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager places #10 on merit, 5.0★ from 1526 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.
Remove Category URL – Remove ‘category’ base from category permalinks 40K+ · 4.3★ (61)
wp.org #1 2 
No Category Base (WPML) 100K+ · 4.5★ (34)
wp.org #2 3 
Echo Knowledge Base – Documentation, FAQs, Chat & Smart Search 10K+ · 4.9★ (124)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
Remove CPT base 10K+ · 5.0★ (33)
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7520)
wp.org #7 ↑1 2 too low 6 
MailPoet – Newsletters, Email Marketing, and Automation 500K+ · 4.4★ (1435)
wp.org #6 7 
BetterDocs – AI Documentation, Knowledge Base, MCP Server, Docs, Wikis, FAQ & Chatbot 30K+ · 4.8★ (515)
wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too low 8 
Polylang 900K+ · 4.7★ (3004)
wp.org #9 ↑2 1 too low 9 
Product Feed PRO for WooCommerce by AdTribes – Product Feeds for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.7★ (1072)
wp.org #17 ↑1 8 too low 10 Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1526)
wp.org #21 ↑2 11 too low 11 
CookieYes – Cookie Banner for Cookie Consent (Easy to setup GDPR/CCPA Compliant Cookie Notice) 1M+ · 4.8★ (3236)
wp.org #18 ↑3 7 too low 12 
Permalink Manager Lite 100K+ · 4.8★ (176)
wp.org #15 ↑1 3 too low 13 
Product Feed Manager for WooCommerce – CTX Feed – Support 220+ Shopping, AI & Social Channels 90K+ · 4.6★ (838)
wp.org #20 ↓1 7 too low 14 
Helpie FAQ — Accordion, Docs & Knowledge Base 8K+ · 4.5★ (80)
wp.org #11 ↑1 3 too high 15 
weDocs: AI Powered Knowledge Base, Docs, Documentation, Wiki & AI Chatbot 5K+ · 4.6★ (69)
wp.org #12 ↑1 3 too high 16 
Knowledge Base documentation & wiki plugin – BasePress Docs 2K+ · 4.8★ (75)
wp.org #16 ↑1 17 
Country Based Restrictions for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.5★ (52)
wp.org #14 ↑1 3 too high 18 
WPGlobus 8K+ · 4.5★ (228)
wp.org #22 ↑2 4 too low 19 
BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55)
wp.org #24 5 too low 20 
Premmerce Permalink Manager for WooCommerce 40K+ · 3.9★ (53)
wp.org #19 ↑1 1 too high 21 No Category Parents 6K+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #5 16 too high 22 
Permalink Manager for WooCommerce 8K+ · 4.9★ (26)
wp.org #23 ↓1 1 too low 23 
Support Genix – Helpdesk, AI Chatbot, Knowledge Base & Customer Support Ticketing System 3K+ · 4.5★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #13 ↑1 10 too high 24 
CS Remove Category Base 40+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #10 14 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.