wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “remove widgets”
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 widgets”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools shows at wp.org #5 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 8K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.1★ average from 15 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Translate WordPress with GTranslate places #11 on merit, 4.9★ from 4962 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051)
wp.org #1 2 
Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680)
wp.org #2 ↑1 3 
Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528)
wp.org #7 ↑1 4 too low 4 
Dynamic Widgets 10K+ · 4.7★ (109)
wp.org #6 ↑3 2 too low 5 
Widget Options – Advanced Conditional Visibility for Gutenberg Blocks & Classic Widgets 100K+ · 4.9★ (1516)
wp.org #12 7 too low 6 
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7520)
wp.org #11 5 too low 7 
Remove "Powered by WordPress" 20K+ · 4.4★ (21) thin reviews
wp.org #4 3 too high 8 
Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager 100K+ · 4.7★ (1028)
wp.org #14 ↑1 6 too low 9 
Widget Context 30K+ · 4.5★ (98)
wp.org #10 1 too low 10 
Astra Widgets 200K+ · 3.9★ (17) host-installed base thin reviews
wp.org #3 ↓1 7 too high 11 Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962)
wp.org #19 ↓1 8 too low 12 
Dashboard Widgets Suite 4K+ · 4.9★ (38)
wp.org #9 ↑1 3 too high 13 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #18 ↑3 5 too low 14 
Black Studio TinyMCE Widget 200K+ · 4.8★ (191)
wp.org #15 ↑1 1 too low 15 Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools 8K+ · 4.1★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #5 10 too high 16 
LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778)
wp.org #22 ↑2 6 too low 17 
ShopEngine – All-in-One Elementor WooCommerce Builder with eCommerce Templates & Woo Widgets 100K+ · 4.6★ (212)
wp.org #20 ↓6 3 too low 18 C Custom Post Type Widgets 10K+ · 4.8★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #8 ↓1 10 too high 19 
Cryptocurrency Widgets Pack 600+ · 4.8★ (28)
wp.org #13 6 too high 20 
WPZOOM Social Feed Widget & Block 50K+ · 4.3★ (51)
wp.org #16 ↑1 4 too high 21 C Clear Cache for Me 40K+ · 4.8★ (29)
wp.org #17 ↑2 4 too high 22 
Classic Editor + 30K+ · 4.9★ (31)
wp.org #21 1 too high 23 
Jeg Kit for Elementor – Powerful Addons for Elementor, Widgets & Templates for WordPress 300K+ · 3.8★ (79)
wp.org #24 ↓4 1 too low 24 
Slugs Manager: Delete Old Permalinks from WordPress Database 3K+ · 4.2★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #23 1 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.