wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “research based”
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 “research based”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 4 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
Auto Focus Keyword for SEO shows at wp.org #10 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5040)
wp.org #1 2 
Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667)
wp.org #2 3 
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7520)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
GetGenie – AI SEO Assistant & Content Writer with Keyword Research, AEO & GEO 70K+ · 4.8★ (119)
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 
Quiz and Survey Master (QSM) – Quiz Maker & Survey Maker 40K+ · 4.7★ (1282)
wp.org #5 6 
FiboSearch – Ajax Search for WooCommerce 100K+ · 4.9★ (1815)
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #6 1 too high 8 
Advanced Product Fields (Product Addons) for WooCommerce 50K+ · 4.8★ (284)
wp.org #8 9 
wpDataTables – WordPress Data Table, Dynamic Tables & Table Charts Plugin 60K+ · 4.5★ (449)
wp.org #9 10 
Everest Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form, Quiz, Survey & Custom Form Builder with AI 90K+ · 4.9★ (375)
wp.org #11 1 too low 11 
GEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO 30K+ · 4.6★ (683)
wp.org #12 1 too low 12 
SAML Single Sign On – SSO Login 10K+ · 4.9★ (402)
wp.org #13 1 too low 13 
WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146)
wp.org #18 5 too low 14 
PDF Embedder – PDF Viewer & Embed PDF Files for WordPress 300K+ · 4.7★ (529)
wp.org #16 2 too low 15 
Xagio SEO & AEO – AI SEO for Google Rankings & AI Visibility 10K+ · 4.9★ (51)
wp.org #14 1 too high 16 
SSL Zen — SSL Certificate Installer & HTTPS Redirects 9K+ · 4.9★ (665)
wp.org #24 8 too low 17 
The Events Calendar Shortcode & Block 10K+ · 4.7★ (101)
wp.org #22 5 too low 18 
SureRank SEO – Meta Tags, Social Preview, XML Sitemap, Schema & Open Graph 300K+ · 4.8★ (51)
wp.org #23 5 too low 19 
Tainacan 1K+ · 5.0★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #17 2 too high 20 
Surfer – WordPress Plugin 6K+ · 4.7★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #15 5 too high 21 Auto Focus Keyword for SEO 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #10 11 too high 22 
Topic SEO Content Optimization Tool 1K+ · 4.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #20 2 too high 23 
Search Engine Insights for Google Search Console 2K+ · 4.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #21 2 too high 24 
Koala AI 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #19 5 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.