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

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 “researcher”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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

Scholar Sync – Academic Publications & Researcher Profiles shows at wp.org #9 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 10+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

SAML Single Sign On – SSO Login places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 402 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #1 2 W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420) wp.org #2 3 The SEO Framework – Fast, Automated, Effortless. 200K+ · 4.9★ (380) wp.org #3 4 Formidable Forms – Contact Form, Survey, Quiz, Payment, Calculator Form & Custom Form Builder 300K+ · 4.8★ (1388) wp.org #4 5 The Events Calendar Shortcode & Block 10K+ · 4.7★ (101) wp.org #5 6 GetGenie – AI SEO Assistant & Content Writer with Keyword Research, AEO & GEO 70K+ · 4.8★ (119) wp.org #10 ↑1 4 too low 7 wpDataTables – WordPress Data Table, Dynamic Tables & Table Charts Plugin 60K+ · 4.5★ (449) wp.org #12 5 too low 8 SAML Single Sign On – SSO Login 10K+ · 4.9★ (402) wp.org #17 9 too low 9 Visualizer – Tables & Charts Manager with Built-in AI Generator 20K+ · 4.4★ (225) wp.org #13 ↑1 4 too low 10 Location Weather – WordPress Weather Forecast, Air Quality & Weather Widget 10K+ · 4.5★ (103) wp.org #19 9 too low 11 Zoho CRM Lead Magnet 3K+ · 3.1★ (25) wp.org #6 5 too high 12 Chartify – WordPress Chart Plugin 3K+ · 4.9★ (28) wp.org #15 ↓2 3 too low 13 Stock Ticker 2K+ · 4.4★ (21) wp.org #14 ↑1 1 too low 14 Add to Home Screen & Progressive Web App 1K+ · 3.7★ (25) wp.org #16 2 too low 15 Legal Terms and Conditions Popup for User Login and WooCommerce Checkout 500+ · 5.0★ (14) wp.org #20 5 too low 16 Security.txt Manager 700+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 9 too high 17 Accessibility Enabler 300+ · 3.9★ (7) wp.org #18 1 too low 18 No unsafe-inline 200+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #24 ↓1 6 too low 19 Generate Security.txt 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 11 too high 20 R Researcher Profiles for ORCID 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 ↓1 9 too high 21 Scholar Sync – Academic Publications & Researcher Profiles 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 12 too high 22 PlacePress 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 1 too low 23 TheLaTeXLab – Citations & Bibliography 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 AP Family Trees 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↑2 2 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.