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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “reservation plugin”

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 “reservation plugin”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 2 plugins are 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

SimplyBook.me – Booking and reservations calendar shows at wp.org #3 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 21 places. Its 30K+ 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

Booking Calendar places #7 on merit, 4.8★ from 657 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Five Star Restaurant Reservations – WordPress Booking Plugin 10K+ · 4.7★ (211) wp.org #1 ↑1 2 Easy Booking – WooCommerce Booking & Reservation Plugin 4K+ · 4.7★ (63) wp.org #2 ↓1 3 Bus Ticket Booking with Seat Reservation 700+ · 4.9★ (41) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551) wp.org #6 ↓1 2 too low 5 ReDi Restaurant Reservation – Instant Restaurant Booking & Table Reservation System 800+ · 4.5★ (28) wp.org #5 ↓2 6 Easy Appointment Booking & Scheduling Plugin – Webba Booking Calendar 2K+ · 4.9★ (157) wp.org #7 ↑2 1 too low 7 Booking Calendar 40K+ · 4.8★ (657) wp.org #18 ↓2 11 too low 8 Simply Schedule Appointments 50K+ · 5.0★ (155) wp.org #15 ↑3 7 too low 9 Appointment Booking Plugin – LatePoint | Calendar & Scheduling for WordPress 100K+ · 4.9★ (106) wp.org #16 ↓4 7 too low 10 VikBooking Hotel Booking Engine & PMS 8K+ · 4.8★ (61) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 Alex Reservations – Restaurant Reservations, Tables & White-Label Booking System 200+ · 4.9★ (28) wp.org #14 3 too low 12 WP Hotel Booking 7K+ · 3.7★ (67) wp.org #13 1 too low 13 Salon Booking System – Appointment Booking for Salons, Barbershops & Spas 2K+ · 4.4★ (187) wp.org #19 ↓2 6 too low 14 Court Reservation – Tennis, Padel & Sports Court Booking 90+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #8 ↓1 6 too high 15 Easy Appointments 10K+ · 4.3★ (131) wp.org #21 6 too low 16 VikRestaurants Table Reservations and Take-Away 600+ · 4.8★ (10) wp.org #12 ↓2 4 too high 17 Five Star Business Profile and Schema 7K+ · 4.8★ (52) wp.org #20 3 too low 18 Vachr Short-Term Rental Reservations 30+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #10 8 too high 19 Booking Package 10K+ · 4.0★ (15) wp.org #22 3 too low 20 MotoPress Hotel Booking 10K+ · 3.7★ (65) wp.org #23 ↓4 3 too low 21 FareHarbor for WordPress 9K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #9 ↓1 12 too high 22 Booqable Rental Plugin 1K+ · 4.2★ (10) wp.org #24 ↓1 2 too low 23 BedBooking – Reservation System and Booking Calendar 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #17 ↓2 6 too high 24 SimplyBook.me – Booking and reservations calendar 30K+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #3 ↑3 21 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.