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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “responsive popup”

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 “responsive popup”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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 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

Popup builder with Gamification, Multi-Step Popups, Page-Level Targeting, and WooCommerce Triggers shows at wp.org #7 but places #14 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 70K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 7 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

WP Popups – WordPress Popup builder places #12 on merit, 4.9★ from 112 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Popup Maker – Boost Sales, Conversions, Optins, Subscribers with the Ultimate WP Popup Builder 600K+ · 4.9★ (4514) wp.org #1 2 Popup Builder – Create highly converting, mobile friendly marketing popups. 200K+ · 4.7★ (2215) wp.org #2 3 Hustle – Email Marketing, Lead Generation, Optins, Popups 80K+ · 4.4★ (859) wp.org #3 4 Responsive Lightbox & Gallery 100K+ · 4.9★ (2003) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Popup Maker – Responsive popup, Exit Intent Pop up, Email Optins, Autoresponder & More 7K+ · 4.5★ (144) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Depicter — Popup & Slider Builder 70K+ · 4.6★ (235) wp.org #6 ↑1 7 Poptin – Email Marketing Automation, Newsletter & Exit Pop Ups, Email Popups 20K+ · 4.9★ (701) wp.org #14 ↓2 7 too low 8 Popup Box – Create Countdown, Coupon, Video, Contact Form Popups 50K+ · 4.6★ (82) wp.org #8 9 Popups for Divi 100K+ · 4.8★ (442) wp.org #13 ↑7 4 too low 10 Ultimate Responsive Image Slider 30K+ · 4.5★ (248) wp.org #11 ↑5 1 too low 11 Brave – Create Popup, Optins, Lead Generation, Survey, Sticky Elements & Interactive Content 20K+ · 4.8★ (209) wp.org #15 ↑3 4 too low 12 WP Popups – WordPress Popup builder 30K+ · 4.9★ (112) wp.org #22 10 too low 13 Cart Popup for WooCommerce 9K+ · 4.4★ (70) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Popup builder with Gamification, Multi-Step Popups, Page-Level Targeting, and WooCommerce Triggers 70K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #7 ↓1 7 too high 15 T Themify Popup 8K+ · 4.9★ (11) wp.org #9 6 too high 16 Video Popup – Video Lightbox for YouTube, Vimeo & MP4 10K+ · 4.5★ (43) wp.org #18 ↓4 2 too low 17 Popup Box – Easily Create WordPress Popups 6K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #12 ↓1 5 too high 18 Responsive Mortgage Calculator 7K+ · 4.4★ (21) wp.org #17 ↓2 1 too high 19 WP Video Popup – WordPress Video Lightbox for YouTube, Rumble & Vimeo 9K+ · 4.1★ (43) wp.org #20 ↓1 1 too low 20 WPB Popup for Contact Form 7 – Showing Contact Form 7 Popup on Button Click 5K+ · 4.6★ (16) wp.org #19 ↓2 1 too high 21 Exit Popup 1K+ · 4.1★ (24) wp.org #23 2 too low 22 Video Popup Block – YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok Lightbox by WPZOOM 10K+ · 4.7★ (6) wp.org #16 ↓3 6 too high 23 Modal Popup Box — Popup Maker & Popup Builder 2K+ · 3.5★ (10) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 Advanced Age Verification Popup 700+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #24

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.