wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “restrict content”
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 “restrict content”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 6 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
Restrict for Elementor shows at wp.org #8 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 900+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 9 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor places #6 on merit, 4.7★ from 738 reviews, but shows at wp.org #12. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Content Control – The Ultimate Content Restriction Solution! Restrict Content, Create Conditional Blocks & More 40K+ · 4.9★ (575)
wp.org #1 2 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #2 3 
Paid Membership Subscriptions – Effortless Memberships, Recurring Payments & Content Restriction 10K+ · 4.7★ (270)
wp.org #3 ↑2 4 
Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418)
wp.org #6 ↓2 2 too low 5 
Restrict User Access – Ultimate Membership & Content Protection 10K+ · 4.3★ (94) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too high 6 User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738)
wp.org #12 ↑3 6 too low 7 
Content Views – Post Grid & Filter (Shortcode, Blocks, Elementor Widgets) 100K+ · 4.8★ (333) heavy footprint
wp.org #11 ↓4 4 too low 8 
Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin 200K+ · 4.4★ (1445)
wp.org #14 ↓1 6 too low 9 
Passster – Password Protect Pages and Content 10K+ · 4.2★ (60) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #5 ↓4 4 too high 10 
Restrict – membership, site, content and user access restrictions for WordPress 2K+ · 4.2★ (25)
wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too high 11 
Disabled Source, Disabled Right Click and Content Protection 10K+ · 4.9★ (103)
wp.org #16 ↑4 5 too low 12 
ProfilePress – Paid Membership, Online Courses (LMS), Ecommerce, User Registration & Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content 100K+ · 3.1★ (938) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #10 2 too high 13 
Table of Contents Plus – Automatic Table of Contents for Posts & Pages 200K+ · 4.5★ (187)
wp.org #20 ↓1 7 too low 14 
Secure Copy Content Protection and Content Locking 20K+ · 4.3★ (62)
wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too low 15 
Password Protected 300K+ · 4.4★ (142)
wp.org #21 ↓10 6 too low 16 
Masteriyo LMS – LMS Course Builder, Quizzes & Certificates 6K+ · 4.8★ (184) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #17 ↑1 1 too low 17 
Membership Plugin – Kadence Memberships 8K+ · 3.1★ (100) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #9 8 too high 18 Restrict for Elementor 900+ · 4.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #8 10 too high 19 R Restrict Usernames Emails Characters 1K+ · 4.5★ (25)
wp.org #19 ↓2 20 
Simple Restrict 1K+ · 4.9★ (15) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #13 ↓1 7 too high 21 
MxChat – AI Chatbot & Content Generation for WordPress 2K+ · 5.0★ (31) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too low 22 
Page Restrict for WooCommerce 700+ · 4.7★ (23) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↓2 4 too high 23 
Advanced Datepicker – Restricts Date for Contact Form 7 500+ · 5.0★ (3) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #24 1 too low 24 
Essential Content Types 20K+ · 3.7★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↓1 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.