wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “restrict widget”

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 widget”, 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

Login Widget With Shortcode shows at wp.org #9 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 5K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.8★ average from 29 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Content Views – Post Grid & Filter (Shortcode, Blocks, Elementor Widgets) places #11 on merit, 4.8★ from 333 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #1 2

Widget Options – Advanced Conditional Visibility for Gutenberg Blocks & Classic Widgets 100K+ · 4.9★ (1516) wp.org #4 2 too low 3

Restrict User Access – Ultimate Membership & Content Protection 10K+ · 4.3★ (94) wp.org #3 4

Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281) wp.org #6 2 too low 5

Content Control – The Ultimate Content Restriction Solution! Restrict Content, Create Conditional Blocks & More 40K+ · 4.9★ (575) wp.org #8 3 too low 6

Paid Membership Subscriptions – Effortless Memberships, Recurring Payments & Content Restriction 10K+ · 4.7★ (270) wp.org #7 1 too low 7

User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738) wp.org #10 3 too low 8

Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144) wp.org #11 3 too low 9

Restrict for Elementor 900+ · 4.0★ (9) thin reviews wp.org #2 7 too high 10

Restrict – membership, site, content and user access restrictions for WordPress 2K+ · 4.2★ (25) wp.org #5 5 too high 11

Content Views – Post Grid & Filter (Shortcode, Blocks, Elementor Widgets) 100K+ · 4.8★ (333) wp.org #16 5 too low 12

Master Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Widgets, Mega Menu Builder, Popup Builder, Widget Builder & Template Kits 30K+ · 4.5★ (212) wp.org #14 ↑1 2 too low 13

WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312) wp.org #17 4 too low 14

My Calendar – Accessible Event Manager 20K+ · 4.7★ (159) wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too low 15

Simple Membership 40K+ · 4.6★ (475) wp.org #19 4 too low 16

Quiz Maker by AYS 20K+ · 4.9★ (601) wp.org #22 6 too low 17

ProfilePress – Paid Membership, Online Courses (LMS), Ecommerce, User Registration & Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content 100K+ · 3.1★ (938) wp.org #12 5 too high 18

Nextend Social Login and Register 200K+ · 4.9★ (447) wp.org #21 3 too low 19

Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551) wp.org #20 ↓2 1 too low 20

Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor 600K+ · 4.8★ (612) wp.org #24 ↓2 4 too low 21

Password Protected 300K+ · 4.4★ (142) wp.org #18 ↑2 3 too high 22

Visibility Logic for Elementor 20K+ · 4.8★ (58) wp.org #23 24

Restrict Elementor Widgets, Columns and Sections 400+ · 4.2★ (5) thin reviews wp.org #13 11 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.