wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “restricted pdf”
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 “restricted pdf”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 17 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
Download PDF After Submit Form shows at wp.org #4 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 18 places. Its 400+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.2★ average from 6 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
AI Engine – MCP Server & AI Chatbot for WordPress, with Claude, ChatGPT & Gemini places #3 on merit, 4.9★ from 874 reviews, but shows at wp.org #11. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
PDF Embedder – PDF Viewer & Embed PDF Files for WordPress 300K+ · 4.7★ (529)
wp.org #1 2 
Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder 800K+ · 4.8★ (808)
wp.org #7 5 too low 3 AI Engine – MCP Server & AI Chatbot for WordPress, with Claude, ChatGPT & Gemini 90K+ · 4.9★ (874)
wp.org #11 8 too low 4 
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551)
wp.org #8 ↓3 4 too low 5 
Germanized for WooCommerce 70K+ · 4.8★ (496)
wp.org #10 ↓3 5 too low 6 
Flipbook PDF Viewer & Embedder 300+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #2 4 too high 7 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #12 5 too low 8 
Flexible PDF Coupons – Gift Cards & Vouchers for WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.7★ (31)
wp.org #6 2 too high 9 
Paid Membership Subscriptions – Effortless Memberships, Recurring Payments & Content Restriction 10K+ · 4.7★ (270)
wp.org #14 ↓3 5 too low 10 
WowInvoice – PDF Invoices & Packing Slips 100+ · 5.0★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #5 5 too high 11 
ShortPixel Image Optimizer – Optimize Images, Convert WebP & AVIF 300K+ · 4.5★ (830)
wp.org #16 ↓4 5 too low 12 
Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots 10K+ · 4.8★ (142)
wp.org #15 ↓6 3 too low 13 
Bit Form – Contact Form, Payment Forms, Multi Step Forms, Calculator & Custom Form Builder 10K+ · 5.0★ (259)
wp.org #19 ↑1 6 too low 14 
GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform 100K+ · 4.6★ (708)
wp.org #21 ↓5 7 too low 15 
Import and export users and customers 70K+ · 4.7★ (259)
wp.org #20 ↓2 5 too low 16 
Dokan: AI Powered WooCommerce Multivendor Marketplace Solution – Build Your Own Amazon, eBay, Etsy 30K+ · 4.6★ (769)
wp.org #24 8 too low 17 
Document Embedder – let visitors read files without downloading 9K+ · 4.9★ (120)
wp.org #17 ↓3 18 
WebEquipe PDF Search 200+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #3 15 too high 19 
Subscriptions for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.5★ (180)
wp.org #23 ↓4 4 too low 20 
Event Booking Manager for WooCommerce – Sell Tickets, Event Registration, RSVP & Event Calendar 6K+ · 4.5★ (167)
wp.org #22 ↓5 2 too low 21 
Prevent Files / Folders Access 1K+ · 4.6★ (35)
wp.org #18 ↓5 3 too high 22 Download PDF After Submit Form 400+ · 3.2★ (6) thin reviewslow rating, top placement
wp.org #4 18 too high 23 
Document Engine – Document Library, PDF Viewer & Post to PDF 100+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #9 ↓1 14 too high 24 
PDF Invoice for Woocommerce 20+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #13 ↓3 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.