wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “resumes”
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 “resumes”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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
HM Resume Manager shows at wp.org #4 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Advanced Database Cleaner – Optimize & Clean Database to Speed Up Site Performance places #11 on merit, 4.9★ from 1962 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #1 ↑1 2 
WP Job Manager 70K+ · 4.4★ (237)
wp.org #3 ↓2 1 too low 3 
Masteriyo LMS – LMS Course Builder, Quizzes & Certificates 6K+ · 4.8★ (184)
wp.org #5 2 too low 4 
Resume Builder 1K+ · 4.4★ (17) thin reviews
wp.org #2 ↑1 2 too high 5 
Ninja Forms – Contact Form Builder with Calculators, Quizzes, Signatures & AI Form Builder 500K+ · 4.4★ (1397)
wp.org #9 ↑3 4 too low 6 
WP Import Export Lite 40K+ · 4.0★ (113)
wp.org #6 ↑1 7 
Simple Job Board 10K+ · 4.7★ (133)
wp.org #8 ↓2 1 too low 8 
HireZoot – Job Listings, Career Page & Recruitment Tool 30K+ · 4.8★ (194)
wp.org #10 ↓1 2 too low 9 
FooGallery Photo Gallery : Image, Video & Masonry Galleries 100K+ · 4.8★ (995)
wp.org #14 ↓1 5 too low 10 
Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder 800K+ · 4.8★ (807)
wp.org #11 1 too low 11 Advanced Database Cleaner – Optimize & Clean Database to Speed Up Site Performance 100K+ · 4.9★ (1962)
wp.org #17 ↓7 6 too low 12 
Timeline Widget For Elementor (Elementor Timeline, Vertical & Horizontal Timeline) 70K+ · 4.8★ (248)
wp.org #16 4 too low 13 
WP Job Portal – AI-Powered Recruitment System for Company or Job Board website 8K+ · 4.3★ (32)
wp.org #7 ↓3 6 too high 14 
WP Crontrol 300K+ · 4.4★ (167)
wp.org #12 ↓4 2 too high 15 
Uncanny Toolkit for LearnDash 20K+ · 4.8★ (105)
wp.org #19 4 too low 16 
CartBounty – Save and recover abandoned carts for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.8★ (84)
wp.org #20 ↓1 4 too low 17 
Ultra Addons for Contact Form 7 60K+ · 4.8★ (108)
wp.org #23 6 too low 18 
Phone Orders for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (32)
wp.org #18 ↓3 19 
Open Close Store for WooCommerce – Business Hours & Order Scheduling 600+ · 3.4★ (41)
wp.org #24 5 too low 20 
HT Contact Form – Drag & Drop Form Builder for WordPress 10K+ · 4.2★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #15 ↓1 5 too high 21 HM Resume Manager 100+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #4 17 too high 22 
HM Multiple Roles 1K+ · 3.6★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #21 1 too high 23 
Contributor Résumé and Insights 10+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #13 10 too high 24 
Auto Delete Applications – Add-on for HireZoot 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↓4 2 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.