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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “salon software”

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 “salon software”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 2 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Bookingor – Booking System and Appointment Booking Calendar, Meeting Scheduling & WooCommerce shows at wp.org #3 but places #9 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 60+ 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

Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor places #6 on merit, 4.8★ from 612 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Online Scheduling and Appointment Booking System – Bookly 60K+ · 4.4★ (586) wp.org #1 2 Online Booking & Scheduling Calendar by vcita 1K+ · 3.9★ (117) wp.org #2 3 Stylish Cost Calculator – Quote Generator, Lead Gen & Price Estimator 1K+ · 4.8★ (175) wp.org #8 ↑1 5 too low 4 MotoPress Appointment Booking 2K+ · 4.5★ (21) wp.org #4 ↑2 5 Listdom: AI-powered Business Directory with Classifieds Ads Listings 1K+ · 4.9★ (60) wp.org #9 ↑1 4 too low 6 Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor 600K+ · 4.8★ (612) wp.org #19 13 too low 7 Booking System Trafft 400+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too high 8 MeetingHub – Appointment Booking & Meeting Scheduling for Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Jitsi 400+ · 4.8★ (13) wp.org #18 10 too low 9 Bookingor – Booking System and Appointment Booking Calendar, Meeting Scheduling & WooCommerce 60+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #3 6 too high 10 Easy!Appointments 500+ · 4.4★ (5) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 Anolla – Appointment Scheduling and Booking Software 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 ↓1 6 too high 12 Schedulista – Online Scheduling 100+ · 3.5★ (4) wp.org #7 ↓2 5 too high 13 MUTE – Contact Form Spam Blocker Without CAPTCHA 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #12 ↑8 1 too high 14 DigiCommerce – Conversion-Focused Digital Sales Platform 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 2 too low 15 TimeTailor Salon Booking — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 ↓2 5 too high 16 Scobe Booking Lite – Appointment Booking for Salons — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↑3 1 too high 17 Buk for WordPress 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↑2 4 too high 18 Clinic Software CRM Leads 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓1 4 too high 19 PopABot — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↑2 1 too low 20 BMA Lite – Appointment Booking and Scheduling 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too low 21 B Bikit Business Directory 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↑1 1 too low 22 StoreCashier – POS, Inventory & Business Suite for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↑1 1 too low 23 Clinic Software CRM Online Shop — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #17 6 too high 24 Doctor Appointment Booking & Clinic Management – Alnora — · 0.0★ (0) 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.