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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “scan vulnerable plugins”

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 “scan vulnerable plugins”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

SecurynAI – Security, Firewall, Malware Scan, and Vulnerability Alerts shows at wp.org #13 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 40+ 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

Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall places #10 on merit, 4.5★ from 373 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8708) wp.org #1 2 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #2 3 Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (783) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992) wp.org #6 2 too low 5 Jetpack Protect 100K+ · 4.6★ (123) wp.org #5 6 WP Hide & Security Enhancer 50K+ · 4.3★ (275) wp.org #7 1 too low 7 Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP 90K+ · 4.9★ (79) wp.org #10 3 too low 8 SecuPress with Simple SSL – Simple and Performant Security 40K+ · 4.1★ (106) wp.org #9 1 too low 9 Cookiebot – Cookie Banner & Cookie Consent for GDPR, CCPA & Google Consent Mode 100K+ · 4.4★ (440) wp.org #16 7 too low 10 Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373) wp.org #18 8 too low 11 Rename Plugins Folder 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #3 8 too high 12 Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27) wp.org #14 2 too low 13 Trusona for WordPress 400+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 BitFire Security – Firewall, Malware Scanner, Bot Blocker, Login Protection 300+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #11 3 too high 15 Atomic Edge Security – Firewall, Malware Scan and Login Security 700+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #8 7 too high 16 BotBlocker Security – Complete security platform 3K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #19 3 too low 17 Virusdie | One-click website security 2K+ · 4.0★ (9) wp.org #12 5 too high 18 Simple Disable XML-RPC 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 SiteFort Security – Malware Scanner, Firewall, Login Security & Hardening 50+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #21 2 too low 20 Freeze | The protection for abandoned websites 80+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #22 2 too low 21 Segurium – Free Malware Removal & Auto Cleanup for Hacked Websites, Antivirus Scanner, Vulnerability Alerts 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 VulnTitan – Malware Scanner, Vulnerability Scanner & Security 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 2 too high 23 SecurynAI – Security, Firewall, Malware Scan, and Vulnerability Alerts 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 10 too high 24 All in One Content Protector & Security 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 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.