wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “security event log”
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 “security event log”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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
Atlant Security shows at wp.org #16 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 800+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 8 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes places #9 on merit, 4.9★ from 492 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
How this rank is calculated
Each plugin's merit score multiplies these inputs together: how recently it was updated, how current its "tested up to" WordPress version is, its install base (log scale, capped at 10 million), its support thread resolution rate, and a rating score. The rating score weights the star average by review volume against a sitewide prior, then scales it by the lower bound of the share of 4 and 5 star reviews. A plugin with 3.7 stars from tens of thousands of reviews can still outscore a 4.9 with a few dozen, because the small sample carries less certainty.
A health factor between 0.4 and 1.15 then adjusts that score for what wp.org's search can't see: PHP fatals or failed activations on a test install, PHP and WordPress compatibility, memory and page-speed footprint, suspicious review patterns, closure risk, and a large install base with very few reviews. Clean, adopted plugins earn a small lift.
A keyword ranking starts from wp.org's search order for the term, weighting each position by 1 divided by its place, then applies the merit correction and health factor above. Relevance to the keyword stays in the result, so the order can differ from the all-categories list on /best, which scores plugins with no search term.
Hover a row to see the main reason for its position.
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5040)
wp.org #1 2 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #2 3 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (398)
wp.org #3 4 
WP Activity Log 300K+ · 4.7★ (490)
wp.org #4 5 
Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992)
wp.org #7 ↓1 2 too low 6 
Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ · 4.8★ (334)
wp.org #8 2 too low 7 
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ · 4.5★ (157)
wp.org #5 2 too high 8 
Activity Log – Monitor User and Agent Changes 200K+ · 4.3★ (74)
wp.org #6 ↑1 2 too high 9 Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (492)
wp.org #14 5 too low 10 
MalCare WordPress Security Plugin – Malware Scanner, Cleaner, Security Firewall 100K+ · 4.4★ (559)
wp.org #13 ↓1 3 too low 11 
Security Ninja – WordPress Security & Firewall 7K+ · 4.7★ (101)
wp.org #11 ↑2 12 
WP Event Manager – Events Calendar, Registrations, Sell Tickets with WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.0★ (250)
wp.org #12 ↓1 13 
EventPrime – Events Calendar, Bookings, Tickets & AI 7K+ · 4.4★ (85)
wp.org #10 ↓1 3 too high 14 
Log cleaner for Kadence Security 7K+ · 5.0★ (22) thin reviews
wp.org #9 ↑1 5 too high 15 
NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (220)
wp.org #19 ↑1 4 too low 16 
Sucuri Security – Auditing, Malware Scanner and Security Hardening 600K+ · 4.2★ (386)
wp.org #15 ↑1 1 too high 17 
Booking for Appointments and Events Calendar – Amelia 90K+ · 4.6★ (793)
wp.org #23 6 too low 18 
Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373)
wp.org #20 ↑2 2 too low 19 
Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528)
wp.org #24 5 too low 20 
Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↑1 3 too high 21 E Error Log Monitor 20K+ · 4.3★ (48)
wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too low 22 
Activity Log Pro – User Activity Log, Audit Log & Security Monitor 400+ · 5.0★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↓2 1 too high 23 
BotBlocker Security – Complete security platform 3K+ · 5.0★ (11) thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↓3 5 too high 24 Atlant Security 800+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #16 ↑1 8 too high Merit ranking caps the install boost at 10M (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.