wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “show link”
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 “show link”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 5 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 it throws errors on current PHP, whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
VK Link Target Controller shows at wp.org #10 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 30K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Internal Link Juicer: SEO Auto Linker for WordPress places #11 on merit, 4.7★ from 537 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
PrettyLinks – Affiliate Link Management, URL Shortener, Link Cloaking, Tracking & Branded Short Links 200K+ · 4.8★ (1322)
wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too low 2 
Broken Link Checker 500K+ · 3.8★ (605) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #1 ↑1 1 too high 3 
Show Current Template 100K+ · 5.0★ (71)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
Link Library 10K+ · 4.7★ (97) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 
Link Whisper Free 30K+ · 4.2★ (150)
wp.org #8 3 too low 6 
Visual Link Preview 10K+ · 4.5★ (36)
wp.org #6 7 
Broken Link Checker by AIOSEO – Find & Fix Broken Internal, External & Video Links 200K+ · 3.8★ (87) not PHP-current
wp.org #5 2 too high 8 
Internal Links Manager 10K+ · 4.8★ (33)
wp.org #9 1 too low 9 
ThirstyAffiliates – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking & Marketing Plugin 30K+ · 4.6★ (251)
wp.org #16 7 too low 10 
Simple Link Directory – AI Powered 2K+ · 4.8★ (121)
wp.org #13 3 too low 11 Internal Link Juicer: SEO Auto Linker for WordPress 100K+ · 4.7★ (537)
wp.org #22 11 too low 12 P Page Links To 100K+ · 4.9★ (157)
wp.org #19 ↓1 7 too low 13 
Gallery Custom Links 30K+ · 4.7★ (208)
wp.org #23 10 too low 14 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #21 7 too low 15 
Weaver Show Posts 5K+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #7 8 too high 16 
Show Stock Status for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.8★ (29) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #14 2 too high 17 
Broken Link Notifier 1K+ · 4.8★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #15 2 too high 18 
Campos Checkout Brasileiro para WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.9★ (45) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #18 ↑1 19 M MimeTypes Link Icons 8K+ · 5.0★ (26)
wp.org #24 ↓1 5 too low 20 
Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools 8K+ · 4.1★ (15) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #11 9 too high 21 
Show Support Ribbon 300+ · 5.0★ (11) thin reviews
wp.org #20 1 too high 22 
Link Checker 4K+ · 3.2★ (30)
wp.org #17 5 too high 23 
Weaver Show Sliders 900+ · 4.5★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #12 11 too high 24 VK Link Target Controller 30K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #10 14 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.