wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “show menu”

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 menu”, 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

Weaver Show Posts shows at wp.org #13 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 5K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 7 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder places #8 on merit, 4.5★ from 7322 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.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Admin Menu Editor 300K+ · 4.6★ (312) wp.org #1 2

Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882) wp.org #2 ↑2 3

Nav Menu Roles 70K+ · 4.9★ (219) wp.org #3 ↑10 4

Responsive Menu – Mobile Menu & Hamburger Menu Builder 70K+ · 4.5★ (574) wp.org #5 ↓3 1 too low 5

Show Current Template 100K+ · 5.0★ (71) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too high 6

WP Mobile Menu – The Mobile-Friendly Responsive Menu 70K+ · 4.7★ (256) wp.org #6 ↓3 7

ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #11 ↓1 4 too low 8

Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #14 ↑1 6 too low 9

Menu Cart for WooCommerce 70K+ · 4.6★ (99) wp.org #10 ↓1 1 too low 10

Float menu – awesome floating side menu 30K+ · 4.4★ (41) wp.org #8 ↓1 2 too high 11

WP Bottom Menu 20K+ · 4.5★ (23) thin reviews wp.org #7 ↓1 4 too high 12

Show Pages IDs 10K+ · 5.0★ (103) wp.org #15 ↓1 3 too low 13

Iks Menu – WordPress Category Accordion Menu & FAQs 10K+ · 5.0★ (27) wp.org #12 2 too high 15

Simple Floating Menu 10K+ · 5.0★ (38) wp.org #16 1 too low 16

Admin Menu Tree Page View 10K+ · 4.6★ (48) wp.org #21 5 too low 17

Advanced Sidebar Menu 10K+ · 4.5★ (37) wp.org #19 2 too low 18

WP Menu Cart 8K+ · 4.8★ (23) thin reviews wp.org #20 2 too low 19

Weaver Show Posts 5K+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews wp.org #13 ↓2 6 too high 20

SlickNav Mobile Menu 3K+ · 4.8★ (24) thin reviews wp.org #23 3 too low 21

Side Menu Lite – Sticky Floating Side Menu 7K+ · 4.0★ (12) thin reviews wp.org #17 4 too high 22

Import Export Menu 3K+ · 4.4★ (10) thin reviews wp.org #24 2 too low 23

Weaver Show Sliders 900+ · 4.5★ (6) thin reviews wp.org #22 1 too high 24

Show IDs by Echo 2K+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews wp.org #18 6 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.