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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “simple calendar”

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 “simple calendar”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 4 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

SimplyBook.me – Booking and reservations calendar shows at wp.org #13 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 30K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Registrations for the Events Calendar – Event Registration Plugin places #12 on merit, 5.0★ from 103 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 My Calendar – Accessible Event Manager 20K+ · 4.7★ (159) wp.org #1 2 Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin 50K+ · 3.8★ (397) wp.org #2 3 Simple Membership 40K+ · 4.6★ (475) wp.org #3 ↑6 4 WP Simple Booking Calendar 10K+ · 4.8★ (227) wp.org #4 5 Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (587) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551) wp.org #5 ↓2 1 too high 7 ICS Calendar 10K+ · 4.9★ (72) wp.org #8 ↓3 1 too low 8 Booking for Appointments and Events Calendar – Amelia 90K+ · 4.6★ (793) wp.org #14 6 too low 9 Editorial Calendar 20K+ · 4.9★ (79) wp.org #10 ↑1 1 too low 10 EventPrime – Events Calendar, Bookings, Tickets & AI 7K+ · 4.4★ (85) wp.org #6 4 too high 11 Booking Calendar 40K+ · 4.8★ (657) wp.org #18 7 too low 12 Registrations for the Events Calendar – Event Registration Plugin 7K+ · 5.0★ (103) wp.org #20 8 too low 13 Events Shortcodes For The Events Calendar 10K+ · 4.9★ (214) wp.org #17 ↓4 4 too low 14 Add to Calendar Button 3K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #9 ↑1 5 too high 15 Seriously Simple Podcasting 20K+ · 4.7★ (330) wp.org #19 ↓2 4 too low 16 Sugar Calendar – Events Calendar, Event Tickets, and Events Management Platform 10K+ · 4.5★ (24) wp.org #12 ↓4 4 too high 17 Events Widgets For Elementor And The Events Calendar 10K+ · 4.5★ (108) wp.org #16 ↑7 1 too high 18 Pie Calendar – Events Calendar Made Simple 1K+ · 4.7★ (24) wp.org #21 ↓2 3 too low 19 Super Simple Event Calendar 600+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #11 ↑1 8 too high 20 Event Calendar Newsletter 600+ · 4.8★ (16) wp.org #22 ↓2 2 too low 21 EventON – Events Calendar 6K+ · 4.1★ (44) wp.org #23 ↓2 2 too low 22 Simple calendar for Elementor 500+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #15 7 too high 23 Hydrogen Calendar Embeds 1K+ · 4.5★ (6) wp.org #24 ↓2 1 too low 24 SimplyBook.me – Booking and reservations calendar 30K+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↑3 11 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.