wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “simple password”
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 password”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 3 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
Simple Password Protect shows at wp.org #6 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 500+ 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
FluentSMTP – WP Mail SMTP Plugin with Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, Cloudflare, toSend, Gmail and Any SMTP places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 410 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869)
wp.org #1 2 
Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile 200K+ · 4.7★ (262) not PHP-current
wp.org #2 3 
Password Protected 300K+ · 4.4★ (142)
wp.org #3 4 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too low 5 
Simple Membership 40K+ · 4.6★ (475) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too high 6 
Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491)
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 
Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992)
wp.org #9 2 too low 8 
Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186)
wp.org #8 ↑2 9 
Simple Download Monitor 20K+ · 4.7★ (158)
wp.org #10 ↓2 1 too low 10 R Really Simple CSV Importer 40K+ · 4.9★ (107)
wp.org #11 ↑1 1 too low 11 
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #20 9 too low 12 FluentSMTP – WP Mail SMTP Plugin with Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, Cloudflare, toSend, Gmail and Any SMTP 700K+ · 4.8★ (410)
wp.org #24 12 too low 13 
Simple Social Media Share Buttons – Social Sharing for Everyone 20K+ · 4.8★ (194) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #16 3 too low 14 
Simple JWT Login – Allows you to use JWT on REST endpoints. 4K+ · 5.0★ (47)
wp.org #21 7 too low 15 
SEO SIMPLE PACK 100K+ · 4.6★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #13 ↑1 2 too high 16 
Simple Yearly Archive 6K+ · 4.7★ (30)
wp.org #19 3 too low 17 
WPEPP – Essential Security, Password Protect & Login Page Customizer 3K+ · 4.1★ (19) thin reviews
wp.org #14 ↑1 3 too high 18 
Passster – Password Protect Pages and Content 10K+ · 4.2★ (60) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #15 ↓4 3 too high 19 
Disable Application Passwords 3K+ · 5.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #23 4 too low 20 
MASS Users Password Reset 500+ · 4.0★ (14) not PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #17 3 too high 21 A Add Password Field for Contact Form 7 3K+ · 4.6★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #12 ↑1 9 too high 22 Simple Password Protect 500+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #6 16 too high 23 
Teydea Password Reset – Force Password Reset & Expiration 500+ · 4.3★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #18 5 too high 24 
PDF Password Protect 200+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #22 2 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.