wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “simple preview”
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 preview”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 Page Redirect shows at wp.org #12 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 10K+ 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.
Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491)
wp.org #1 2 
Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (587)
wp.org #2 3 
Social Preview and Open Graph Tags 50K+ · 4.6★ (122)
wp.org #3 4 
Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186)
wp.org #4 ↑2 5 
Simple Share Buttons Adder 40K+ · 4.3★ (627)
wp.org #5 6 
Wikipedia Preview 1K+ · 4.8★ (37)
wp.org #6 ↓2 7 
Simple Shopping Cart 10K+ · 4.6★ (215)
wp.org #10 ↑3 3 too low 8 
Simple Banner – Easily add multiple Banners/Bars/Notifications/Announcements to the top or bottom of your website 50K+ · 4.8★ (45)
wp.org #8 9 
Simple Page Ordering 100K+ · 4.7★ (131)
wp.org #11 ↓1 2 too low 10 
Simple Sitemap – Responsive HTML Sitemap for WordPress 60K+ · 3.9★ (72)
wp.org #7 3 too high 11 
Simple Job Board 10K+ · 4.7★ (133) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #9 2 too high 12 
Simple Floating Menu 10K+ · 5.0★ (38)
wp.org #13 ↓1 1 too low 13 
Simple Link Directory – AI Powered 2K+ · 4.8★ (121)
wp.org #16 3 too low 14 
Simple CSS 80K+ · 4.9★ (60)
wp.org #17 3 too low 15 
Simple Comment Editing 2K+ · 4.8★ (55)
wp.org #15 16 
SureRank SEO – Meta Tags, Social Preview, XML Sitemap, Schema & Open Graph 300K+ · 4.8★ (51)
wp.org #18 2 too low 17 
Genesis Simple Share 10K+ · 4.4★ (33)
wp.org #14 3 too high 18 Simple Page Redirect 10K+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #12 ↓1 6 too high 19 
Really Simple Featured Video for Posts, Pages & WooCommerce Products 4K+ · 4.0★ (34)
wp.org #21 ↓2 2 too low 20 
MKL Product Configurator for WooCommerce – 2D & 3D Live Preview 2K+ · 4.8★ (42) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #24 4 too low 21 
Simple YouTube Embed 4K+ · 4.2★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↑1 2 too high 22 
Simple Google Calendar Outlook Events Widget 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #20 ↑1 2 too high 23 
Simple Points and Rewards for WooCommerce – Create a Loyalty Program 400+ · 5.0★ (7) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #23 24 
Simple SEO 400+ · 5.0★ (2) 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.