Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “simplify”

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 “simplify”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 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

EasyTest – Simplify A/B Testing shows at wp.org #2 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 10K+ 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

Directorist: AI-Powered Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads places #10 on merit, 4.6★ from 698 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) wp.org #1 2 Fluent Forms – Customizable Contact Forms, Survey, Quiz, & Conversational Form Builder 800K+ · 4.8★ (807) wp.org #5 ↑1 3 too low 3 Direct Checkout for WooCommerce 70K+ · 4.8★ (408) wp.org #6 ↑1 3 too low 4 User Admin Simplifier 10K+ · 5.0★ (31) wp.org #4 ↑1 5 Chatway Live Chat – AI Chatbot, Customer Support, FAQ & Helpdesk Customer Service & Chat Buttons 30K+ · 5.0★ (775) wp.org #12 ↑4 7 too low 6 Database Cleaner: Cleanup, Optimization & Repair 10K+ · 5.0★ (150) wp.org #15 ↓1 9 too low 7 S SSH SFTP Updater Support 10K+ · 4.8★ (99) wp.org #13 ↑2 6 too low 8 Redux Framework 900K+ · 4.4★ (273) wp.org #14 ↓4 6 too low 9 Simple User Avatar 20K+ · 4.6★ (19) wp.org #9 ↑2 10 Directorist: AI-Powered Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads 20K+ · 4.6★ (698) wp.org #22 ↑2 12 too low 11 WP Crontrol 300K+ · 4.4★ (167) wp.org #19 ↓1 8 too low 12 Freight Shipping Quote – Simplify Shipping Cost Requests 300+ · 4.7★ (16) wp.org #7 ↑1 5 too high 13 Simplify Admin Menus 80+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 10 too high 14 Payment Gateway for PayPal on WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.4★ (73) wp.org #18 4 too low 15 All In One Login 60K+ · 3.6★ (35) wp.org #17 2 too low 16 Filter Orders by Product for WooCommerce 4K+ · 4.7★ (15) wp.org #21 ↓2 5 too low 17 Raptive Ads 6K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #8 ↑1 9 too high 18 WP Bannerize Pro 800+ · 4.9★ (10) wp.org #23 ↓3 5 too low 19 EasyTest – Simplify A/B Testing 10K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 17 too high 20 ShipStation for WooCommerce 40K+ · 3.3★ (13) wp.org #11 ↑2 9 too high 21 Stape Conversion Tracking 10K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 Cookiez – GDPR & CCPA Cookie Banner & Consent Manager 50K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #16 ↑1 6 too high 23 Gravatar Enhanced – Avatars, Profiles, and Privacy 100K+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 ↑1 3 too high 24 Ansar Import – One Click Starter Sites – for WordPress Themes 10K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↑2 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.