wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “site reset”
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 “site reset”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 2 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
Teydea Password Reset – Force Password Reset & Expiration shows at wp.org #10 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 13 places. Its 500+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.3★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 397 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #1 2 
WP Reset 300K+ · 4.8★ (1014)
wp.org #2 3 
Site Reviews 60K+ · 4.9★ (376)
wp.org #3 4 
Advanced WordPress Reset – Debug, Recover & Reset WP 10K+ · 4.9★ (1233)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
Database Reset 10K+ · 4.5★ (77)
wp.org #6 1 too low 6 
NS Cloner – Site Cloner and Multisite Duplicator 6K+ · 4.7★ (279)
wp.org #11 5 too low 7 
Frontend Reset Password 10K+ · 4.4★ (38)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
Simply Static – The Static Site Generator 30K+ · 4.5★ (195)
wp.org #14 6 too low 9 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #21 ↓1 12 too low 10 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #20 ↓2 10 too low 11 
Simple CAPTCHA with Cloudflare Turnstile 200K+ · 4.7★ (262) not PHP-current
wp.org #15 4 too low 12 
WP Database Reset 5K+ · 4.5★ (68)
wp.org #13 1 too low 13 
Astra Customizer Reset 20K+ · 4.8★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #4 9 too high 14 
Gutenverse – WordPress Blocks, Page Builder & Site Editor 20K+ · 4.9★ (190) heavy footprint
wp.org #19 5 too low 15 
My Private Site – Make Your Whole Site Private, Force Login & Block Registration Spam 10K+ · 4.5★ (82) not PHP-current
wp.org #12 3 too high 16 
Royal WordPress Backup, Restore & Migration Plugin – Backup WordPress Sites Safely 30K+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #7 9 too high 17 
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ · 4.5★ (157)
wp.org #23 ↓1 6 too low 18 
MASS Users Password Reset 500+ · 4.0★ (14) not PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #9 9 too high 19 
Custom Site Logo 1K+ · 4.7★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too high 20 
Site Search 360 300+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓1 4 too low 21 
Emergency password reset 800+ · 3.4★ (12) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too low 22 
Reset file and folder permissions 200+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↓1 5 too high 23 Teydea Password Reset – Force Password Reset & Expiration 500+ · 4.3★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #10 13 too high 24 
Factory Reset 20+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #16 ↑3 8 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.