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

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 “soap”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 5 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

Contribuinte Checkout shows at wp.org #1 but places #9 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 1K+ 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

Salon Booking System – Appointment Booking for Salons, Barbershops & Spas places #2 on merit, 4.4★ from 187 reviews, but shows at wp.org #6. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Piraeus Bank WooCommerce Payment Gateway 3K+ · 3.9★ (35) wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too low 2 Salon Booking System – Appointment Booking for Salons, Barbershops & Spas 2K+ · 4.4★ (187) wp.org #6 ↓2 4 too low 3 Automated FedEx live/manual rates with shipping labels – HPOS supported 200+ · 4.9★ (12) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Custom API for WP 1K+ · 4.8★ (45) wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too low 5 EU/UK VAT Validation Manager for WooCommerce 7K+ · 4.8★ (39) wp.org #8 3 too low 6 Product Sync for WooCommerce – Supplier API Import, Dropshipping & Inventory Sync 400+ · 5.0★ (16) wp.org #9 ↓2 3 too low 7 Ecommerce Fabrick 1K+ · 3.8★ (9) wp.org #4 ↓1 3 too high 8 EU VAT Guard for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #3 ↓1 5 too high 9 Contribuinte Checkout 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 ↑9 8 too high 10 Post Label Center (PLC) Manager for WooCommerce 20+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #10 ↓1 11 Pulseem 10+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #16 ↓1 5 too low 12 Invoice for WooCommerce 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Novalnet Payment Gateway for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #14 ↓1 1 too low 14 Data Soap Validation 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↓1 2 too high 15 Pay4All TWINT – For WooCommerce & Pay4All Shop 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↓1 16 ELEX ShipEngine UPS & FedEx Shipping Method 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #13 ↓1 3 too high 17 EU VAT Validator for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓1 2 too low 18 Simple Connection for ChronoFresh 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too low 19 ClearSale Total 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↓1 3 too low 20 WPack Paiement public pour PayFiP — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 ↓2 2 too high 21 WeoInvoice 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1 3 too low 22 WebHosting4U Secure Card Gateway for ePay Paycenter (Piraeus Bank) 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 5 too high 23 Dynamica Facturacion Electronica — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 ↓1 24 SEUR Oficial 1K+ · 1.0★ (2) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 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.