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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “speed benchmark”

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 “speed benchmark”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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.

S

Ranked above its merit

SnapCache shows at wp.org #8 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 70+ 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

Booster for WooCommerce – PDF Invoices, Abandoned Cart, Variation Swatches & 100+ Tools places #6 on merit, 4.6★ from 535 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Hosting Benchmark tool 4K+ · 4.7★ (33) wp.org #1 2 WP Compress – Instant Performance & Speed Optimization 9K+ · 4.5★ (155) wp.org #2 3 Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186) wp.org #3 4 xSpeed Cache: AI-Powered Performance Hub with MCP, Caching & CDN 10K+ · 5.0★ (22) wp.org #5 ↑2 1 too low 5 Code Profiler – WordPress Performance Profiling and Debugging Made Easy 8K+ · 4.3★ (36) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 Booster for WooCommerce – PDF Invoices, Abandoned Cart, Variation Swatches & 100+ Tools 30K+ · 4.6★ (535) wp.org #13 ↓3 7 too low 7 Comments – GraphComment | AI-Moderated Comment System 400+ · 4.7★ (30) wp.org #10 ↑1 3 too low 8 BoltAudit – Site Speed Audit and Performance Insights 90+ · 4.6★ (9) wp.org #6 ↓1 2 too high 9 A2 Optimized WP – Turbocharge and secure your WordPress site 60K+ · 3.1★ (43) wp.org #15 ↓1 6 too low 10 DiveWP – Boost Site Performance with Clear, Actionable Steps 200+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #11 ↑1 1 too low 11 WP SpeedUp 200+ · 4.1★ (9) wp.org #14 3 too low 12 W WPPerformanceTester 1K+ · 4.3★ (8) wp.org #22 ↓1 10 too low 13 Blaminhor Essentials – SEO, Cache, Backup, SMTP, Redirects, Broken Links, Cookie Banner, Hide Login & More 90+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #17 ↑2 4 too low 14 ElementsBoost – Elementor Asset Cleanup & Page Speed Optimizer 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #9 5 too high 15 Bolt Checkout for WooCommerce 100+ · 3.0★ (10) wp.org #12 ↑1 3 too high 16 PHP Vitals 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 ↓1 9 too high 17 Speedtest Pro 30+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too high 18 S SnapCache 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 10 too high 19 Sieve – Faceted Filter for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 ↓3 20 Seriema – Site Speed Breakdown — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↓2 21 Pagemeter 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓1 22 Sali Media Optimizer 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 1 too low 23 Weblix Analytics – Real-Time Stats & Visitor Counter 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 ↓1 5 too high 24 N Nakaryu Autoload Inspector — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1

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.