wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “ssl”
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 “ssl”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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
JSM Force HTTP to HTTPS / SSL – No Setup, Fast and Reliable shows at wp.org #10 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 7K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 13 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Under Construction places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 1285 reviews, but shows at wp.org #12. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869)
wp.org #1 2 
WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146)
wp.org #3 1 too low 3 
WP Force SSL & HTTPS SSL Redirect 80K+ · 4.7★ (179)
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
SSL Zen — SSL Certificate Installer & HTTPS Redirects 9K+ · 4.9★ (665)
wp.org #4 5 
SSL Insecure Content Fixer 100K+ · 4.8★ (221) not PHP-current
wp.org #5 6 
One Click SSL 10K+ · 4.9★ (139)
wp.org #6 ↑1 7 
Auto-Install Free SSL – Generate & Install Free SSL Certificates 8K+ · 4.9★ (405)
wp.org #7 ↓1 8 Under Construction 600K+ · 4.8★ (1285)
wp.org #12 ↓1 4 too low 9 
Flexible SSL for CloudFlare 100K+ · 4.8★ (51)
wp.org #8 1 too high 10 
301 Redirects – Redirect Manager 300K+ · 4.7★ (578)
wp.org #13 3 too low 11 
W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420)
wp.org #14 3 too low 12 
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4228)
wp.org #15 ↑5 3 too low 13 
WP Reset 300K+ · 4.8★ (1014)
wp.org #16 ↑1 3 too low 14 
Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager 100K+ · 4.7★ (1028)
wp.org #19 ↓1 5 too low 15 
Easy HTTPS Redirection (SSL) 100K+ · 4.2★ (71)
wp.org #9 6 too high 16 
Sticky Menu & Sticky Header 90K+ · 4.7★ (763)
wp.org #20 ↓7 4 too low 17 
SecuPress with Simple SSL – Simple and Performant Security 40K+ · 4.1★ (106)
wp.org #11 ↑1 6 too high 18 
Postie 10K+ · 4.7★ (139) not PHP-current
wp.org #18 ↑6 19 
Htaccess File Editor – Safely Edit Htaccess File 40K+ · 5.0★ (102)
wp.org #24 ↓2 5 too low 20 
SMTP Mailer 70K+ · 4.6★ (67)
wp.org #22 ↓6 2 too low 21 
Cloudflare 200K+ · 3.5★ (181)
wp.org #21 ↑4 22 JSM Force HTTP to HTTPS / SSL – No Setup, Fast and Reliable 7K+ · 5.0★ (13) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #10 12 too high 23 
External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window 90K+ · 4.3★ (247) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #23 ↓5 24 
WP Free SSL 1K+ · 4.7★ (23) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↓2 7 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.