wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “static json”
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 “static json”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Static Snap shows at wp.org #13 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 30+ 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
Product Feed Manager for WooCommerce – CTX Feed – Support 220+ Shopping, AI & Social Channels places #11 on merit, 4.6★ from 838 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Simply Static – The Static Site Generator 30K+ · 4.5★ (195)
wp.org #1 2 
WP Super Cache 1M+ · 4.3★ (1346)
wp.org #2 3 
Super Page Cache – Cloudflare Cache, Page Speed & Core Web Vitals 70K+ · 4.8★ (517)
wp.org #3 4 
Product Feed PRO for WooCommerce by AdTribes – Product Feeds for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.7★ (1072)
wp.org #4 5 
Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962)
wp.org #8 3 too low 6 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #5 ↑2 1 too high 7 
WP Data Access – App Builder for Tables, Forms, Dashboards, Charts & Maps 10K+ · 4.9★ (88)
wp.org #6 1 too high 8 
SEOPress – AI SEO Plugin & On-site SEO 300K+ · 4.8★ (1268)
wp.org #10 ↓1 2 too low 9 
Speed Optimizer – The All-In-One Performance-Boosting Plugin 1M+ · 4.2★ (641)
wp.org #7 ↓2 2 too high 10 
Strong Testimonials 80K+ · 4.8★ (614)
wp.org #14 ↑1 4 too low 11 Product Feed Manager for WooCommerce – CTX Feed – Support 220+ Shopping, AI & Social Channels 90K+ · 4.6★ (838)
wp.org #18 ↓4 7 too low 12 
Cache Enabler 100K+ · 4.3★ (139)
wp.org #11 1 too high 13 
Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373)
wp.org #20 ↑3 7 too low 14 
Machete 6K+ · 5.0★ (52)
wp.org #15 ↑1 1 too low 15 
Leverage Browser Caching 9K+ · 4.1★ (42)
wp.org #12 3 too high 16 
SpeedyCache – Cache, Optimization, Performance 500K+ · 4.4★ (30) host-installed base
wp.org #9 ↑1 7 too high 17 
MxChat – AI Chatbot & Content Generation for WordPress 2K+ · 5.0★ (31)
wp.org #17 ↑1 18 
Prevent Browser Caching 10K+ · 4.9★ (29)
wp.org #21 ↓1 3 too low 19 
Breeze Cache 300K+ · 3.6★ (133)
wp.org #19 20 
Message Bridge for Contact Form 7 and Telegram 10K+ · 4.3★ (22) thin reviews
wp.org #23 3 too low 21 
Embed Lottie Player – bring your pages to life with animation 4K+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #24 3 too low 22 
Fancy Elements for Avada 400+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #16 ↑1 6 too high 23 
Mox Icons – Icon Pack for Elementor 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↓1 1 too high 24 Static Snap 30+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #13 11 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.