wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “stats widget”
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 “stats widget”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20.
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
WP-Stats shows at wp.org #7 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 2K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.6★ average from 7 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Reviews Widgets for Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp & Recommendations places #12 on merit, 4.9★ from 326 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.
MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) 2M+ · 4.5★ (3157)
wp.org #1 2 
Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012)
wp.org #2 3 
Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408)
wp.org #3 4 
Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528)
wp.org #6 2 too low 5 
WP Server Health Stats 9K+ · 4.8★ (110)
wp.org #5 6 
Simple Blog Stats 4K+ · 4.9★ (38)
wp.org #4 2 too high 7 
SlimStat Analytics – Real-Time Stats, Heatmaps & Ecommerce 70K+ · 4.8★ (816)
wp.org #9 2 too low 8 
Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510)
wp.org #10 2 too low 9 
WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic) 20K+ · 4.5★ (156)
wp.org #11 2 too low 10 
WPZOOM Connect: Social Icons Widget & Block, Share Buttons & Click to Chat 90K+ · 4.9★ (144)
wp.org #13 3 too low 11 
WPZOOM Social Feed Widget & Block 50K+ · 4.3★ (51)
wp.org #8 3 too high 12 Reviews Widgets for Google, TripAdvisor, Yelp & Recommendations 10K+ · 4.9★ (326)
wp.org #18 6 too low 13 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144)
wp.org #21 8 too low 14 
Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (167)
wp.org #16 2 too low 15 
HappyAddons for Elementor – 160 Elementor Widgets, GSAP Animations & Templates 400K+ · 4.8★ (489)
wp.org #19 4 too low 16 
WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – SMTP for Reliable Email Delivery with Gmail, Outlook, Amazon SES, Brevo, Other SMTP & More 4M+ · 4.8★ (5209)
wp.org #23 7 too low 17 
WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758)
wp.org #17 18 
Master Addons for Elementor – Elementor Addons, Widgets, Mega Menu Builder, Popup Builder, Widget Builder & Template Kits 30K+ · 4.5★ (212)
wp.org #24 6 too low 19 
ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Plugin) 200K+ · 2.5★ (1546)
wp.org #14 5 too high 20 
Simple Statistics for Feeds 800+ · 4.8★ (58)
wp.org #22 2 too low 21 
Web-Stat – Live Visitor Analytics 5K+ · 4.4★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #20 1 too high 22 
Seriously Simple Stats 5K+ · 3.6★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #12 10 too high 23 
Analytify – Dashboard Widget for Google Analytics 10K+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #15 8 too high 24 WP-Stats 2K+ · 2.6★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #7 17 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.