Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “store data”

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 “store data”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

Export Customers Data shows at wp.org #11 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 500+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

LiteSpeed Cache places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 2778 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312) wp.org #1 2 WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) wp.org #2 3 Agile Store Locator 10K+ · 4.9★ (59) wp.org #3 4 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821) wp.org #8 ↑1 4 too low 5 Data Tables Generator by Supsystic – Excel-like, WooCommerce & Pricing Tables 10K+ · 4.7★ (497) wp.org #7 ↑1 2 too low 6 wpDataTables – WordPress Data Table, Dynamic Tables & Table Charts Plugin 60K+ · 4.5★ (449) wp.org #9 ↓2 3 too low 7 Store Vacation Lite for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.6★ (189) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Head Meta Data 10K+ · 4.8★ (19) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ · 4.8★ (2778) wp.org #15 ↓1 6 too low 10 Ultimate Store Kit – Store Builder Addons for Elementor, WooCommerce Store Builder, EDD Store Builder 3K+ · 4.5★ (10) wp.org #4 6 too high 11 LitExtension – Automated Store Migration & Import 1K+ · 4.8★ (51) wp.org #13 ↓1 2 too low 12 Ebook Store 700+ · 4.4★ (60) wp.org #12 ↓1 13 SEO Data Transporter 2K+ · 4.4★ (31) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) wp.org #20 ↑1 6 too low 15 WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758) wp.org #22 7 too low 16 Music Store – WordPress eCommerce 200+ · 4.1★ (52) wp.org #16 17 Store Toolkit – WooCommerce Extensions, Quick Enhancements & Handy Tools 8K+ · 4.8★ (44) wp.org #14 ↓1 3 too high 18 Posts Table with Search & Sort 3K+ · 4.6★ (19) wp.org #21 3 too low 19 WP Maps – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, Store Locator with Search, Filters & Listings 60K+ · 4.3★ (122) wp.org #23 ↑1 4 too low 20 Data Source for Contact Form 7 300+ · 5.0★ (8) wp.org #18 ↑1 2 too high 21 Store file uploads for Contact Form 7 1K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #19 ↑1 2 too high 22 MDTF – Meta Data and Taxonomies Filter 900+ · 4.5★ (28) wp.org #24 ↓1 2 too low 23 Export Customers Data 500+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #11 ↑4 12 too high 24 Reseller Store 1K+ · 3.7★ (10) wp.org #17 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.