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

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 it”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 3 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

Store Locator Widget shows at wp.org #8 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 300+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.7★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

ShopLentor – All-in-One WooCommerce Growth & Store Enhancement Plugin places #11 on merit, 4.5★ from 278 reviews, but shows at wp.org #21. 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 #11 7 too low 5 Store Vacation Lite for WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.6★ (189) wp.org #5 6 Ebook Store 700+ · 4.4★ (60) wp.org #6 7 Easy Digital Downloads – eCommerce Payments and Subscriptions made easy 40K+ · 4.7★ (591) wp.org #15 8 too low 8 Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 Ultimate Store Kit – Store Builder Addons for Elementor, WooCommerce Store Builder, EDD Store Builder 3K+ · 4.5★ (10) wp.org #4 5 too high 10 Advanced Coupons for WooCommerce – BOGO, Store Credit & WooCommerce Coupons 20K+ · 4.4★ (184) wp.org #18 8 too low 11 ShopLentor – All-in-One WooCommerce Growth & Store Enhancement Plugin 80K+ · 4.5★ (278) wp.org #21 10 too low 12 WP EasyCart: Shopping Cart and eCommerce Store 3K+ · 4.5★ (206) wp.org #19 7 too low 13 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) wp.org #20 7 too low 14 Store Toolkit – WooCommerce Extensions, Quick Enhancements & Handy Tools 8K+ · 4.8★ (44) wp.org #10 4 too high 15 Custom WP Store Locator 300+ · 4.6★ (14) wp.org #7 8 too high 16 Music Store – WordPress eCommerce 200+ · 4.1★ (52) wp.org #13 3 too high 17 WP Maps – Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, Store Locator with Search, Filters & Listings 60K+ · 4.3★ (122) wp.org #17 18 Pay in Store WooCommerce Payment Gateway 2K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #24 6 too low 19 WooPayments: Integrated WooCommerce Payments 800K+ · 3.4★ (177) wp.org #23 4 too low 20 Store file uploads for Contact Form 7 1K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #22 2 too low 21 Reseller Store 1K+ · 3.7★ (10) wp.org #14 7 too high 22 Store Locator Widget 300+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #8 14 too high 23 T Themify Store Locator 400+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 14 too high 24 Private Store for WooCommerce B2B & Wholesale by B2BKing 600+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 8 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.