wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “sub account”
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 “sub account”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 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 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
Modern Image Formats shows at wp.org #9 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 100K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.6★ average from 26 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882)
wp.org #1 2 
Polylang 900K+ · 4.7★ (3004)
wp.org #2 3 
Poptin – Email Marketing Automation, Newsletter & Exit Pop Ups, Email Popups 20K+ · 4.9★ (701)
wp.org #5 2 too low 4 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #4 5 
Migrate Guru – Site Migration & Cloning 200K+ · 4.9★ (1645)
wp.org #7 2 too low 6 
Subaccounts for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (27)
wp.org #3 3 too high 7 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #6 1 too high 8 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #8 9 
Translate WordPress – Google Language Translator 100K+ · 4.7★ (620)
wp.org #11 ↓1 2 too low 10 
Affiliate Program Suite — SliceWP Affiliates 10K+ · 4.9★ (111)
wp.org #10 ↑1 11 
Responsive Menu – Mobile Menu & Hamburger Menu Builder 70K+ · 4.5★ (574)
wp.org #14 3 too low 12 
Speed Optimizer – The All-In-One Performance-Boosting Plugin 1M+ · 4.2★ (641)
wp.org #13 1 too low 13 
Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528)
wp.org #20 ↓1 7 too low 14 
Email Templates Customizer and Designer for WordPress and WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.6★ (133)
wp.org #16 ↓1 2 too low 15 
Cookie Compliance for WordPress – Cookie Consent, GDPR & CCPA 800K+ · 4.8★ (3026)
wp.org #24 9 too low 16 
Wholesale Suite – B2B, Dynamic Pricing & WooCommerce Wholesale Prices 20K+ · 4.8★ (546) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #18 ↓1 2 too low 17 
SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 400K+ · 4.9★ (134)
wp.org #21 4 too low 18 
NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) – Advanced Security Plugin and Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (220) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #17 ↑1 1 too high 19 Modern Image Formats 100K+ · 3.6★ (26)
wp.org #9 10 too high 20 
WP Compress – Instant Performance & Speed Optimization 9K+ · 4.5★ (155)
wp.org #23 3 too low 21 
FAZ Cookie Manager 3K+ · 5.0★ (30)
wp.org #19 ↑3 2 too high 22 
Intranet & Private Site – All-In-One Intranet 3K+ · 5.0★ (11) thin reviews
wp.org #12 10 too high 23 
Ultimate Store Kit – Store Builder Addons for Elementor, WooCommerce Store Builder, EDD Store Builder 3K+ · 4.5★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #15 ↑1 8 too high 24 
Calendar.online / Kalender.digital – Plugin 2K+ · 4.4★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↓1 2 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.