Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “subscribe”

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 “subscribe”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 16 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

Easy Subscribe shows at wp.org #2 but places #19 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 1K+ 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

User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor places #8 on merit, 4.7★ from 738 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 TablePress – Tables in WordPress made easy 600K+ · 5.0★ (4625) wp.org #4 3 too low 2 Subscribe Forms – Beautiful Email Forms, Embedded Newsletter Forms & MailChimp Form 2K+ · 4.7★ (60) wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too low 3 MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress 1M+ · 4.8★ (1497) wp.org #6 ↓1 3 too low 4 S Subscribe to Comments 10K+ · 3.9★ (14) wp.org #1 3 too high 5 Popup Maker – Boost Sales, Conversions, Optins, Subscribers with the Ultimate WP Popup Builder 600K+ · 4.9★ (4514) wp.org #9 ↓1 4 too low 6 Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin 200K+ · 4.4★ (1445) wp.org #15 9 too low 7 MailChimp Subscribe Form, Optin Builder, PopUp Builder, Form Builder 2K+ · 4.0★ (65) wp.org #5 ↓2 2 too high 8 User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738) wp.org #19 ↑2 11 too low 9 CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes 200K+ · 4.7★ (326) wp.org #18 ↑5 9 too low 10 Kit (formerly ConvertKit) – Email Newsletter, Email Marketing, Membership, Subscribers and Landing Pages 40K+ · 4.8★ (90) wp.org #16 ↓2 6 too low 11 MC4WP: Mailchimp Top Bar – Email Subscribe Notification Bar 6K+ · 4.6★ (31) wp.org #8 ↓1 3 too high 12 Mailchimp List Subscribe Form 60K+ · 2.6★ (77) wp.org #7 ↓1 5 too high 13 Affiliate Program Suite — SliceWP Affiliates 10K+ · 4.9★ (111) wp.org #24 ↓2 11 too low 14 Download After Email – Subscribe & Download Form Plugin 7K+ · 4.4★ (30) wp.org #13 ↓1 1 too high 15 Podcast Subscribe Buttons 4K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #10 ↓1 5 too high 16 Subscribe To Comments Checkbox 100+ · 4.9★ (9) wp.org #12 ↓2 4 too high 17 Noptin – Newsletter, New Post Notifications & Email Automation 10K+ · 4.5★ (120) wp.org #21 ↓4 4 too low 18 Back In Stock Notifier for WooCommerce | WooCommerce Waitlist Pro 20K+ · 4.7★ (122) wp.org #23 5 too low 19 Easy Subscribe 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 ↓1 17 too high 20 Subscribe to Unlock Lite – Opt In Content Locker Plugin for WordPress 500+ · 3.9★ (10) wp.org #11 9 too high 21 Subscribe2 – Form, Email Subscribers & Newsletters 10K+ · 3.5★ (116) wp.org #22 ↓3 1 too low 22 Email Subscription Popup — Newsletter & GDPR Consent 1K+ · 3.8★ (11) wp.org #20 ↓2 2 too high 23 Subscribe to Download Lite – Email Before Download Plugin 400+ · 3.0★ (4) wp.org #17 ↓1 6 too high 24 Easy Subscribe Button Widget 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↓1 10 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.