wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “tabbed widgets”
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 “tabbed widgets”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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
Tabbed Contents Block – organize content into neat, clickable tabs shows at wp.org #5 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 700+ 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
Ultimate Blocks – 25+ Gutenberg Blocks for Block Editor places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 729 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 400K+ · 4.9★ (134)
wp.org #1 2 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #3 1 too low 3 
Max Mega Menu 300K+ · 4.8★ (882)
wp.org #6 3 too low 4 
HappyAddons for Elementor – 160 Elementor Widgets, GSAP Animations & Templates 400K+ · 4.8★ (489)
wp.org #7 3 too low 5 
Tabbed Category Product Listing for Woocommerce 1K+ · 4.9★ (28)
wp.org #4 1 too high 6 
WP Tabbed Widget 300+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #2 4 too high 7 
Ultimate Post Kit – Elementor Post Grid, Post Carousel, Post Slider & Blog Layout Widgets 30K+ · 4.8★ (58)
wp.org #9 2 too low 8 
WP Data Access – App Builder for Tables, Forms, Dashboards, Charts & Maps 10K+ · 4.9★ (88)
wp.org #14 6 too low 9 
Redux Framework 900K+ · 4.4★ (273)
wp.org #12 3 too low 10 Ultimate Blocks – 25+ Gutenberg Blocks for Block Editor 50K+ · 4.9★ (729)
wp.org #24 14 too low 11 
HT Mega Addons for Elementor – Elementor Widgets & Template Builder 60K+ · 4.1★ (66)
wp.org #11 12 
UsersWP – Front-end login form, User Registration, User Profile & Members Directory plugin for WP 20K+ · 4.7★ (183)
wp.org #18 6 too low 13 
Business Directory Plugin – Easy Listing & Member Directories for WordPress 10K+ · 4.6★ (504)
wp.org #23 10 too low 14 
Xpro Addons — 150+ Widgets for Elementor 40K+ · 4.4★ (28)
wp.org #10 4 too high 15 
WidgetKit for Elementor – Lightweight Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 7K+ · 4.5★ (35)
wp.org #13 2 too high 16 
Prisna GWT – Google Website Translator 8K+ · 4.5★ (54)
wp.org #20 4 too low 17 
ThemeZee Widget Bundle 5K+ · 4.8★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #8 9 too high 18 
WebMan Amplifier 1K+ · 3.9★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #15 3 too high 19 
Weaver Xtreme Theme Support 8K+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #17 2 too high 20 Tabbed Contents Block – organize content into neat, clickable tabs 700+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #5 15 too high 21 
Recently Viewed Products for WooCommerce – Carousel, Widget, Block & Email 1K+ · 4.7★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #21 22 
Spider Elements – Premium Elementor Widgets & Addons Library 400+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #22 23 
Sentio Widgets for Elementor 40+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #16 7 too high 24 
UiCore Elements – Free widgets and templates for Elementor 40K+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #19 5 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.