wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “tag manager plugin”
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 “tag manager plugin”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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
Google Tag Manager shows at wp.org #7 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.2★ average from 10 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin places #5 on merit, 4.9★ from 1281 reviews, but shows at wp.org #10. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155)
wp.org #1 2 
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551) not PHP-current
wp.org #2 3 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8706)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012)
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #10 ↓1 5 too low 6 
Meta Tag Manager 70K+ · 4.8★ (84) not PHP-current
wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too high 7 
All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) 2M+ · 4.7★ (5231) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
Download Manager 100K+ · 4.1★ (1006)
wp.org #11 ↓1 3 too low 9 
Advanced File Manager – Ultimate File Manager for WordPress And Document Library Solution 100K+ · 4.8★ (441)
wp.org #12 ↓1 3 too low 10 
PixelYourSite – Your smart PIXEL (TAG) & API Manager 400K+ · 4.3★ (281)
wp.org #9 ↑4 1 too high 11 
Business Directory Plugin – Easy Listing & Member Directories for WordPress 10K+ · 4.6★ (504)
wp.org #14 3 too low 12 
Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667)
wp.org #16 ↑6 4 too low 13 
Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463) not PHP-current
wp.org #17 ↑7 4 too low 14 
Permalink Manager Lite 100K+ · 4.8★ (176)
wp.org #15 1 too low 15 
Ad Inserter – Ad Manager & AdSense Ads 300K+ · 4.9★ (2433)
wp.org #24 9 too low 16 
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7519)
wp.org #23 ↓5 7 too low 17 
Pixel Manager for WooCommerce – Conversion Tracking, Google Ads, GA4, TikTok, Dynamic Remarketing 40K+ · 4.9★ (399)
wp.org #22 ↓2 5 too low 18 
Infinity23 (Formerly Tag Manager) – One Plugin That Replaces All The Rest 20K+ · 4.7★ (53)
wp.org #13 ↓1 5 too high 19 
WP Job Manager 70K+ · 4.4★ (237)
wp.org #20 ↓3 1 too low 20 
Metronet Tag Manager 20K+ · 4.8★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #6 ↓1 14 too high 21 
Header Footer Code Manager 600K+ · 4.9★ (309) not PHP-current
wp.org #19 ↓3 2 too high 22 
WP Event Manager – Events Calendar, Registrations, Sell Tickets with WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.0★ (249)
wp.org #21 ↓2 1 too high 23 G Google Tag Manager 10K+ · 4.2★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #7 16 too high 24 
FAZ Cookie Manager 3K+ · 5.0★ (30)
wp.org #18 ↑5 6 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.