wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “template editing”
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 “template editing”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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
SKT Templates – 100% Free Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg shows at wp.org #9 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 20K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 6 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 14387 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132)
wp.org #1 2 
Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680)
wp.org #2 3 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5040)
wp.org #3 4 
Royal Addons for Elementor – Addons and Templates Kit for Elementor 600K+ · 4.8★ (612)
wp.org #4 ↓2 5 
Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528)
wp.org #5 6 
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27820)
wp.org #8 ↑3 2 too low 7 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #7 ↑1 8 
What The File 40K+ · 4.9★ (883)
wp.org #10 ↓3 2 too low 9 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #15 ↓2 6 too low 10 
ShopEngine – All-in-One Elementor WooCommerce Builder with eCommerce Templates & Woo Widgets 100K+ · 4.6★ (212)
wp.org #12 ↑2 2 too low 11 
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7520)
wp.org #17 6 too low 12 
Email Templates Customizer and Designer for WordPress and WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.6★ (133)
wp.org #11 ↓5 1 too high 13 
Custom Field Template 30K+ · 4.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #6 ↓2 7 too high 14 
Advanced Ads – Ad Manager & AdSense 90K+ · 4.9★ (1463)
wp.org #24 10 too low 15 
Events Shortcodes For The Events Calendar 10K+ · 4.9★ (214)
wp.org #18 ↓6 3 too low 16 
Loco Translate 1M+ · 4.8★ (453)
wp.org #16 17 
Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1667)
wp.org #22 5 too low 18 
GutenKit – Page Builder Blocks, Patterns, and Templates for Gutenberg Block Editor 80K+ · 4.5★ (48)
wp.org #13 ↓3 5 too high 19 
Yoast Duplicate Post 3M+ · 4.7★ (538)
wp.org #20 ↓2 1 too low 20 
Depicter — Popup & Slider Builder 70K+ · 4.6★ (236)
wp.org #23 ↓2 3 too low 21 
WPKoi Templates for Elementor 5K+ · 4.6★ (19) thin reviews
wp.org #14 ↑1 7 too high 22 
Fullwidth Templates for Any Theme & Page Builder 20K+ · 4.7★ (42)
wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too high 23 SKT Templates – 100% Free Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg 20K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #9 14 too high 24 
BEW – Elementor Addons, Templates & AI Builder 20K+ · 4.5★ (28)
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.