Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “tender”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 14 of the top 20. 6 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

GlobalPayments Gateway Provider for WooCommerce shows at wp.org #12 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Sliced Invoices – WordPress Invoice Plugin places #3 on merit, 4.6★ from 117 reviews, but shows at wp.org #13. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Jovvie Point of Sale POS for WooCommerce 100+ · 4.5★ (22) wp.org #1 2 FileDeck – Document Library & Download Manager 100+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #2 3 Sliced Invoices – WordPress Invoice Plugin 4K+ · 4.6★ (117) wp.org #13 10 too low 4 WCPOS – Point of Sale (POS) plugin for WooCommerce 5K+ · 3.7★ (84) wp.org #11 7 too low 5 DineKit – Restaurant Menu, Online Ordering, Table Reservations & POS 70+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 2 too high 6 StoreEngine — Complete eCommerce Solution with Memberships, Licensing, Affiliates & More 700+ · 5.0★ (17) wp.org #14 ↑1 8 too low 7 Retail POS for WooCommerce – Point of Sale, Barcode Scanner & Receipts — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 bLoyal: Loyalty & Promotions by bLoyal 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 4 too high 9 Dadevarzan WordPress Tender 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 ↑1 3 too high 10 Kumibox-info — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 ↓1 3 too high 11 PerseiaThink Accessibility Audit for EAA — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 3 too high 12 2WayMicropay — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 3 too high 13 eInvoice Viewer for PEPPOL & EN16931 — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 Sola Payment Gateway for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 4 too high 15 A add-currency-pesetas — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 3 too low 16 C ClickHome-MyHome 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 4 too low 17 Swiss 5-cent Rounding 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↓1 2 too high 18 GlobalPayments Gateway Provider for WooCommerce 1K+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #12 6 too high 19 Modern Hotel Booking — Direct Booking Engine, Availability Calendar & Vacation Rental PMS 10+ · 4.0★ (2) wp.org #16 3 too high 20 T The Loyalty Box – WooCommerce Rewards Program 10+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #19 1 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.