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

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 “tex”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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

Vaglio Asserzioni Ambientali shows at wp.org #11 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its — installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Enlighter – Customizable Syntax Highlighter places #6 on merit, 4.8★ from 65 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 KaTeX 2K+ · 5.0★ (16) wp.org #1 2 Code Block Pro – Beautiful Syntax Highlighting 10K+ · 4.8★ (50) wp.org #2 3 M MimeTypes Link Icons 8K+ · 5.0★ (26) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Easy Media Download 8K+ · 4.0★ (28) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 U Urvanov Syntax Highlighter 3K+ · 4.5★ (19) wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too low 6 Enlighter – Customizable Syntax Highlighter 10K+ · 4.8★ (65) wp.org #14 8 too low 7 S SyntaxHighlighter Evolved 20K+ · 4.3★ (86) wp.org #15 8 too low 8 Quick Download Button 1K+ · 4.6★ (12) wp.org #7 ↑1 1 too high 9 LaTeX2HTML 200+ · 4.8★ (9) wp.org #5 4 too high 10 Simple Ebook Viewer 400+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #8 ↓2 2 too high 11 teachPress 2K+ · 4.8★ (25) wp.org #13 2 too low 12 W WP LaTeX 700+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #20 ↓1 8 too low 13 WP-KaTeX 700+ · 4.6★ (11) wp.org #22 ↑1 9 too low 14 Web-Safe Fonts for Editor by RotiStudio — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 5 too high 15 Holographic Training LMS — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 5 too high 16 Youngwhan's Simple Latex 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #16 17 Vaglio Asserzioni Ambientali — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 6 too high 18 WPBetterCodeHighlighting — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 6 too high 19 Enable Latex 50+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #23 ↓1 4 too low 20 GPT-trainer 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 2 too high 21 M Markdeep Block — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 4 too high 22 WunderPaint – The Dynamic Design and Automation Studio 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↑1 3 too high 23 Insert math 100+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 R REXADZ Monetization 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #24

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.