wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “threats”
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 “threats”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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
Quttera ThreatSign – Web Malware Scanner for WordPress shows at wp.org #8 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 10K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.9★ average from 47 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5038) heavy footprint
wp.org #1 2 
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin 1M+ · 4.5★ (157)
wp.org #2 3 
Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (783)
wp.org #6 3 too low 4 
Defender Security – Malware Scanner, Login Security & Firewall 80K+ · 4.8★ (334)
wp.org #5 ↓1 1 too low 5 
Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27)
wp.org #3 ↑2 2 too high 6 
Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992)
wp.org #9 ↑1 3 too low 7 
Sucuri Security – Auditing, Malware Scanner and Security Hardening 600K+ · 4.2★ (386) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #4 ↓1 3 too high 8 
Jetpack Protect 100K+ · 4.6★ (123)
wp.org #7 ↑1 1 too high 9 
Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397)
wp.org #10 ↑3 1 too low 10 
BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security 100K+ · 4.9★ (160)
wp.org #11 1 too low 11 
Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373)
wp.org #12 ↑2 1 too low 12 
All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720)
wp.org #13 ↓1 1 too low 13 
WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146)
wp.org #17 ↑1 4 too low 14 
W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420)
wp.org #15 ↑1 1 too low 15 
Shield Security – Smart Bot Blocking, Brute-Force Login Protection & File Scanning 30K+ · 4.8★ (1039)
wp.org #18 ↑2 3 too low 16 Quttera ThreatSign – Web Malware Scanner for WordPress 10K+ · 3.9★ (47) not PHP-current
wp.org #8 ↑1 8 too high 17 
Drag and Drop Multiple File Upload for Contact Form 7 60K+ · 4.8★ (94)
wp.org #19 ↑2 2 too low 18 
Cloudflare 200K+ · 3.5★ (181)
wp.org #14 ↑1 4 too high 19 
Blackhole for Bad Bots 30K+ · 4.7★ (148)
wp.org #23 4 too low 20 
Spam Protection | Maspik 30K+ · 4.7★ (87)
wp.org #20 ↓1 21 
Zero Spam for WordPress 20K+ · 4.1★ (143) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #16 ↑1 5 too high 22 
WP Updates Notifier 20K+ · 4.2★ (35)
wp.org #24 2 too low 23 
Atomic Edge Security – Firewall, Malware Scan and Login Security 700+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↑1 2 too high 24 
Virusdie | One-click website security 2K+ · 4.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↑2 2 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.