Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “top author”

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 “top author”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 4 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

Cool Author Box – For Widget and Post Content shows at wp.org #12 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 500+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Post Views Counter places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 1236 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Co-Authors, Multiple Authors and Guest Authors in an Author Box with PublishPress Authors 20K+ · 4.9★ (114) wp.org #1 2 WebberZone Top 10 — Popular Posts 10K+ · 4.6★ (102) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Simple Author Box 90K+ · 4.3★ (115) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Molongui Authorship – Author Boxes, Guest Authors & Co-Authors for WordPress 10K+ · 4.7★ (158) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 WP Post Author – Author Box, Multiple Authors, Guest Authors & Custom Avatars 10K+ · 4.2★ (22) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758) wp.org #10 4 too low 7 Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #9 2 too low 8 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #17 ↓1 9 too low 9 Back To The Top Button 4K+ · 5.0★ (28) wp.org #8 1 too high 10 Post Views Counter 100K+ · 4.9★ (1236) wp.org #22 ↑2 12 too low 11 Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (167) wp.org #16 ↑1 5 too low 12 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) wp.org #15 3 too low 13 MC4WP: Mailchimp Top Bar – Email Subscribe Notification Bar 6K+ · 4.6★ (31) wp.org #6 7 too high 14 Schedule Post Changes With PublishPress Future: Unpublish, Delete, Change Status, Trash, Change Categories 100K+ · 4.5★ (172) wp.org #20 ↓1 6 too low 15 Custom Post Type UI 1M+ · 4.6★ (276) wp.org #18 ↑3 3 too low 16 VK Post Author Display 10K+ · 4.5★ (8) wp.org #7 9 too high 17 Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440) wp.org #24 7 too low 18 MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) 2M+ · 4.5★ (3157) wp.org #21 ↓1 3 too low 19 Simple Scroll To Top WP 1K+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #11 8 too high 20 Individual Multisite Author 30+ · 5.0★ (13) wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too high 21 Scroll Top | HR Scroll Top 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #13 8 too high 22 Cool Author Box – For Widget and Post Content 500+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #12 10 too high 23 Stylish Top Author Widget 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 9 too high 24 Author Website Templates – Create Writer, Author & Publisher Websites Easily 500+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 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.