wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “tree view”
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 “tree view”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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
F4 Post Tree shows at wp.org #3 but places #15 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 600+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager places #4 on merit, 5.0★ from 1526 reviews, but shows at wp.org #8. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
CMS Tree Page View – Reorder Pages with a Drag-and-Drop Tree 50K+ · 4.9★ (365)
wp.org #1 2 
Admin Menu Tree Page View 10K+ · 4.6★ (48)
wp.org #2 3 
FileBird – WordPress Media Library Folders & File Manager 200K+ · 4.7★ (1125)
wp.org #6 3 too low 4 Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager 90K+ · 5.0★ (1526)
wp.org #8 4 too low 5 
Nested Pages 90K+ · 4.7★ (126)
wp.org #5 ↓1 6 
Download Manager 90K+ · 4.1★ (1006)
wp.org #9 3 too low 7 
ECS – Ele Custom Skin for Elementor 100K+ · 4.6★ (117)
wp.org #7 8 
Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491)
wp.org #10 ↑1 2 too low 9 
Groups – Memberships and Access Control 10K+ · 4.8★ (382)
wp.org #12 ↑1 3 too low 10 
AMP for WP – Accelerated Mobile Pages 70K+ · 4.4★ (1319)
wp.org #13 ↑1 3 too low 11 
Simple Download Monitor 20K+ · 4.7★ (158)
wp.org #11 ↑1 12 
Genealogical Tree – Family Tree & Ancestry for WordPress 600+ · 4.1★ (16) thin reviews
wp.org #4 ↑1 8 too high 13 
Media Library Organizer – Folders, File Manager & Media Categories 20K+ · 4.7★ (150)
wp.org #15 ↑2 2 too low 14 
WPIDE – File Manager & Code Editor 40K+ · 4.8★ (306)
wp.org #20 ↓4 6 too low 15 F4 Post Tree 600+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #3 12 too high 16 
Simple Custom Post Order 300K+ · 4.8★ (588)
wp.org #22 ↓2 6 too low 17 
Wicked Folders – Folder Organizer for Pages, Posts, and Custom Post Types 20K+ · 4.9★ (56)
wp.org #14 ↑1 3 too high 18 
Document Embedder – let visitors read files without downloading 9K+ · 4.9★ (120)
wp.org #24 6 too low 19 
WP Swiper 5K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↑3 2 too high 20 
Extensions for Leaflet Map 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↓3 1 too low 21 
CatFolders – WordPress Media Library Folders & Categories 6K+ · 4.3★ (22) thin reviews
wp.org #16 ↑3 5 too high 22 
RootsPersona 400+ · 4.6★ (17) thin reviews
wp.org #18 4 too high 23 N NextGEN Gallery Image Chooser 200+ · 4.7★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↑1 24 
E20 Page Tree 10+ · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↑3 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.