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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “two dimensional code”

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 “two dimensional code”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 5 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

WP QR Code Generator shows at wp.org #13 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 2.3★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 GenerateBlocks 200K+ · 4.9★ (122) wp.org #1 2 Pixel Tag Manager for WooCommerce – Google Analytics 4, Google Ads, and More Pixels 2K+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #2 3 Flexible Quantity & Price Calculator for WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.3★ (9) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Admin Page Framework 70+ · 5.0★ (23) wp.org #14 10 too low 5 IntelliWidget Per Page Custom Menus and Dynamic Content 600+ · 4.7★ (20) wp.org #15 10 too low 6 Easy Shipping Rate for WooCommerce 20+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #3 3 too high 7 Advanced Shipping Rate Builder – Table Rate, Conditional & Weight Based Shipping 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 Envato Toolkit 5K+ · 2.8★ (9) wp.org #12 4 too low 9 3D WP Tag Cloud-S 70+ · 4.0★ (9) wp.org #19 10 too low 10 Blicks – Layout Blocks for the Block Editor — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 2 too high 11 Zonos Checkout for WooCommerce 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 5 too high 12 OwlyCrackGeo — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 3 too high 13 GSheet Membership — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 3 too high 14 Dependent Media Live Rates for USPS 70+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 7 too high 15 Bread 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 4 too high 16 T Two Dimensional Code 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 17 Jimmy Branding — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 18 Commentcode API — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 19 K Kwik Framework — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Q QR wordPress plugin 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 3 too low 21 WP QR Code Generator 100+ · 2.3★ (3) wp.org #13 8 too high 22 3D WP Tag Cloud-M 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 23 H HTML to Post 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 J Javascript QRcode Generator 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 3 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.