wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “types”
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 “types”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 2 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
Essential Content Types shows at wp.org #6 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 15 places. Its 20K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.7★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI places #5 on merit, 4.8★ from 27821 reviews, but shows at wp.org #19. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Post Types Order 600K+ · 4.5★ (296)
wp.org #1 2 
Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields 100K+ · 4.8★ (418)
wp.org #2 3 
Custom Post Type UI 1M+ · 4.6★ (276)
wp.org #3 4 
Post Type Switcher 200K+ · 4.8★ (255)
wp.org #11 ↑5 7 too low 5 Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27821)
wp.org #19 ↑5 14 too low 6 
File Upload Types by WPForms 40K+ · 4.0★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #4 ↑2 2 too high 7 A Add MIME Types 50K+ · 4.2★ (25)
wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too high 8 
Category AJAX Filter – Posts, Custom Post Types & Product Filter 6K+ · 4.9★ (158)
wp.org #13 5 too low 9 
Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7520)
wp.org #20 ↓1 11 too low 10 
Gravity Forms + Custom Post Types 10K+ · 4.4★ (46)
wp.org #10 11 
Custom Post Type Permalinks 200K+ · 4.8★ (71)
wp.org #14 3 too low 12 
Post Types Unlimited 10K+ · 5.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #7 5 too high 13 
Custom Post Types and Custom Fields creator – WCK 10K+ · 4.7★ (97) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #12 ↓1 1 too high 14 
Display Post Types – Post Grid, post list and post sliders 8K+ · 5.0★ (26) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #9 5 too high 15 
Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) not PHP-current
wp.org #21 6 too low 16 
Wicked Folders – Folder Organizer for Pages, Posts, and Custom Post Types 20K+ · 4.9★ (56)
wp.org #23 ↓2 7 too low 17 
Mime Types Plus 10K+ · 3.8★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #8 9 too high 18 B BuddyPress Xprofile Custom Field Types 3K+ · 4.9★ (16) thin reviews
wp.org #16 ↓4 2 too high 19 
MB Custom Post Types & Custom Taxonomies 10K+ · 4.7★ (13) thin reviews
wp.org #15 4 too high 20 C Custom Post Type Widgets 10K+ · 4.8★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓2 4 too low 21 Essential Content Types 20K+ · 3.7★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #6 ↓1 15 too high 22 
Pro Mime Types – Manage file media types 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #17 5 too high 23 
CPO Content Types 3K+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #18 5 too high 24 
Easy Post Types and Fields 1K+ · 2.7★ (3) 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.