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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “unload css”

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 “unload css”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

PowerUp – Admin Tools (Login/Logout Redirects, Scripts & Comments Control) shows at wp.org #8 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

FV Flowplayer Video Player places #6 on merit, 4.4★ from 90 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Asset CleanUp: Page Speed Booster 100K+ · 4.9★ (1564) wp.org #1 2 OMGF | GDPR/DSGVO Compliant, Faster Google Fonts. Easy. 300K+ · 4.7★ (213) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Assets manager, dequeue scripts, dequeue styles for WordPress 2K+ · 4.3★ (53) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 a3 Lazy Load 80K+ · 4.3★ (148) wp.org #11 7 too low 5 System Dashboard 900+ · 4.9★ (16) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 FV Flowplayer Video Player 10K+ · 4.4★ (90) wp.org #14 8 too low 7 Essential Form – The lightest plugin for contact forms, ultra lightweight and no spam 600+ · 4.9★ (19) wp.org #18 ↑1 11 too low 8 Slash Admin 500+ · 5.0★ (9) wp.org #13 5 too low 9 Code Unloader – Unload Unused CSS, JS & Assets Per Page 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 7 too high 10 Conditionally Load CF7 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #10 11 Pagelean – Conditional Script and Style Loading — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 ↑1 6 too high 12 Email Inquiry & Cart Options for WooCommerce 800+ · 3.2★ (20) wp.org #17 5 too low 13 EPIC Conditional Assets Loader — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 ↓1 7 too high 14 Dr. Speed: AI Assets Scanner – Debloat & Dequeue Unused CSS/JS — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 5 too high 15 WPJ Sticky Video – Floating Video Player 20+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 16 PowerUp – Admin Tools (Login/Logout Redirects, Scripts & Comments Control) 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #8 8 too high 17 Massoftind Asset Manager — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 1 too high 18 SOptimizer – Critical CSS, WebP, Asset Manager & Bloat Remover — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too low 19 WebLift Booster by Jayanta — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 1 too low 20 Booster Sweeper: WordPress Asset Cleanup 10+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #12 8 too high 21 GDPR-DSGVO compliant Embeds for YouTube Videos 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓1 2 too low 22 Speedora Total Website Speed Optimization — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1 2 too low 23 PagePulse 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 Unloadly – Disable Unused CSS & JS — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↓1 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.