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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “uptimerobot”

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 “uptimerobot”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

Website Status Checker Lite shows at wp.org #7 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its — installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Blackhole for Bad Bots places #4 on merit, 4.7★ from 148 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Advanced IP Blocker 3K+ · 4.9★ (27) wp.org #1 2 Security Ninja – WordPress Security & Firewall 7K+ · 4.7★ (101) wp.org #3 ↓1 1 too low 3 Opt-Out for Google Analytics (DSGVO / GDPR) 3K+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Blackhole for Bad Bots 30K+ · 4.7★ (148) wp.org #15 ↓4 11 too low 5 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #16 ↓4 11 too low 6 LukStack Uptime Monitor 50+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too high 7 Uptime Robot Plugin for WordPress 600+ · 4.1★ (10) wp.org #13 ↓4 6 too low 8 Speedtest Pro 30+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #5 ↓1 3 too high 9 Vireo Analytics – Cookieless WordPress Stats & Google Analytics Alternative 20+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #20 ↓3 11 too low 10 Locktura Security 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #6 4 too high 11 Target Media Toolkit – Maintenance Mode, Hide Login, WebP & Sitemap — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 ↓2 3 too high 12 Forge12 Security – Firewall, Malware Scanner, 2FA & Login Security 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 ↓3 3 too high 13 RealTrace AI – Real Human and AI Traffic Counter — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 ↓3 3 too high 14 Cron Guard — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 ↓3 3 too high 15 NeverLast Security Lite — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 3 too high 16 VMP Security – The All-In-One Security and Firewall Plugin 10+ · 4.5★ (2) wp.org #22 6 too low 17 Swirv — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↓4 3 too high 18 SEO Flow by LupsOnline 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↓4 1 too high 19 Z UpTime by Zubbin – Uptime & Site Health Monitoring — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↓4 20 AI Crawlers Visibility, Analytics & Control 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 ↓4 2 too high 21 Katina Link Manager — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 U Uptime Robot Widget 70+ · 3.7★ (3) wp.org #23 ↓5 1 too low 23 MCP Content Manager Lite 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓5 2 too high 24 Website Status Checker Lite — · 3.0★ (1) wp.org #7 ↓2 17 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.