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← Rankings

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

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 “useless”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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

Anyway Feedback shows at wp.org #15 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Speed Booster Pack ⚡ PageSpeed Optimization Suite places #8 on merit, 4.3★ from 186 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ · 4.8★ (3220) wp.org #1 2 3D FlipBook – PDF Embedder, PDF Flipbook Viewer, Flipbook Image Gallery 70K+ · 4.8★ (182) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 ThirstyAffiliates – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking & Marketing Plugin 30K+ · 4.6★ (251) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Simple Download Counter 2K+ · 4.9★ (19) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 GeoDirectory – WP Business Directory Plugin and Classified Listings Directory 10K+ · 4.8★ (716) wp.org #5 6 WP 404 Auto Redirect to Similar Post 30K+ · 4.9★ (113) wp.org #11 ↓2 5 too low 7 WP Hide & Security Enhancer 50K+ · 4.3★ (275) wp.org #14 7 too low 8 Speed Booster Pack ⚡ PageSpeed Optimization Suite 8K+ · 4.3★ (186) wp.org #20 ↓1 12 too low 9 Acumulus 200+ · 4.7★ (26) wp.org #13 ↑9 4 too low 10 Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools 8K+ · 4.1★ (15) wp.org #6 4 too high 11 Share a Draft 3K+ · 3.7★ (11) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 EasyFonts – Host Google Fonts Locally, Fast & Auto-Optimize, GDPR Compliant 1K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #8 ↑2 4 too high 13 Smart Marketing SMS and Newsletters Forms 1K+ · 5.0★ (154) wp.org #24 11 too low 14 Dynamics 365 Integration 500+ · 4.7★ (13) wp.org #9 ↑2 5 too high 15 MaxGalleria 1K+ · 4.4★ (65) wp.org #21 ↓1 6 too low 16 Duplicate Page or Post 9K+ · 4.0★ (8) wp.org #10 ↓2 6 too high 17 Purify WP Menus 200+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #18 ↓1 1 too low 18 Remove Website URL Field From Comment Form 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #12 6 too high 19 CopySafe Web Protection – Copy Protect Images 800+ · 4.1★ (12) wp.org #17 ↓1 2 too high 20 SX No Homepage Pagination 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too high 21 WPC Update Variations In Cart for WooCommerce 200+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #16 ↓2 5 too high 22 Fewer Tags Free 100+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 ↑1 1 too low 23 Anyway Feedback 100+ · 4.0★ (3) wp.org #15 ↓1 8 too high 24 Simple HTTPS 400+ · 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.