wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “user avatar”
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 “user avatar”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 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
User Profile Picture – Custom Local Avatars shows at wp.org #7 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 4K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) places #11 on merit, 5.0★ from 423 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.
One User Avatar | User Profile Picture 100K+ · 4.7★ (41)
wp.org #1 2 
User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738)
wp.org #4 ↑1 2 too low 3 
Simple User Avatar 20K+ · 4.6★ (19) thin reviews
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #8 4 too low 5 
WP User Avatars 20K+ · 4.5★ (29)
wp.org #3 2 too high 6 
User Menus – Nav Menu Visibility 80K+ · 5.0★ (1281)
wp.org #11 ↓5 5 too low 7 
ProfilePress – Paid Membership, Online Courses (LMS), Ecommerce, User Registration & Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content 100K+ · 3.1★ (938) throws errorsnot PHP-current low rating, top placement
wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too high 8 
WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory 10K+ · 4.7★ (350) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #9 ↓2 1 too low 9 
Import and export users and customers 70K+ · 4.7★ (259)
wp.org #16 ↓3 7 too low 10 
User Frontend – Membership, User Registration, User Profile, User Directory & Content Restriction with Frontend Post Submission 20K+ · 4.1★ (537) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #10 ↑2 11 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #20 ↓3 9 too low 12 
Simple Local Avatars 100K+ · 4.6★ (89)
wp.org #14 ↓6 2 too low 13 
New User Approve 20K+ · 4.3★ (131)
wp.org #15 ↓1 2 too low 14 
Author Avatars List/Block 4K+ · 4.8★ (32)
wp.org #12 ↓1 2 too high 15 
UsersWP – Front-end login form, User Registration, User Profile & Members Directory plugin for WP 20K+ · 4.7★ (183)
wp.org #23 ↓2 8 too low 16 
ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities 5K+ · 4.6★ (236) not PHP-current
wp.org #19 ↓3 3 too low 17 
Leira Letter Avatar 6K+ · 4.9★ (28)
wp.org #13 ↓3 4 too high 18 
Advanced User Avatar | Custom Profile Picture Uploader for WordPress, WooCommerce, and BuddyPress 300+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #6 ↑3 12 too high 19 
User Profile Picture 40K+ · 4.6★ (59)
wp.org #21 ↓3 2 too low 20 
Basic User Avatars 20K+ · 4.7★ (42)
wp.org #24 ↓1 4 too low 21 User Profile Picture – Custom Local Avatars 4K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #7 ↑15 14 too high 22 
WP User Groups 600+ · 4.3★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #22 ↓2 23 
Gravatar Enhanced – Avatars, Profiles, and Privacy 100K+ · 5.0★ (3) host-installed base thin reviews
wp.org #17 ↑2 6 too high 24 
Easy Author Avatar Image 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↓3 6 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.