wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “user data”
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 data”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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
Export Users Data CSV shows at wp.org #5 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 17 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 913 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
User Role Editor 700K+ · 4.5★ (288)
wp.org #1 2 
User Switching 200K+ · 4.9★ (238)
wp.org #2 3 
User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738)
wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too low 4 
WP Data Access – App Builder for Tables, Forms, Dashboards, Charts & Maps 10K+ · 4.9★ (88)
wp.org #3 ↑3 1 too high 5 
User Registration & Membership – Free & Paid Memberships, Subscriptions, Content Restriction, User Profile, Custom User Registration & Login Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (832)
wp.org #7 ↑1 2 too low 6 
Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin 200K+ · 4.4★ (1445)
wp.org #8 ↓4 2 too low 7 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #10 ↓3 3 too low 8 
Stop User Enumeration 60K+ · 4.9★ (132)
wp.org #9 1 too low 9 
Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP 100K+ · 4.5★ (252) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #6 ↓1 3 too high 10 
User Menus – Nav Menu Visibility 80K+ · 5.0★ (1281)
wp.org #16 ↓3 6 too low 11 
WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory 10K+ · 4.7★ (350) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #11 ↓1 12 User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End 10K+ · 4.8★ (913)
wp.org #24 ↓1 12 too low 13 
Login as User: See the Site as Any User 30K+ · 4.8★ (41)
wp.org #12 ↑4 1 too high 14 
Import and export users and customers 70K+ · 4.7★ (259)
wp.org #20 ↓1 6 too low 15 
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #21 6 too low 16 
Smart User Slug Hider 2K+ · 4.9★ (55)
wp.org #14 2 too high 17 
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 #13 ↑11 4 too high 18 
New User Approve 20K+ · 4.3★ (131)
wp.org #17 ↓3 1 too high 19 
One User Avatar | User Profile Picture 100K+ · 4.7★ (41)
wp.org #15 ↓3 4 too high 20 
Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70)
wp.org #23 ↓1 3 too low 21 
Export and Import Users and Customers 50K+ · 4.8★ (442) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #22 ↓4 1 too low 22 Export Users Data CSV 1K+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #5 ↑6 17 too high 23 
Head Meta Data 10K+ · 4.8★ (19) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↓2 4 too high 24 
GDPR Data Request Form 5K+ · 4.9★ (14) 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.