Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “user enumeration”

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 enumeration”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

SMNTCS Disable REST API User Endpoints shows at wp.org #3 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 8K+ 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

Shield Security – Smart Bot Blocking, Brute-Force Login Protection & File Scanning places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 1039 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Stop User Enumeration 60K+ · 4.9★ (132) wp.org #1 2 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #2 ↑2 3 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #5 ↑2 2 too low 4 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #6 2 too low 5 WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory 10K+ · 4.7★ (350) wp.org #4 ↓1 1 too high 6 Loginizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1033) wp.org #7 ↑1 1 too low 7 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5038) wp.org #10 ↑1 3 too low 8 Shield Security – Smart Bot Blocking, Brute-Force Login Protection & File Scanning 30K+ · 4.8★ (1039) wp.org #17 ↓2 9 too low 9 WP Encryption: Easy HTTPS / SSL & Free SSL certificate, HTTPS redirect 50K+ · 4.9★ (1146) wp.org #18 ↓1 9 too low 10 Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373) wp.org #16 6 too low 11 ProfilePress – Paid Membership, Online Courses (LMS), Ecommerce, User Registration & Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content 100K+ · 3.1★ (938) wp.org #8 ↓3 3 too high 12 WP fail2ban – Advanced Security 60K+ · 4.2★ (71) wp.org #12 ↓3 13 WPBruiser Security – No CAPTCHA Anti-Spam & Login Protection 10K+ · 4.6★ (213) wp.org #20 7 too low 14 All In One Login 60K+ · 3.6★ (35) wp.org #9 ↑3 5 too high 15 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #13 2 too high 16 Titan Anti-spam & Security – Brute Force Protection, 2FA & Spam Filter 50K+ · 4.5★ (370) wp.org #22 ↓2 6 too low 17 SMNTCS Disable REST API User Endpoints 8K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 ↓1 14 too high 18 Apocalypse Meow 300+ · 5.0★ (23) wp.org #19 1 too low 19 WPMasterToolKit (WPMTK) – All in one plugin 5K+ · 5.0★ (28) wp.org #21 ↓3 2 too low 20 Disable Everything 30K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #14 6 too high 21 Stop XML-RPC Attacks 6K+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #11 ↓1 10 too high 22 WPEPP – Essential Security, Password Protect & Login Page Customizer 3K+ · 4.1★ (19) wp.org #23 ↓2 1 too low 23 Honeypot Toolkit 400+ · 4.3★ (9) wp.org #24 ↓2 1 too low 24 Pinny’s REST Lock – Block REST User Enumeration 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↑1 9 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.