wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “user image”
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 image”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 4 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
Image Optimizer – Compress Images and Convert to WebP or AVIF shows at wp.org #11 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 1M+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.7★ average from 81 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery places #10 on merit, 4.7★ from 616 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
EWWW Image Optimizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1842)
wp.org #1 2 
User Registration & Membership – Free & Paid Memberships, Subscriptions, Content Restriction, User Profile, Custom User Registration & Login Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (832)
wp.org #2 ↑1 3 
ShortPixel Image Optimizer – Optimize Images, Convert WebP & AVIF 300K+ · 4.5★ (830)
wp.org #3 ↓1 4 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #4 5 
Smush – Image Optimization, Compression, Lazy Load, WebP & CDN 1M+ · 4.8★ (6053)
wp.org #6 1 too low 6 
Image Watermark 40K+ · 4.2★ (298)
wp.org #5 1 too high 7 
Slider, Gallery, and Carousel by MetaSlider – Image Slider, Video Slider 500K+ · 4.6★ (742)
wp.org #8 ↓1 1 too low 8 
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 #7 ↑16 1 too high 9 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #14 ↓1 5 too low 10 Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery 100K+ · 4.7★ (616)
wp.org #16 ↑1 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 #10 ↓2 1 too high 12 
One User Avatar | User Profile Picture 100K+ · 4.7★ (41)
wp.org #9 3 too high 13 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #13 ↓1 14 
User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End 10K+ · 4.8★ (913)
wp.org #22 ↓1 8 too low 15 
Imagify Image Optimization: Optimize Images | Compress & Convert to WebP/AVIF 900K+ · 4.3★ (1656)
wp.org #18 ↓3 3 too low 16 
Robin Image Optimizer – Unlimited Image Optimization, WebP & AVIF 100K+ · 4.4★ (131)
wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too high 17 
Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70)
wp.org #17 ↓1 18 
User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112)
wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too low 19 
reSmush.it : The original free image compressor and optimizer plugin 100K+ · 4.3★ (166)
wp.org #21 ↓1 2 too low 20 
Image Alt Text 10K+ · 5.0★ (56)
wp.org #23 3 too low 21 
Simple User Avatar 20K+ · 4.6★ (19) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↓1 2 too high 22 
WP User Avatars 20K+ · 4.5★ (29)
wp.org #24 2 too low 23 Image Optimizer – Compress Images and Convert to WebP or AVIF 1M+ · 1.7★ (81) host-installed base
wp.org #11 ↓1 12 too high 24 
Image Prioritizer 40K+ · 5.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #12 ↓1 12 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.