wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “user passwords”
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 passwords”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 3 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
Disable Application Passwords shows at wp.org #13 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 7 places. Its 3K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 9 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection places #10 on merit, 4.6★ from 3992 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) heavy footprint
wp.org #2 ↓1 1 too low 2 
User Switching 200K+ · 4.9★ (238)
wp.org #3 1 too low 3 
User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
User Registration & Membership – Free & Paid Memberships, Subscriptions, Content Restriction, User Profile, Custom User Registration & Login Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (832)
wp.org #6 ↓1 2 too low 5 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #7 2 too low 6 
Password Protected 300K+ · 4.4★ (142)
wp.org #5 ↑10 1 too high 7 
Expire User Passwords 3K+ · 4.2★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #1 ↑1 6 too high 8 
Stop User Enumeration 60K+ · 4.9★ (132)
wp.org #10 ↓3 2 too low 9 
Import and export users and customers 70K+ · 4.7★ (259)
wp.org #11 ↓1 2 too low 10 Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992)
wp.org #14 ↓5 4 too low 11 
Login as User: See the Site as Any User 30K+ · 4.8★ (41)
wp.org #8 ↑3 3 too high 12 
WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory 10K+ · 4.7★ (350) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #9 ↓3 3 too high 13 
Temporary Login Without Password 90K+ · 5.0★ (1549)
wp.org #20 ↓3 7 too low 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 
PPWP – Password Protect Pages 30K+ · 4.7★ (271)
wp.org #18 ↓5 3 too low 16 
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 #12 ↑12 4 too high 17 
New User Approve 20K+ · 4.3★ (131)
wp.org #16 ↓2 1 too high 18 
User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112)
wp.org #19 1 too low 19 
Activity Log – Monitor User and Agent Changes 200K+ · 4.3★ (74)
wp.org #17 2 too high 20 Disable Application Passwords 3K+ · 5.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #13 ↓5 7 too high 21 
ProfilePress – Paid Membership, Online Courses (LMS), Ecommerce, User Registration & Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content 100K+ · 3.1★ (938) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #21 ↓3 22 
Disable User Password Reset Admin Notifications 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #15 ↓3 7 too high 23 
Password Policy Manager 6K+ · 4.4★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24 
MASS Users Password Reset 500+ · 4.0★ (14) not PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↓1 1 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.