wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “user registration”
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 registration”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 5 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 Registration for Elementor Forms shows at wp.org #9 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 300+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More places #8 on merit, 4.8★ from 14387 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.
User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738)
wp.org #1 ↑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 
Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin 200K+ · 4.4★ (1445)
wp.org #3 4 
UsersWP – Front-end login form, User Registration, User Profile & Members Directory plugin for WP 20K+ · 4.7★ (183)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ · 4.8★ (3221)
wp.org #8 3 too low 6 
RegistrationMagic – Custom Registration Forms, User Registration, Payment, and User Login 7K+ · 4.5★ (459)
wp.org #6 ↓2 7 
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 #4 ↑3 3 too high 8 WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #14 ↓2 6 too low 9 
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #15 6 too low 10 
WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory 10K+ · 4.7★ (350) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #10 ↓1 11 
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 #7 ↓1 4 too high 12 
New User Approve 20K+ · 4.3★ (131)
wp.org #12 ↑2 13 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144)
wp.org #24 ↓4 11 too low 14 
Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70)
wp.org #18 ↓3 4 too low 15 
ProfileGrid – User Profiles, Groups and Communities 5K+ · 4.6★ (236) not PHP-current
wp.org #17 2 too low 16 
Event Tickets and Registration 90K+ · 3.5★ (236) heavy footprint
wp.org #13 ↓2 3 too high 17 
Pie Register – User Registration, Profiles & Content Restriction 1K+ · 4.2★ (222)
wp.org #20 ↑1 3 too low 18 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #22 4 too low 19 
WP Approve User 3K+ · 4.2★ (42)
wp.org #21 2 too low 20 
Users Registration Date – Sortable Users Column 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #11 ↓1 9 too high 21 
Registration Form for WooCommerce 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↓1 2 too high 22 
User Registration Using Contact Form 7 400+ · 4.2★ (5) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #16 6 too high 23 User Registration for Elementor Forms 300+ · 5.0★ (1) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #9 ↑4 14 too high 24 
User Registration Stats 50+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #23 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.