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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “username update”

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 “username update”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 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

Edit Usernames shows at wp.org #12 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 12 places. Its 70+ 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

Temporary Login Without Password places #10 on merit, 5.0★ from 1549 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.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Username Changer 40K+ · 4.3★ (77) wp.org #1 2 Easy Updates Manager 300K+ · 4.8★ (726) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings 4M+ · 4.8★ (7519) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) 3M+ · 4.9★ (8869) wp.org #6 ↑1 2 too low 5 Wordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security 5M+ · 4.7★ (5039) wp.org #7 ↓1 2 too low 6 All-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall 1M+ · 4.7★ (1720) wp.org #10 4 too low 7 Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423) wp.org #11 4 too low 8 Change Username 4K+ · 4.6★ (7) wp.org #2 6 too high 9 Loginizer 1M+ · 4.8★ (1033) wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too high 10 Temporary Login Without Password 90K+ · 5.0★ (1549) wp.org #16 ↑1 6 too low 11 Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491) wp.org #15 ↑1 4 too low 12 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #18 ↑2 6 too low 13 Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty 300K+ · 5.0★ (1244) wp.org #22 ↓3 9 too low 14 Site Reviews 60K+ · 4.9★ (376) wp.org #20 ↓5 6 too low 15 WP Edit Username 2K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #4 11 too high 16 R Restrict Usernames Emails Characters 1K+ · 4.5★ (25) wp.org #9 ↓1 7 too high 17 Social Feed Gallery 80K+ · 4.5★ (303) wp.org #23 6 too low 18 Custom Permalinks 100K+ · 4.1★ (116) wp.org #17 ↑1 1 too high 19 Transliterator – Multilingual and Multi-script Text Conversion 3K+ · 4.8★ (96) wp.org #19 ↑2 20 Vigilant – 100% Free Security Suite: Firewall, 2FA, Login, Headers, Scanner… 3K+ · 5.0★ (24) wp.org #14 6 too high 21 Jetpack Protect 100K+ · 4.6★ (123) wp.org #24 3 too low 22 SiteGuard WP Plugin 600K+ · 4.3★ (15) wp.org #13 9 too high 23 U Username 500+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #21 ↑1 2 too high 24 Edit Usernames 70+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 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.