wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “vc hover 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 “vc hover image”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 1 of the top 15. 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.

Buried gem

Schema places #3 on merit, 4.3★ from 221 reviews, but shows at wp.org #8. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin signals wp.org

Extensive VC Addons for WPBakery Page Builder 4K+ · 4.7★ (14) thin reviews wp.org #1 2

Ditty – Responsive News Tickers, Sliders, and Lists 30K+ · 4.6★ (106) throws errorsnot PHP-current wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too low 3

Schema 30K+ · 4.3★ (221) wp.org #8 ↓1 5 too low 4

Web and WooCommerce Addons for WPBakery Builder 1K+ · 4.4★ (7) thin reviews wp.org #2 ↓1 2 too high 5

Jamie's Visual HTML Editor 100+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews wp.org #3 ↓1 2 too high 6

Ultimate Client Dash 2K+ · 4.8★ (10) thin reviews wp.org #6 ↓1 7

Shortcodes and extra features for Phlox theme 80K+ · 2.1★ (7) thin reviewslow rating, top placement wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too high 8 V VC Extension Hover Image 20+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #7 ↓1 1 too high 9

VaryCache — · 0.0★ (0) thin reviews wp.org #9 ↓1 10

Hover Effects For Visual Composer 100+ · 3.7★ (3) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too low 11

Hover Effects With Lightbox For WPBakery Page Builder (formely Visual Composer) 40+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviewsstale but ranked wp.org #10 ↓1 1 too high 12 S Simple Hover Box for WP Bakery Page Builder 90+ · 0.0★ (0) not PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #12 ↓1 13

Hover Effects Bundle Visual Composer Addon 10+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #13 ↓1 14

Addons for KingComposer 200+ · 0.0★ (0) closure risk thin reviews wp.org #15 ↓1 1 too low 15

VC Image Hover Effect oCoder Free 10+ · 0.0★ (0) throws errorsnot PHP-currentclosure risk thin reviews wp.org #14 ↓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.