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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “verse”

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 “verse”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 12 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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

Popularis Extra shows at wp.org #7 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 6K+ 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

Daily Prayer Time places #2 on merit, 4.9★ from 96 reviews, but shows at wp.org #9. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Bible Verse of the Day 3K+ · 4.9★ (11) wp.org #1 2 Daily Prayer Time 1K+ · 4.9★ (96) wp.org #9 7 too low 3 Logos Reftagger 10K+ · 4.8★ (15) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Visual Bible Verse of the Day Widget 1K+ · 4.0★ (3) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 Verse of the Day Widget for WP 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #3 2 too high 6 Quran multilanguage Text & Audio 400+ · 5.0★ (17) wp.org #13 7 too low 7 BibleLink Multilingual 300+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #10 3 too low 8 ESV CrossReference Tool 500+ · 4.0★ (6) wp.org #8 9 Link To Bible 200+ · 4.1★ (10) wp.org #17 8 too low 10 Cryptocurrency Payment Gateway 400+ · 4.6★ (11) wp.org #16 ↓1 6 too low 11 Verse of the Day 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 7 too high 12 Bible SuperSearch 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Search & Replace Text in Blocks 90+ · 4.3★ (6) wp.org #23 10 too low 14 VerseLinker 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 8 too high 15 MRW Simplified Editor 100+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #18 3 too low 16 Popularis Extra 6K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 9 too high 17 Versiculo del dia 50+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #19 ↑1 2 too low 18 FrontEdit – Live Frontend Block Editor 2K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too low 19 Bible Verse Tooltips – Prodigal Verse — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 5 too high 20 QuoteFrameShare – Beautiful Blockquotes with Citation, Copy & Social Share 30+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 4 too low 21 The Word Widget 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 9 too high 22 BibleAsk – Verse Tooltip — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 ↑1 7 too high 23 PrimeBible Verse Preview 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 2 too high 24 Literal Word BibleTagger 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 2 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.