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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “video chat”

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 “video chat”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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

Animated Floating Chat Button shows at wp.org #12 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 4K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 6 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Customer Reviews for WooCommerce places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 1539 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots 10K+ · 4.8★ (142) wp.org #1 2 Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty 300K+ · 5.0★ (1244) wp.org #2 3 3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging 100K+ · 4.6★ (820) wp.org #4 1 too low 4 Tidio – Live Chat & AI Chatbots 70K+ · 4.8★ (395) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 Sticky Chat Widget – Floating Chat Icons, Contact Form, Call, Click to Chat, Email & Message Buttons 10K+ · 5.0★ (39) wp.org #5 6 Wise Chat 4K+ · 4.4★ (105) wp.org #6 ↑4 7 Anti-Spam, Spam FireWall by CleanTalk 200K+ · 4.8★ (3221) wp.org #14 ↓1 7 too low 8 Joinchat – Enhanced “click to chat” 700K+ · 4.7★ (189) wp.org #8 ↓2 9 Live Chat by Formilla – Real-time Chat & Chatbots Plugin 2K+ · 4.8★ (116) wp.org #9 ↓1 10 Tawk.To Live Chat 100K+ · 4.6★ (142) wp.org #10 ↓1 11 Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #13 ↑9 2 too low 12 Customer Reviews for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.8★ (1539) wp.org #24 ↓1 12 too low 13 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #21 8 too low 14 ChatHelp – Click to Chat Button, Chat to Order for WooCommerce & Floating Chat Form 2K+ · 4.4★ (9) wp.org #7 7 too high 15 Chat Widget: Floating Customer Support Button for 30+ Channels, Supporting SMS, Calls, and Chat – Bit Assist 9K+ · 4.9★ (111) wp.org #23 ↓2 8 too low 16 FlexMeeting – Webinar & Meeting Plugin for Jitsi Meet 1K+ · 4.5★ (38) wp.org #19 3 too low 17 OneClick Chat to Order 30K+ · 4.8★ (84) wp.org #20 ↓6 3 too low 18 Group Chat & Video Chat by AtomChat 200+ · 4.6★ (8) wp.org #11 ↑5 7 too high 19 Chatra Live Chat + ChatBot + Cart Saver 2K+ · 5.0★ (12) wp.org #18 ↑1 1 too high 20 Buttonizer – Live Chat, AI Chatbot, Call, Chat, Contact Button 50K+ · 5.0★ (23) wp.org #17 ↑1 3 too high 21 Animated Floating Chat Button 4K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #12 ↓1 9 too high 22 Better Chat Support for Messenger 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #16 ↑1 6 too high 23 RumbleTalk Group Chat for Communities & Live Events 600+ · 3.4★ (21) wp.org #22 ↓2 1 too high 24 Gumlet Video 300+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #15 9 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.