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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “virtual queue”

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 “virtual queue”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 15 of the top 20.

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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Queue-Fair FREE Virtual Waiting Room shows at wp.org #5 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 40+ installs carry it up the search order; its 0.0★ average from 0 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Property Hive places #6 on merit, 4.9★ from 96 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 W3 Total Cache 900K+ · 4.4★ (5420) wp.org #2 1 too low 2 Pay with Vipps and MobilePay for WooCommerce 5K+ · 4.8★ (13) wp.org #3 1 too low 3 CrowdHandler virtual waiting room 100+ · 3.4★ (5) wp.org #1 2 too high 4 Smart COD for WooCommerce 30K+ · 4.6★ (52) wp.org #11 ↑2 7 too low 5 SEO Booster 800+ · 4.8★ (54) wp.org #12 ↑3 7 too low 6 Property Hive 3K+ · 4.9★ (96) wp.org #17 11 too low 7 Import Social Events 3K+ · 4.8★ (116) wp.org #18 11 too low 8 Bulk Page Generator – LPagery 3K+ · 5.0★ (31) wp.org #16 8 too low 9 CM Answers – Discussion Forum Plugin for WordPress Q&A 300+ · 3.8★ (86) wp.org #19 10 too low 10 Auto Ping Booster 900+ · 4.0★ (4) wp.org #4 6 too high 11 Houzez Property Feed 1K+ · 4.7★ (11) wp.org #13 ↑1 2 too low 12 Mirrago Virtual Tryon — · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #6 6 too high 13 BuddyPilot Withdrawal – Easy Returns for WooCommerce 300+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #8 5 too high 14 LATW AI Translation for WPML 100+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #15 ↓3 1 too low 15 JumpsuitAI – llms.txt + Markdown Endpoints 200+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #7 8 too high 16 Queue-Fair FREE Virtual Waiting Room 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 11 too high 17 Checkout.com Payment Gateway 200+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 3 too low 18 FooGallery Migrate 1K+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #14 4 too high 19 Booking System Trafft 400+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #22 ↓1 3 too low 20 Baidu Ping Booster 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↑1 11 too high 21 Mirrolo — AI Virtual Try-On, Product Photos & Shopping Assistant for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #10 ↑1 11 too high 22 Odoo Integration for WooCommerce 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 1 too high 23 AnyTry – AI Virtual Try-On for WooCommerce — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 ↓1 1 too low 24 Ask My Content – AI Search Chatbot 20+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #23 ↓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.