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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “visit statistics”

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 “visit statistics”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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

Link Visit Counter shows at wp.org #9 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 30+ 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

Post Views Counter places #8 on merit, 4.9★ from 1236 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 Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186) wp.org #1 2 WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758) wp.org #2 3 WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic) 20K+ · 4.5★ (156) wp.org #3 4 Visitor Traffic Real Time Statistics 30K+ · 4.1★ (233) wp.org #5 1 too low 5 Jetpack – AI Agents & MCP, Security, Backup & Analytics 3M+ · 3.7★ (2408) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Metricool – Social media and site statistics 90K+ · 4.4★ (23) wp.org #4 2 too high 7 MailPoet – Newsletters, Email Marketing, and Automation 500K+ · 4.4★ (1435) wp.org #11 ↓2 4 too low 8 Post Views Counter 100K+ · 4.9★ (1236) wp.org #17 ↑4 9 too low 9 Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (167) wp.org #12 3 too low 10 Koko Analytics – Privacy-Friendly WordPress Analytics 70K+ · 5.0★ (245) wp.org #14 ↓1 4 too low 11 Product Feed PRO for WooCommerce by AdTribes – Product Feeds for WooCommerce 80K+ · 4.7★ (1071) wp.org #18 ↓3 7 too low 12 All in One SEO – AI SEO Plugin to Boost SEO Rankings & Traffic (Schema, Local SEO, Sitemap & SEO Insights) 2M+ · 4.7★ (5231) wp.org #13 ↓3 1 too low 13 Simple Statistics for Feeds 800+ · 4.8★ (58) wp.org #10 ↑1 3 too high 14 WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617) wp.org #19 ↓3 5 too low 15 Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551) wp.org #16 ↓2 1 too low 16 GA Google Analytics – Connect Google Analytics to WordPress 400K+ · 4.9★ (158) wp.org #24 ↓2 8 too low 17 Real-Time Post Statistics for WordPress 1K+ · 4.8★ (4) wp.org #6 11 too high 18 Sina Extension for Elementor 40K+ · 4.9★ (35) wp.org #20 ↓3 2 too low 19 ConvertNow Analytics: Website Stats, Visitor Statistics, AI Traffic and Bot Filtering 70+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #15 4 too high 20 SpeedyCache – Cache, Optimization, Performance 500K+ · 4.4★ (30) wp.org #22 ↓3 2 too low 21 Markdown for Agents and Statistics 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 ↓1 13 too high 22 DevDome Analytics: Bot Traffic vs Human Traffic Website Statistics 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #23 ↓3 1 too low 23 Link Visit Counter 30+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #9 ↓1 14 too high 24 Page Visit Counter Analytics – Website Statistics & Google Analytics Alternative for WordPress 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓3 3 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.