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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “vulnerable updates”

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 “vulnerable updates”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 of the top 20. 4 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

Ignore Or Disable Plugin Update shows at wp.org #4 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 16 places. Its 200+ 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

Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall places #9 on merit, 4.5★ from 373 reviews, but shows at wp.org #14. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8706) wp.org #1 2 Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall 100K+ · 4.9★ (783) wp.org #2 3 Security Plugin, Firewall & Malware Scanner with Auto Removal 40K+ · 4.8★ (397) wp.org #5 2 too low 4 Patchstack – WordPress & Plugins Security 100K+ · 4.8★ (62) wp.org #3 1 too high 5 File Manager Pro – Filester 100K+ · 4.9★ (155) wp.org #7 2 too low 6 Kadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection 700K+ · 4.6★ (3992) wp.org #10 4 too low 7 Jetpack Protect 100K+ · 4.6★ (123) wp.org #8 1 too low 8 WP Hide & Security Enhancer 50K+ · 4.3★ (275) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373) wp.org #14 5 too low 10 Advanced Shipment Tracking for WooCommerce 70K+ · 4.5★ (355) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 Headers Security Advanced & HSTS WP 90K+ · 4.8★ (80) wp.org #12 1 too low 12 WP phpMyAdmin 40K+ · 4.6★ (58) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Database Backup for WordPress 60K+ · 4.5★ (66) wp.org #13 14 Cookiebot – Cookie Banner & Cookie Consent for GDPR, CCPA & Google Consent Mode 100K+ · 4.4★ (440) wp.org #22 8 too low 15 GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform 100K+ · 4.6★ (708) wp.org #21 6 too low 16 Trusona for WordPress 400+ · 5.0★ (19) wp.org #16 17 The Hack Repair Guy’s Plugin Archiver 300+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #20 3 too low 18 BotBlocker Security – Complete security platform 3K+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #15 3 too high 19 Simple Disable XML-RPC 1K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #19 20 Ignore Or Disable Plugin Update 200+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #4 16 too high 21 Virusdie | One-click website security 2K+ · 4.0★ (9) wp.org #18 3 too high 22 Rename Plugins Folder 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #17 5 too high 23 VulnTitan – Malware Scanner, Vulnerability Scanner & Security 100+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 B Batch REST Guard 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 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.