Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “webspace”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 4 of the top 20. 3 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Aruba Migration Tool shows at wp.org #3 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 19 places. Its 600+ installs carry it up the search order; its 1.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

A

Buried gem

Adminimize places #2 on merit, 4.7★ from 254 reviews, but shows at wp.org #8. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Sitemap Generator 3K+ · 3.7★ (23) wp.org #2 ↑1 1 too low 2 A Adminimize 100K+ · 4.7★ (254) wp.org #8 ↑1 6 too low 3 Avacy CMP 700+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #1 2 too high 4 wp-greet 50+ · 4.9★ (10) wp.org #10 ↑1 6 too low 5 WC Recurring Invoice 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #4 ↑1 1 too high 6 Email Essentials 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too high 7 klpsoft Feeds for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too high 8 dejure.org Vernetzungsfunktion 200+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 ↑1 1 too low 9 Bastora Security Audit 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #7 ↑1 2 too high 10 VINUBIS Video Editor 20+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #13 ↑1 3 too low 11 feuerball3D – 360° animations — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↑1 1 too low 12 DoYouWantCookies 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 ↑1 1 too high 13 O OpenEstate PHP-Wrapper 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↑1 2 too low 14 S Shardul Pandey Talks — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 ↑1 2 too low 15 Customer Service to Content Marketing Converter by Produck — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↑1 1 too high 16 B Before After Pictures 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↑1 1 too low 17 W WP Topvotes — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↑1 1 too low 18 S schmie_twitter — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #19 ↑1 1 too low 19 W wpCoordinates — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↑1 3 too low 20 W wpSpoiler 300+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #21 1 too low 21 D Disk Usage 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #20 ↑2 1 too high 22 Aruba Migration Tool 600+ · 1.0★ (1) wp.org #3 ↑1 19 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.