Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “wero”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 9 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

Novalnet Payment Gateway for Easy Digital Downloads shows at wp.org #10 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 20+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Events Made Easy places #4 on merit, 4.6★ from 111 reviews, but shows at wp.org #18. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Paytium: Mollie payment forms & donations 2K+ · 4.5★ (64) wp.org #1 2 Easy Digital Downloads – eCommerce Payments and Subscriptions made easy 40K+ · 4.7★ (591) wp.org #4 2 too low 3 Pronamic Pay 2K+ · 4.8★ (84) wp.org #2 1 too high 4 Events Made Easy 1K+ · 4.6★ (111) wp.org #18 ↓3 14 too low 5 Buckaroo Payments for WooCommerce 2K+ · 4.7★ (6) wp.org #3 2 too high 6 Mollie Payments for WooCommerce 100K+ · 3.6★ (69) wp.org #17 ↓3 11 too low 7 myEasyCompta – Invoicing, Accounting & Quotes Plugin for WordPress 20+ · 5.0★ (4) wp.org #12 ↓1 5 too low 8 Novalnet Payment Gateway for WooCommerce 1K+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #6 2 too high 9 ICEPAY for WooCommerce 60+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #8 1 too high 10 Unzer Payments 100+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #9 1 too high 11 PayPro Gateways – WooCommerce 300+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 4 too high 12 Pronamic Pay with Mollie for Gravity Forms 300+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #20 ↓3 8 too low 13 PayPlug for WooCommerce (Official) 4K+ · 3.3★ (7) wp.org #19 ↓3 6 too low 14 Rabo Smart Pay for WooCommerce 600+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #5 9 too high 15 ZEN.COM Payments for WooCommerce 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #13 2 too high 16 payever Checkout – Composable Payment Gateway 800+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #14 ↓1 2 too high 17 Dotatie Donation Form — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 2 too high 18 Courtora Smart Court Booking — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 2 too high 19 VR Payment 80+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 ↑1 8 too high 20 Novalnet Payment Gateway for Easy Digital Downloads 20+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #10 10 too high 21 P payabl. Payments Gateway 50+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↓4 2 too low 22 Worldline Global Online Pay for WooCommerce 500+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↓3 1 too high 23 Pronamic Pay with Mollie for Contact Form 7 100+ · 4.0★ (1) wp.org #24 ↓3 1 too low 24 pensopay Payments 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #22 ↓2 2 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.