wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “wide”
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 “wide”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 6 of the top 20. 6 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
WP Datepicker shows at wp.org #15 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 5 places. Its 6K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.8★ average from 37 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Redirection places #12 on merit, 5.0★ from 419 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.
TablePress – Tables in WordPress made easy 600K+ · 5.0★ (4625)
wp.org #2 1 too low 2 
WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #1 1 too high 3 
Backup Migration 80K+ · 4.9★ (1338)
wp.org #5 ↓1 2 too low 4 
Backuply – Backup, Restore, Migrate and Clone 600K+ · 4.5★ (135)
wp.org #3 ↑3 1 too high 5 
Post Views Counter 100K+ · 4.9★ (1236)
wp.org #7 ↑6 2 too low 6 
Code Snippets 1M+ · 4.7★ (510) not PHP-current
wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too high 7 
Disable Comments 1M+ · 4.7★ (281)
wp.org #6 ↑1 1 too high 8 
BBQ Firewall – Fast & Powerful Firewall Security 100K+ · 4.9★ (160)
wp.org #8 9 
Complianz GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent Banner 1M+ · 4.7★ (1668)
wp.org #9 ↓1 10 
Templately – Elementor & Gutenberg Template Library: 6500+ Free & Pro Ready Templates And Cloud! 300K+ · 5.0★ (383)
wp.org #11 1 too low 11 
Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery 300K+ · 4.3★ (4342) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #12 ↑1 1 too low 12 Redirection 100K+ · 5.0★ (419)
wp.org #17 ↑7 5 too low 13 
GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform 100K+ · 4.6★ (708) throws errorsnot PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #10 3 too high 14 
WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (759)
wp.org #13 ↑1 1 too high 15 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #19 ↓1 4 too low 16 
Head & Footer Code 100K+ · 5.0★ (51)
wp.org #14 ↑1 2 too high 17 
Media Cleaner: Delete Unused Images & Clean Your Media Library 90K+ · 4.6★ (779)
wp.org #24 ↓7 7 too low 18 
WebberZone Top 10 — Popular Posts 10K+ · 4.6★ (102)
wp.org #16 ↑1 2 too high 19 
Robo Gallery – Photo & Image Slider 40K+ · 4.3★ (406)
wp.org #22 ↓1 3 too low 20 WP Datepicker 6K+ · 4.8★ (37)
wp.org #15 5 too high 21 
Popup Builder – Create highly converting, mobile friendly marketing popups. 200K+ · 4.7★ (2215) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #23 ↑1 2 too low 22 
Header Footer Code Manager 600K+ · 4.9★ (309) not PHP-current
wp.org #21 ↓1 1 too high 23 
Depicter — Popup & Slider Builder 70K+ · 4.6★ (235) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #18 ↑4 5 too high 24 
ActivityPub 6K+ · 4.9★ (40) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #20 ↓1 4 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.