wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “widget log”
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 “widget log”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 of the top 20. 2 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
GR Widget – Google Reviews Widget shows at wp.org #11 but places #22 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 900+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 10 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – SMTP for Reliable Email Delivery with Gmail, Outlook, Amazon SES, Brevo, Other SMTP & More places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 5209 reviews, but shows at wp.org #22. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Activity Log – Monitor User and Agent Changes 200K+ · 4.3★ (74)
wp.org #1 2 
WP Activity Log 300K+ · 4.7★ (490)
wp.org #2 3 
Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) not PHP-current
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
Simple History – Track, Log, and Audit WordPress Changes 300K+ · 4.9★ (491)
wp.org #6 2 too low 5 
Email Log 80K+ · 4.2★ (43)
wp.org #3 2 too high 6 
WP Mail Log 10K+ · 4.9★ (66)
wp.org #7 1 too low 7 E Error Log Monitor 20K+ · 4.3★ (48)
wp.org #5 2 too high 8 
Post SMTP – Complete Email Delivery and SMTP Solution with Email Logs, Alerts, Backup SMTP & Mobile App 300K+ · 4.7★ (528)
wp.org #12 4 too low 9 
Debug Log Manager – Conveniently Monitor and Inspect Errors 10K+ · 5.0★ (25)
wp.org #8 1 too high 10 
404 to 301 – Redirect Manager, 301 Redirection, 404 Error Logs & 404 Monitoring 100K+ · 4.7★ (321)
wp.org #16 6 too low 11 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322) not PHP-currentheavy footprint
wp.org #14 3 too low 12 WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – SMTP for Reliable Email Delivery with Gmail, Outlook, Amazon SES, Brevo, Other SMTP & More 4M+ · 4.8★ (5209)
wp.org #22 ↓1 10 too low 13 
Widgets for Social Photo Feed 10K+ · 4.7★ (28)
wp.org #10 3 too high 14 
Image Widget 100K+ · 4.9★ (287)
wp.org #21 ↓1 7 too low 15 
SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 400K+ · 4.9★ (134)
wp.org #17 ↑6 2 too low 16 
Easy WP SMTP – WordPress SMTP and Email Logs: Gmail SMTP, Office 365, Outlook, Custom SMTP, and more 500K+ · 4.6★ (709)
wp.org #23 ↓1 7 too low 17 
Check & Log Email – Easy Email Testing & Mail logging 90K+ · 4.8★ (292) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #15 2 too high 18 
Site Kit by Google – Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, Speed 5M+ · 4.2★ (1012)
wp.org #20 ↓1 2 too low 19 
Debug Log Manager Tool 3K+ · 5.0★ (22) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #9 10 too high 20 
Stream – Activity Log & Audit Trail 70K+ · 4.3★ (76)
wp.org #19 ↓1 1 too high 21 
Activity Log Pro – User Activity Log, Audit Log & Security Monitor 400+ · 5.0★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #13 8 too high 22 GR Widget – Google Reviews Widget 900+ · 5.0★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #11 11 too high 23 
Tagembed: Social Media Feeds and Customer Reviews Widget 9K+ · 3.9★ (62)
wp.org #18 ↓1 5 too high 24 
Login Widget With Shortcode 5K+ · 3.8★ (29)
wp.org #24 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.