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← Rankings

wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “widget only”

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 only”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 10 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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 #8 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 10 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

Maps Widget for Google Maps places #12 on merit, 4.6★ from 512 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 Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667) wp.org #1 2 Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132) wp.org #2 3 Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680) wp.org #3 ↓2 4 ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051) wp.org #4 ↓1 5 Rich Showcase for Google Reviews 100K+ · 4.9★ (1623) wp.org #7 ↑4 2 too low 6 Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails 100K+ · 4.8★ (215) wp.org #6 ↑1 7 Widget Options – Advanced Conditional Visibility for Gutenberg Blocks & Classic Widgets 100K+ · 4.9★ (1516) wp.org #9 ↓3 2 too low 8 Widget Context 30K+ · 4.5★ (98) wp.org #5 ↑9 3 too high 9 Black Studio TinyMCE Widget 200K+ · 4.8★ (191) wp.org #10 ↓1 1 too low 10 Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528) wp.org #14 ↓4 4 too low 11 Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7323) wp.org #13 2 too low 12 Maps Widget for Google Maps 20K+ · 4.6★ (512) wp.org #18 6 too low 13 Timeline Widget For Elementor (Elementor Timeline, Vertical & Horizontal Timeline) 70K+ · 4.8★ (248) wp.org #17 4 too low 14 Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty 300K+ · 5.0★ (1244) wp.org #22 8 too low 15 Image Widget 100K+ · 4.9★ (287) wp.org #20 ↓1 5 too low 16 AccessiYes Accessibility Widget for ADA, EAA & WCAG Readiness 20K+ · 4.8★ (36) wp.org #11 ↓7 5 too high 17 WPZOOM Social Feed Widget & Block 50K+ · 4.3★ (51) wp.org #12 ↓7 5 too high 18 GR Widget – Google Reviews Widget 900+ · 5.0★ (10) wp.org #8 10 too high 19 Content Blocks (Custom Post Widget) 10K+ · 4.9★ (80) wp.org #23 4 too low 20 Sticky Chat Widget – Floating Chat Icons, Contact Form, Call, Click to Chat, Email & Message Buttons 10K+ · 5.0★ (39) wp.org #19 ↑1 1 too high 21 SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 400K+ · 4.9★ (134) wp.org #24 ↓9 3 too low 22 Tagembed: Social Media Feeds and Customer Reviews Widget 9K+ · 3.9★ (62) wp.org #16 6 too high 23 List Custom Taxonomy Widget 8K+ · 4.7★ (21) wp.org #21 ↑1 2 too high 24 Statify Widget 4K+ · 5.0★ (5) wp.org #15 ↓3 9 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.