wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “widget styles”
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 styles”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20.
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
GR Widget – Google Reviews Widget shows at wp.org #8 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 12 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
Rich Showcase for Google Reviews places #6 on merit, 4.9★ from 1623 reviews, but shows at wp.org #10. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
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 
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2052)
wp.org #3 4 
Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680)
wp.org #4 5 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #5 6 Rich Showcase for Google Reviews 100K+ · 4.9★ (1623)
wp.org #10 4 too low 7 
Widget Context 30K+ · 4.5★ (98)
wp.org #6 1 too high 8 
Widget Options – Advanced Conditional Visibility for Gutenberg Blocks & Classic Widgets 100K+ · 4.9★ (1516)
wp.org #12 4 too low 9 
Recent Posts Widget With Thumbnails 100K+ · 4.8★ (215)
wp.org #9 10 
Ultimate Addons for Elementor – Widgets, Templates, WooCommerce & Header Footer Builder 2M+ · 4.9★ (2528)
wp.org #11 1 too low 11 
Widgets for Social Photo Feed 10K+ · 4.7★ (28)
wp.org #7 ↑1 4 too high 12 
Black Studio TinyMCE Widget 200K+ · 4.8★ (191)
wp.org #14 2 too low 13 
Timeline Widget For Elementor (Elementor Timeline, Vertical & Horizontal Timeline) 70K+ · 4.8★ (248)
wp.org #17 4 too low 14 
Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962)
wp.org #22 8 too low 15 
Maps Widget for Google Maps 20K+ · 4.6★ (512)
wp.org #20 5 too low 16 
SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 400K+ · 4.9★ (134)
wp.org #15 1 too high 17 
Currency Converter Widget 2K+ · 4.9★ (88)
wp.org #16 1 too high 18 
Image Widget 100K+ · 4.9★ (287)
wp.org #24 6 too low 19 
WPZOOM Social Feed Widget & Block 50K+ · 4.3★ (51)
wp.org #13 6 too high 20 GR Widget – Google Reviews Widget 900+ · 5.0★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #8 ↓1 12 too high 21 
bbp style pack 6K+ · 4.9★ (100)
wp.org #21 22 
Style Kits for Elementor 10K+ · 4.7★ (44)
wp.org #18 4 too high 23 
AccessiYes Accessibility Widget for ADA, EAA & WCAG Readiness 20K+ · 4.8★ (36)
wp.org #19 4 too high 24 
Tagembed: Social Media Feeds and Customer Reviews Widget 9K+ · 3.9★ (62)
wp.org #23 1 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.