Plugin Pulse Beta
← Rankings

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

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 “window”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 13 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

WP Open Comment Links in New Window shows at wp.org #7 but places #21 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.3★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

MaxButtons – Create buttons places #10 on merit, 4.9★ from 1093 reviews, but shows at wp.org #16. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Ocean Modal Window 10K+ · 4.8★ (11) wp.org #1 2 External Links in New Window / New Tab 30K+ · 4.5★ (77) wp.org #3 ↑1 1 too low 3 Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667) wp.org #6 ↑3 3 too low 4 Modal Window – create popup modal window 10K+ · 3.8★ (36) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 Favicon by RealFaviconGenerator 200K+ · 4.9★ (802) wp.org #9 ↓1 4 too low 6 WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312) wp.org #8 ↑4 2 too low 7 External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window 90K+ · 4.3★ (247) wp.org #4 ↓1 3 too high 8 XML Sitemap Generator for Google 1M+ · 4.8★ (2233) wp.org #12 ↓1 4 too low 9 Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery 300K+ · 4.3★ (4342) wp.org #11 ↑2 2 too low 10 MaxButtons – Create buttons 70K+ · 4.9★ (1093) wp.org #16 ↓1 6 too low 11 Floating Chat Widget: Contact Chat Icons, Telegram Chat, Line Messenger, WeChat, Email, SMS, Call Button – Chaty 300K+ · 5.0★ (1244) wp.org #17 ↑5 6 too low 12 Accessibility New Window Warnings 1K+ · 4.8★ (17) wp.org #5 7 too high 13 Popup Box – Create Countdown, Coupon, Video, Contact Form Popups 50K+ · 4.6★ (82) wp.org #13 ↑1 14 Media Library Assistant 70K+ · 4.8★ (202) wp.org #21 7 too low 15 Joinchat – Enhanced “click to chat” 700K+ · 4.7★ (189) wp.org #19 ↓1 4 too low 16 Easy Modal 7K+ · 4.4★ (124) wp.org #23 ↑1 7 too low 17 MetaSlider Gallery – Image Gallery, Lightbox Galleries, Video Galleries 10K+ · 4.4★ (9) wp.org #10 7 too high 18 WP Video Lightbox 30K+ · 4.3★ (67) wp.org #24 ↓1 6 too low 19 Popup Box – Easily Create WordPress Popups 6K+ · 5.0★ (11) wp.org #15 ↑1 4 too high 20 WP Content Copy Protection with Color Design 5K+ · 4.5★ (25) wp.org #22 ↓1 2 too low 21 WP Open Comment Links in New Window 100+ · 4.3★ (4) wp.org #7 14 too high 22 YITH WooCommerce Quick View 80K+ · 3.8★ (27) wp.org #20 2 too high 23 Incognito Window Detect 10+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 9 too high 24 External Links Manager – Open new window in a new tab + nofollow, noreferrer 50+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 ↑1 6 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.