wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “wordpress admin dashboard”
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 “wordpress admin dashboard”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 7 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
Admin Dashboard RSS Feed shows at wp.org #16 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 8 places. Its 400+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 1 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) 2M+ · 4.5★ (3157)
wp.org #1 2 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #2 3 
Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
TablePress – Tables in WordPress made easy 600K+ · 5.0★ (4625)
wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too low 5 
BrikPanel: WooCommerce Dashboard & Analytics, Abandoned Cart Recovery, Order Export, Inventory Management & Bulk Editor 1K+ · 5.0★ (55)
wp.org #3 2 too high 6 
Admin Columns 100K+ · 4.9★ (1652)
wp.org #9 ↓4 3 too low 7 
Disable Admin Notices – Hide Dashboard Notifications 100K+ · 4.7★ (367)
wp.org #7 ↑1 8 
Ultimate Dashboard – Custom WordPress Dashboard 50K+ · 4.6★ (114)
wp.org #6 ↑1 2 too high 9 
Admin Menu Editor 300K+ · 4.6★ (312)
wp.org #8 ↑1 1 too high 10 
Hustle – Email Marketing, Lead Generation, Optins, Popups 80K+ · 4.4★ (859)
wp.org #11 ↑1 1 too low 11 
BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin 400K+ · 4.0★ (1323)
wp.org #12 ↑2 1 too low 12 
WooCommerce 7M+ · 4.5★ (4833)
wp.org #15 ↓2 3 too low 13 
Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186)
wp.org #13 ↑4 14 
WPForms – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact Forms, Payment Forms, Survey Form, Quiz & More 5M+ · 4.8★ (14387)
wp.org #22 ↑2 8 too low 15 
Dark Mode for WP Dashboard 3K+ · 4.8★ (34)
wp.org #10 5 too high 16 
Admin Custom Login 10K+ · 4.6★ (388)
wp.org #23 ↓1 7 too low 17 
Independent Analytics – WordPress Analytics Plugin 100K+ · 4.8★ (167)
wp.org #21 4 too low 18 
Connect Matomo – Analytics Dashboard for WordPress 60K+ · 4.5★ (95)
wp.org #17 ↑3 1 too high 19 
WP Dashboard Notes 20K+ · 4.6★ (110)
wp.org #20 ↑3 1 too low 20 
Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard 30K+ · 4.9★ (27)
wp.org #14 ↑1 6 too high 21 
Remove Dashboard Access 30K+ · 4.6★ (78)
wp.org #24 3 too low 22 
ExactMetrics – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Plugin) 200K+ · 2.5★ (1546)
wp.org #19 ↓1 3 too high 23 
Admin Dashboard Last Edits 900+ · 5.0★ (8) thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↑1 5 too high 24 Admin Dashboard RSS Feed 400+ · 5.0★ (1) thin reviews
wp.org #16 8 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.