wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “wordpress information”
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 information”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 8 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 the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
WordPress Importer shows at wp.org #7 but places #17 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 2M+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.1★ average from 327 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
AI Engine – MCP Server & AI Chatbot for WordPress, with Claude, ChatGPT & Gemini places #11 on merit, 4.9★ from 874 reviews, but shows at wp.org #17. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI 10M+ · 4.8★ (27820)
wp.org #1 2 
Translate WordPress with GTranslate 900K+ · 4.9★ (4962)
wp.org #2 3 
TablePress – Tables in WordPress made easy 600K+ · 5.0★ (4625)
wp.org #4 1 too low 4 
MonsterInsights – Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Made Easy) 2M+ · 4.5★ (3157)
wp.org #3 1 too high 5 
Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder 600K+ · 4.8★ (2144)
wp.org #5 6 
BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin 400K+ · 4.0★ (1323)
wp.org #6 7 
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4229)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
Burst Statistics – Simple WordPress Analytics (Google Analytics Alternative) 200K+ · 4.9★ (186)
wp.org #9 ↑3 1 too low 9 
WP 2FA – Two-factor authentication for WordPress 100K+ · 4.7★ (184)
wp.org #10 ↑3 1 too low 10 
MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress 1M+ · 4.8★ (1497)
wp.org #13 ↓2 3 too low 11 AI Engine – MCP Server & AI Chatbot for WordPress, with Claude, ChatGPT & Gemini 90K+ · 4.9★ (874)
wp.org #17 ↓3 6 too low 12 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8709)
wp.org #18 ↓1 6 too low 13 
FG Joomla to WordPress 7K+ · 4.7★ (336)
wp.org #14 ↑4 1 too low 14 
FancyBox for WordPress 30K+ · 4.6★ (92)
wp.org #11 ↓1 3 too high 15 
WPVibe – MCP Server for WordPress, works with Claude, ChatGPT & other AI MCP agents 100K+ · 5.0★ (199)
wp.org #16 ↓1 1 too low 16 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #19 3 too low 17 WordPress Importer 2M+ · 3.1★ (327)
wp.org #7 10 too high 18 
GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155)
wp.org #12 ↓3 6 too high 19 
Translate WordPress – Google Language Translator 100K+ · 4.7★ (620)
wp.org #22 ↑1 3 too low 20 
Contact Form 7 10M+ · 4.0★ (2186)
wp.org #20 21 
MxChat – AI Chatbot & Content Generation for WordPress 2K+ · 5.0★ (31)
wp.org #24 3 too low 22 
Advanced Product Information for WooCommerce 200+ · 5.0★ (7) thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↓2 1 too low 23 
Hostinger Reach – AI-Powered Email Marketing for WordPress 1M+ · 5.0★ (8) host-installed base thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↑1 2 too high 24 
Cookie Information – Cookie Banner with Consent Mode v2 2K+ · 3.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #15 ↑1 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.