wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “wordpress slots”
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 slots”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 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
Time Slot – Booking and Appointment System shows at wp.org #9 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 14 places. Its 100+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 4 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
Appointment Hour Booking – Booking Calendar places #12 on merit, 4.9★ from 524 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.
WP Time Slots Booking Form 1K+ · 5.0★ (41)
wp.org #1 2 
Appointment Booking Plugin – LatePoint | Calendar & Scheduling for WordPress 100K+ · 4.9★ (107)
wp.org #2 ↑1 3 
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551)
wp.org #3 ↓1 4 
Five Star Restaurant Reservations – WordPress Booking Plugin 10K+ · 4.7★ (211)
wp.org #4 ↑8 5 
Booking for Appointments and Events Calendar – Amelia 90K+ · 4.6★ (793)
wp.org #8 3 too low 6 
ECS – Ele Custom Skin for Elementor 100K+ · 4.6★ (117)
wp.org #6 ↑3 7 
Calculated Fields Form – AI Form Builder for WordPress – Contact, Payment, Quote, Quiz & More 40K+ · 4.9★ (973)
wp.org #11 ↓1 4 too low 8 
Patchstack – WordPress & Plugins Security 100K+ · 4.8★ (62)
wp.org #7 ↓2 1 too high 9 
Simply Schedule Appointments 50K+ · 5.0★ (155)
wp.org #10 ↓3 1 too low 10 
Booking Calendar 40K+ · 4.8★ (657)
wp.org #13 ↓2 3 too low 11 
Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery 100K+ · 4.7★ (616)
wp.org #14 ↓1 3 too low 12 Appointment Hour Booking – Booking Calendar 10K+ · 4.9★ (524)
wp.org #17 ↑2 5 too low 13 
Easy Appointments 10K+ · 4.3★ (131)
wp.org #12 ↑2 1 too high 14 
AMP for WP – Accelerated Mobile Pages 70K+ · 4.4★ (1319)
wp.org #20 ↓3 6 too low 15 
AR for WordPress 300+ · 4.6★ (10) thin reviews
wp.org #5 ↓1 10 too high 16 
Online Scheduling and Appointment Booking System – Bookly 60K+ · 4.4★ (586)
wp.org #22 6 too low 17 
AMP WP – Google AMP For WordPress 600+ · 4.5★ (55)
wp.org #21 4 too low 18 
Appointment Booking Calendar 1K+ · 4.2★ (92)
wp.org #23 ↓3 5 too low 19 
Order Delivery Date for WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.3★ (61)
wp.org #24 5 too low 20 
EMC – Embed Calendly Scheduling With Ease 10K+ · 4.8★ (14) thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↓3 2 too high 21 
Booking Package 10K+ · 4.0★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #15 ↑3 6 too high 22 
Order Delivery Date And Time 1K+ · 4.6★ (19) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↓3 3 too high 23 Time Slot – Booking and Appointment System 100+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #9 ↓3 14 too high 24 
Booking Slots For Elementor Forms 20+ · 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.