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

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 “workshop”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 11 of the top 20. 6 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

Conference Scheduler shows at wp.org #5 but places #16 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 200+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.2★ average from 5 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

Buried gem

Happyforms – Form Builder for WordPress: Drag & Drop Contact Forms, Surveys, Payments & Multipurpose Forms places #11 on merit, 4.4★ from 433 reviews, but shows at wp.org #24. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.

merit plugin wp.org
1 Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, Appointments and more! 60K+ · 4.2★ (551) wp.org #1 2 Eventin – Events Calendar, Tickets, Registration, Booking & WooCommerce 10K+ · 4.7★ (413) wp.org #2 3 Appointment Booking Plugin – LatePoint | Calendar & Scheduling for WordPress 100K+ · 4.9★ (106) wp.org #6 ↑1 3 too low 4 Simply Schedule Appointments 50K+ · 5.0★ (155) wp.org #7 ↑4 3 too low 5 Event Booking Manager for WooCommerce – Sell Tickets, Event Registration, RSVP & Event Calendar 7K+ · 4.5★ (167) wp.org #4 1 too high 6 EventPrime – Events Calendar, Bookings, Tickets & AI 7K+ · 4.4★ (85) wp.org #9 ↓3 3 too low 7 Japanized for WooCommerce 10K+ · 3.3★ (21) wp.org #3 4 too high 8 SeatReg 300+ · 5.0★ (30) wp.org #8 ↑1 9 Events Shortcodes For The Events Calendar 10K+ · 4.9★ (214) wp.org #14 ↓4 5 too low 10 GF Mollie by Indigo 900+ · 4.9★ (21) wp.org #11 1 too low 11 Happyforms – Form Builder for WordPress: Drag & Drop Contact Forms, Surveys, Payments & Multipurpose Forms 20K+ · 4.4★ (433) wp.org #24 ↓1 13 too low 12 Event Countdown for The Events Calendar 3K+ · 4.6★ (48) wp.org #10 ↓1 2 too high 13 Registrations for the Events Calendar – Event Registration Plugin 7K+ · 5.0★ (103) wp.org #23 ↓2 10 too low 14 Easy Appointment Booking & Scheduling Plugin – Webba Booking Calendar 2K+ · 4.9★ (159) wp.org #20 6 too low 15 Timetics – Appointment Booking Calendar & Scheduling 2K+ · 4.6★ (36) wp.org #17 2 too low 16 Conference Scheduler 200+ · 4.2★ (5) wp.org #5 11 too high 17 EventON – Events Calendar 6K+ · 4.1★ (44) wp.org #15 ↑2 2 too high 18 Event Monster – Event Manager, Event Booking, Event Ticket & Registration 600+ · 4.8★ (18) wp.org #19 1 too low 19 Tockify Events Calendar 2K+ · 4.5★ (20) wp.org #16 3 too high 20 Events Calendar Modules for Divi 2K+ · 5.0★ (7) wp.org #13 ↑1 7 too high 21 Rox Appointment Booking – Event, Calendar & Appointment Scheduling 2K+ · 5.0★ (6) wp.org #22 ↑2 1 too low 22 Monthly Events Calendar 60+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #21 ↑2 1 too high 23 Workshop Booking 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #12 ↑1 11 too high 24 Zita Site Library for Elementor 1K+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #18 ↓2 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.