wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “wp category”
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 “wp category”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 4 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 Consent API shows at wp.org #15 but places #24 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 200K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
SEOPress – AI SEO Plugin & On-site SEO places #9 on merit, 4.8★ from 1267 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.
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4228)
wp.org #1 2 
WP Super Cache 1M+ · 4.3★ (1346)
wp.org #2 ↑2 3 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8708)
wp.org #4 ↓2 1 too low 4 
WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758)
wp.org #3 ↑2 1 too high 5 
WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312)
wp.org #5 ↑1 6 
WP Activity Log 300K+ · 4.7★ (490)
wp.org #6 ↑1 7 
WP Content Copy Protection & No Right Click 100K+ · 4.8★ (1138)
wp.org #9 ↑4 2 too low 8 
List category posts 80K+ · 4.7★ (254)
wp.org #12 ↓1 4 too low 9 SEOPress – AI SEO Plugin & On-site SEO 300K+ · 4.8★ (1267)
wp.org #16 ↑6 7 too low 10 
Category AJAX Filter – Posts, Custom Post Types & Product Filter 6K+ · 4.9★ (158)
wp.org #11 ↓1 1 too low 11 
No Category Base (WPML) 100K+ · 4.5★ (34)
wp.org #7 ↑1 4 too high 12 
Ultimate Category Excluder 50K+ · 4.3★ (78)
wp.org #10 ↑2 2 too high 13 
Category Posts Block 40K+ · 4.5★ (79)
wp.org #13 ↑2 14 
Hide My WP Ghost – Security & Firewall 100K+ · 4.5★ (373)
wp.org #20 6 too low 15 
WP Media Category Management 6K+ · 4.7★ (35) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #8 ↑1 7 too high 16 
WP Sitemap Page 200K+ · 4.8★ (205)
wp.org #24 8 too low 17 
WP Event Manager – Events Calendar, Registrations, Sell Tickets with WooCommerce 20K+ · 4.0★ (249)
wp.org #22 5 too low 18 
WP-PostRatings 20K+ · 4.4★ (178)
wp.org #23 5 too low 19 
Product Category Slider & Grid for WooCommerce – Reno Product Category 9K+ · 4.8★ (91) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #14 ↑2 5 too high 20 
Media Library Categories 20K+ · 4.2★ (52)
wp.org #18 ↑2 2 too high 21 
Pages with category and tag 50K+ · 4.8★ (28)
wp.org #17 ↑1 4 too high 22 
WP Categories Widget 6K+ · 4.5★ (27) not PHP-current
wp.org #19 3 too high 23 
No Category Parents 6K+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #21 2 too high 24 WP Consent API 200K+ · 5.0★ (2) host-installed base thin reviews
wp.org #15 ↑2 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.