wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “wp widgets”
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 widgets”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 5 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
Astra Widgets shows at wp.org #17 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 6 places. Its 200K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.9★ average from 17 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Widgets for Google Reviews 1M+ · 4.9★ (2667)
wp.org #1 2 
WP Mail SMTP by WPForms – SMTP for Reliable Email Delivery with Gmail, Outlook, Amazon SES, Brevo, Other SMTP & More 4M+ · 4.8★ (5209)
wp.org #2 3 
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4229)
wp.org #3 4 
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #5 ↑1 1 too low 5 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8708)
wp.org #6 ↓1 1 too low 6 
WP Super Cache 1M+ · 4.3★ (1346)
wp.org #4 ↑3 2 too high 7 
Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets 1M+ · 4.9★ (4132)
wp.org #9 ↓1 2 too low 8 
SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle 400K+ · 4.9★ (134)
wp.org #7 ↑2 1 too high 9 
WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (758)
wp.org #8 ↑2 1 too high 10 
WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312)
wp.org #10 ↑1 11 
ElementsKit Elementor Addons – Advanced Widgets & Templates Addons for Elementor 1M+ · 4.9★ (2051)
wp.org #11 ↑3 12 
Premium Addons for Elementor – AI-Ready Elementor Addons, Widgets & Templates 600K+ · 4.9★ (1680)
wp.org #14 ↑2 2 too low 13 
WP Content Copy Protection & No Right Click 100K+ · 4.8★ (1139)
wp.org #16 ↑2 3 too low 14 
WP Activity Log 300K+ · 4.7★ (490)
wp.org #13 ↓1 1 too high 15 W WP Photo Album Plus 10K+ · 4.7★ (199)
wp.org #15 16 
WP Accessibility 60K+ · 4.8★ (68)
wp.org #12 ↑3 4 too high 17 
Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder 10M+ · 4.5★ (7322)
wp.org #20 ↑1 3 too low 18 
WP Chat App 100K+ · 4.9★ (222)
wp.org #21 ↑2 3 too low 19 
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) 2M+ · 4.5★ (1440)
wp.org #22 3 too low 20 
Widget Content Blocks 10K+ · 4.8★ (60)
wp.org #19 ↑1 1 too high 21 
WP-Polls 40K+ · 4.2★ (136)
wp.org #23 ↑1 2 too low 22 
Better Post & Filter Widgets for Elementor 4K+ · 5.0★ (18) thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↓5 4 too high 23 Astra Widgets 200K+ · 3.9★ (17) host-installed base thin reviews
wp.org #17 6 too high 24 
Classic Editor and Classic Widgets 20K+ · 5.0★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #24 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.