wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “wps”
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 “wps”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 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 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
WPS Child Theme Generator shows at wp.org #13 but places #23 on merit, a gap of 10 places. Its 6K+ 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
WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance places #11 on merit, 4.8★ from 2617 reviews, but shows at wp.org #15. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
WPS Hide Login 2M+ · 4.8★ (2111)
wp.org #1 2 
UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin 4M+ · 4.8★ (8706)
wp.org #2 3 
WPS Limit Login 100K+ · 4.9★ (83)
wp.org #3 4 
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ · 4.9★ (4228)
wp.org #5 1 too low 5 
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 #6 1 too low 6 
WPS Cleaner 10K+ · 4.3★ (99)
wp.org #4 2 too high 7 
All-in-One WP Migration and Backup 5M+ · 4.5★ (7676)
wp.org #8 1 too low 8 
WP STAGING – Backups & Restore, Migration & Clone Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups 100K+ · 4.8★ (2470)
wp.org #11 3 too low 9 
FluentSMTP – WP Mail SMTP Plugin with Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, Cloudflare, toSend, Gmail and Any SMTP 700K+ · 4.8★ (410)
wp.org #9 10 
WP Super Cache 1M+ · 4.3★ (1346)
wp.org #10 11 WP-Optimize – Cache, Compress images, Minify & Clean database to boost page speed & performance 1M+ · 4.8★ (2617)
wp.org #15 4 too low 12 
WP Store Locator 40K+ · 4.8★ (312)
wp.org #16 4 too low 13 
WPS Bidouille 9K+ · 4.9★ (54) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #7 6 too high 14 
WP 2FA – Two-factor authentication for WordPress 100K+ · 4.7★ (184)
wp.org #17 3 too low 15 
WP Statistics – Simple, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative 500K+ · 4.1★ (759)
wp.org #18 3 too low 16 
WP Activity Log 300K+ · 4.7★ (490)
wp.org #22 6 too low 17 
WP Accessibility 60K+ · 4.8★ (68)
wp.org #19 2 too low 18 
WP Crontrol 300K+ · 4.4★ (167)
wp.org #20 2 too low 19 
WPS Menu Exporter 10K+ · 3.7★ (44)
wp.org #12 7 too high 20 
hCaptcha for WP 70K+ · 4.6★ (88)
wp.org #21 1 too low 21 
Team Members Showcase 4K+ · 4.9★ (21) thin reviews
wp.org #23 2 too low 22 
WPS Notice Center 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #14 8 too high 23 WPS Child Theme Generator 6K+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #13 10 too high 24 
WPS Visitor Counter 10K+ · 3.9★ (8) throws errorsnot PHP-current 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.