diff --git a/xarray/backends/plugins.py b/xarray/backends/plugins.py
index b8cd2bf6378..88c29306d18 100644
--- a/xarray/backends/plugins.py
+++ b/xarray/backends/plugins.py
@@ -8,19 +8,19 @@
 
 from .common import BACKEND_ENTRYPOINTS
 
+STANDARD_BACKENDS_ORDER = ["netcdf4", "h5netcdf", "scipy"]
 
-def remove_duplicates(backend_entrypoints):
+
+def remove_duplicates(pkg_entrypoints):
 
     # sort and group entrypoints by name
-    backend_entrypoints = sorted(backend_entrypoints, key=lambda ep: ep.name)
-    backend_entrypoints_grouped = itertools.groupby(
-        backend_entrypoints, key=lambda ep: ep.name
-    )
+    pkg_entrypoints = sorted(pkg_entrypoints, key=lambda ep: ep.name)
+    pkg_entrypoints_grouped = itertools.groupby(pkg_entrypoints, key=lambda ep: ep.name)
     # check if there are multiple entrypoints for the same name
-    unique_backend_entrypoints = []
-    for name, matches in backend_entrypoints_grouped:
+    unique_pkg_entrypoints = []
+    for name, matches in pkg_entrypoints_grouped:
         matches = list(matches)
-        unique_backend_entrypoints.append(matches[0])
+        unique_pkg_entrypoints.append(matches[0])
         matches_len = len(matches)
         if matches_len > 1:
             selected_module_name = matches[0].module_name
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def remove_duplicates(backend_entrypoints):
                 f"\n {all_module_names}.\n It will be used: {selected_module_name}.",
                 RuntimeWarning,
             )
-    return unique_backend_entrypoints
+    return unique_pkg_entrypoints
 
 
 def detect_parameters(open_dataset):
@@ -51,13 +51,13 @@ def detect_parameters(open_dataset):
     return tuple(parameters_list)
 
 
-def create_engines_dict(backend_entrypoints):
-    engines = {}
-    for backend_ep in backend_entrypoints:
-        name = backend_ep.name
-        backend = backend_ep.load()
-        engines[name] = backend
-    return engines
+def backends_dict_from_pkg(pkg_entrypoints):
+    backend_entrypoints = {}
+    for pkg_ep in pkg_entrypoints:
+        name = pkg_ep.name
+        backend = pkg_ep.load()
+        backend_entrypoints[name] = backend
+    return backend_entrypoints
 
 
 def set_missing_parameters(backend_entrypoints):
@@ -67,11 +67,23 @@ def set_missing_parameters(backend_entrypoints):
             backend.open_dataset_parameters = detect_parameters(open_dataset)
 
 
-def build_engines(entrypoints):
+def sort_backends(backend_entrypoints):
+    ordered_backends_entrypoints = {}
+    for be_name in STANDARD_BACKENDS_ORDER:
+        if backend_entrypoints.get(be_name, None) is not None:
+            ordered_backends_entrypoints[be_name] = backend_entrypoints.pop(be_name)
+    ordered_backends_entrypoints.update(
+        {name: backend_entrypoints[name] for name in sorted(backend_entrypoints)}
+    )
+    return ordered_backends_entrypoints
+
+
+def build_engines(pkg_entrypoints):
     backend_entrypoints = BACKEND_ENTRYPOINTS.copy()
-    pkg_entrypoints = remove_duplicates(entrypoints)
-    external_backend_entrypoints = create_engines_dict(pkg_entrypoints)
+    pkg_entrypoints = remove_duplicates(pkg_entrypoints)
+    external_backend_entrypoints = backends_dict_from_pkg(pkg_entrypoints)
     backend_entrypoints.update(external_backend_entrypoints)
+    backend_entrypoints = sort_backends(backend_entrypoints)
     set_missing_parameters(backend_entrypoints)
     engines = {}
     for name, backend in backend_entrypoints.items():
@@ -81,8 +93,8 @@ def build_engines(entrypoints):
 
 @functools.lru_cache(maxsize=1)
 def list_engines():
-    entrypoints = pkg_resources.iter_entry_points("xarray.backends")
-    return build_engines(entrypoints)
+    pkg_entrypoints = pkg_resources.iter_entry_points("xarray.backends")
+    return build_engines(pkg_entrypoints)
 
 
 def guess_engine(store_spec):
diff --git a/xarray/tests/test_plugins.py b/xarray/tests/test_plugins.py
index 64a1c563dba..0cda2901cee 100644
--- a/xarray/tests/test_plugins.py
+++ b/xarray/tests/test_plugins.py
@@ -58,13 +58,13 @@ def test_remove_duplicates_warnings(dummy_duplicated_entrypoints):
 
 
 @mock.patch("pkg_resources.EntryPoint.load", mock.MagicMock(return_value=None))
-def test_create_engines_dict():
+def test_backends_dict_from_pkg():
     specs = [
         "engine1 = xarray.tests.test_plugins:backend_1",
         "engine2 = xarray.tests.test_plugins:backend_2",
     ]
     entrypoints = [pkg_resources.EntryPoint.parse(spec) for spec in specs]
-    engines = plugins.create_engines_dict(entrypoints)
+    engines = plugins.backends_dict_from_pkg(entrypoints)
     assert len(engines) == 2
     assert engines.keys() == set(("engine1", "engine2"))
 
@@ -111,8 +111,38 @@ def test_build_engines():
         "cfgrib = xarray.tests.test_plugins:backend_1"
     )
     backend_entrypoints = plugins.build_engines([dummy_pkg_entrypoint])
+
     assert isinstance(backend_entrypoints["cfgrib"], DummyBackendEntrypoint1)
     assert backend_entrypoints["cfgrib"].open_dataset_parameters == (
         "filename_or_obj",
         "decoder",
     )
+
+
+@mock.patch(
+    "pkg_resources.EntryPoint.load",
+    mock.MagicMock(return_value=DummyBackendEntrypoint1),
+)
+def test_build_engines_sorted():
+    dummy_pkg_entrypoints = [
+        pkg_resources.EntryPoint.parse(
+            "dummy2 = xarray.tests.test_plugins:backend_1",
+        ),
+        pkg_resources.EntryPoint.parse(
+            "dummy1 = xarray.tests.test_plugins:backend_1",
+        ),
+    ]
+    backend_entrypoints = plugins.build_engines(dummy_pkg_entrypoints)
+    backend_entrypoints = list(backend_entrypoints)
+
+    indices = []
+    for be in plugins.STANDARD_BACKENDS_ORDER:
+        try:
+            index = backend_entrypoints.index(be)
+            backend_entrypoints.pop(index)
+            indices.append(index)
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+
+    assert set(indices) < {0, -1}
+    assert list(backend_entrypoints) == sorted(backend_entrypoints)