PluginSift

What The File vs Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

What The File

What The File

4.9(882)

40K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 month ago
View What The File
VS
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control

Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control

4.7(18)

3.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 4 months ago
View Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, What The File has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 882 reviews) and leads in active installations (40K+ vs 3.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. What The File has accumulated 589K+ total downloads while Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control has 70K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.9/5What The File
◄
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control4.7/5
Total Reviews
882What The File
◄
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control18
Active Installs
40K+What The File
◄
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control3.0K+
Total Downloads
589K+What The File
◄
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control70K+
Support Resolution
N/AWhat The File
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access ControlN/A
Last Updated
1 month agoWhat The File
◄
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control4 months ago
First Released
2012What The File
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control2016
Age
14 yearsWhat The File
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control10 years
WP Requires
3.1+What The File
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control6.0+
PHP Requires
5.3+What The File
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control5.4+
Business Model
FreeWhat The File
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access ControlFree
Latest Version
1.6.1What The File
Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control1.2.9

Rating Breakdown

What The File

4.9/5(882 reviews)
5
94%
4
4%
3
1%
2
0%
1
1%

Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control

4.7/5(18 reviews)
5
89%
4
6%
3
0%
2
0%
1
6%

Recent Reviews

What The File Reviews

by matthiascon

Does everything I need it to!

I got this for one purpose, and it performs that with aplomb.

by iceshade

Very Useful Tool

I’ve been using this plugin for years and find it very useful. Only downside is some of the new themes and plugins don’t allow it to show the exact file, just the main one, which is often just a pa

by gabrieljrubio

Muy útil

Es un plugin muy interesante y muy útil en la fase de desarrollo para ver dónde se están ejecutando realmente las funciones hookd de wordpress.

Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control Reviews

by dreubens81

It is simple and it WORKS

After trying a few bloated plugins, i tried this and it was wonderfully simple UI. I have multiple custom roles in my site and it instantly recognised them too. Perfect. Only slight concern is the plu

by laerpel

It works well, thank you!

I’ tried several of the “hide admin bar” plugins, but none offered the option to disable dashboard access.

by wasanajones

thank you – it works!

just what the ‘ol press needed

Frequently Asked Questions

Is What The File or Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control more popular?
What The File has 40K+ active installations while Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control has 3.0K+. What The File is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — What The File or Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control?
What The File has a 4.9/5 rating from 882 reviews, while Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control has a 4.7/5 rating from 18 reviews.
Are What The File and Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control free?
What The File is free and Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — What The File or Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
What The File was last updated 1 month ago and Admin Bar & Dashboard Access Control was last updated 4 months ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.