User Switching vs Avatar Manager (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, User Switching has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 238 reviews) and leads in active installations (200K+ vs 6.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. User Switching has accumulated 5.5M+ total downloads while Avatar Manager has 114K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | User Switching | Avatar Manager | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.9/5 | 4.9/5 | |
| Total Reviews | 238 | ◄ | 39 |
| Active Installs | 200K+ | ◄ | 6.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 5.5M+ | ◄ | 114K+ |
| Support Resolution | 100% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 month ago | ◄ | 5 years ago |
| First Released | 2009 | 2013 | |
| Age | 17 years | 13 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.1+ | 3.5+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 1.11.2 | 1.6.1 |
Rating Breakdown
User Switching
Avatar Manager
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, User Switching averaged approximately 3,118 daily downloads while Avatar Manager averaged 5.
Recent Reviews
User Switching Reviews
Wonderful!
What a great plug in! Made my life so much easier – thank you!
Dont work front
Dont work front
Great timesaving plugin
A real timesaver that I install every time I need to test out different user type roles.
Avatar Manager Reviews
Works in WP 6.4.2, Not sure is Still Supported
First off great that this plugin works, doesn’t cause download of huge images to display as small avatars and seems to work well 🙂 I like that it supports gravatar as a default. I’m not sure it
So sad, I had to deactivate Avatar Manager
Much appreciated Avatar Manager… until after a recent update, it caused a strange effect in our User Submitted Posts. (USP Pro) What happened was, logged in users were no longer able to submit the pos
Very useful plugin, thank you!
Very useful plugin, thank you!
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WordPress user approval plugin to moderate registrations. Approve or deny real users and prevent fake signups to control who registers on site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is User Switching or Avatar Manager more popular?
Which has better ratings — User Switching or Avatar Manager?
Are User Switching and Avatar Manager free?
Which plugin has better support — User Switching or Avatar Manager?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.