User Role Editor vs Fast User Switching (2026)

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

User Role Editor

User Role Editor

4.5(287)

700K+ active installs

Free

Updated 4 months ago
View User Role Editor
VS
Fast User Switching

Fast User Switching

4.1(9)

2.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 year ago
View Fast User Switching

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, User Role Editor has a higher user rating (4.5/5 from 287 reviews) and leads in active installations (700K+ vs 2.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. User Role Editor has accumulated 21M+ total downloads while Fast User Switching has 22K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.5/5User Role Editor
Fast User Switching4.1/5
Total Reviews
287User Role Editor
Fast User Switching9
Active Installs
700K+User Role Editor
Fast User Switching2.0K+
Total Downloads
21M+User Role Editor
Fast User Switching22K+
Support Resolution
0%User Role Editor
Fast User SwitchingN/A
Last Updated
4 months agoUser Role Editor
Fast User Switching1 year ago
First Released
2010User Role Editor
Fast User Switching2017
Age
16 yearsUser Role Editor
Fast User Switching9 years
WP Requires
4.4+User Role Editor
Fast User Switching5.2+
PHP Requires
7.3+User Role Editor
Fast User Switching7.0+
Business Model
FreeUser Role Editor
Fast User SwitchingFree
Latest Version
4.64.6User Role Editor
Fast User Switching1.4.10

Rating Breakdown

User Role Editor

4.5/5(287 reviews)
5
85%
4
3%
3
2%
2
1%
1
8%

Fast User Switching

4.1/5(9 reviews)
5
78%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
22%

Recent Reviews

User Role Editor Reviews

by Pk Gibson

Simple and works nicely

This plugin is working well. Thank you for the developer who put lot of time into it. Very nice, lightest and most simple.

by indivisible

Worked great for my site

I’m a DIY self learner, and had a great experience with URE. It has vast capabilities and is organized to make it easy to navigate and apply so many customizations. Very intuitive. On the one occasion

by jen000

Wont save capabilities for custom role

I hate giving bad reviews as I know how much work goes into these plugins, often by one person. But we have wasted so much time and lost orders because of a known bug. I can see that others have rep

Fast User Switching Reviews

by central4all

Abandoned Plugin

Is fuctioning with problems, dont use it.

by oberning

Doesn’t work well anymore

Sometimes it’s working and sometimes it’s not. – The option to empty the cart is not working neither. – I cannot select the right roles to allow to switch, it is always picking the first (alphabetical

by wafadul

PERFECT!

It works!!! Better than the first one as you can switch users from the admin bar. Thanks so much for this!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is User Role Editor or Fast User Switching more popular?
User Role Editor has 700K+ active installations while Fast User Switching has 2.0K+. User Role Editor is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — User Role Editor or Fast User Switching?
User Role Editor has a 4.5/5 rating from 287 reviews, while Fast User Switching has a 4.1/5 rating from 9 reviews.
Are User Role Editor and Fast User Switching free?
User Role Editor is free and Fast User Switching is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — User Role Editor or Fast User Switching?
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?
User Role Editor was last updated 4 months ago and Fast User Switching was last updated 1 year ago.

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