User Role Editor vs Improved user search in backend (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
Improved user search in backend

Improved user search in backend

5(5)

200 active installs

Free

Updated 11 years ago
View Improved user search in backend

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Improved user search in backend has a higher user rating (5/5 from 5 reviews) while User Role Editor leads in active installations (700K+ vs 200). Both are free WordPress plugins. User Role Editor has accumulated 21M+ total downloads while Improved user search in backend has 14K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.5/5User Role Editor
Improved user search in backend5/5
Total Reviews
287User Role Editor
Improved user search in backend5
Active Installs
700K+User Role Editor
Improved user search in backend200
Total Downloads
21M+User Role Editor
Improved user search in backend14K+
Support Resolution
0%User Role Editor
Improved user search in backendN/A
Last Updated
4 months agoUser Role Editor
Improved user search in backend11 years ago
First Released
2010User Role Editor
Improved user search in backend2011
Age
16 yearsUser Role Editor
Improved user search in backend15 years
WP Requires
4.4+User Role Editor
Improved user search in backend3.0+
PHP Requires
7.3+User Role Editor
Improved user search in backendfalse+
Business Model
FreeUser Role Editor
Improved user search in backendFree
Latest Version
4.64.6User Role Editor
Improved user search in backend1.2.6

Rating Breakdown

User Role Editor

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

Improved user search in backend

5/5(5 reviews)
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

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

Improved user search in backend Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is User Role Editor or Improved user search in backend more popular?
User Role Editor has 700K+ active installations while Improved user search in backend has 200. User Role Editor is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — User Role Editor or Improved user search in backend?
User Role Editor has a 4.5/5 rating from 287 reviews, while Improved user search in backend has a 5/5 rating from 5 reviews.
Are User Role Editor and Improved user search in backend free?
User Role Editor is free and Improved user search in backend is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — User Role Editor or Improved user search in backend?
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 Improved user search in backend was last updated 11 years ago.

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