Remove Dashboard Access vs Controlled Admin Access (2026)

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

Remove Dashboard Access

Remove Dashboard Access

4.6(78)

30K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 year ago
View Remove Dashboard Access
VS
Controlled Admin Access

Controlled Admin Access

4.8(44)

10K+ active installs

Free

Updated 3 months ago
View Controlled Admin Access

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Controlled Admin Access has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 44 reviews) while Remove Dashboard Access leads in active installations (30K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Remove Dashboard Access has accumulated 468K+ total downloads while Controlled Admin Access has 218K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.6/5Remove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin Access4.8/5
Total Reviews
78Remove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin Access44
Active Installs
30K+Remove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin Access10K+
Total Downloads
468K+Remove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin Access218K+
Support Resolution
N/ARemove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin Access0%
Last Updated
1 year agoRemove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin Access3 months ago
First Released
2011Remove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin Access2015
Age
15 yearsRemove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin Access11 years
WP Requires
3.1.0+Remove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin Access4.0+
PHP Requires
5.3+Remove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin Access7.0+
Business Model
FreeRemove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin AccessFree
Latest Version
1.2.1Remove Dashboard Access
Controlled Admin Access2.1.2

Rating Breakdown

Remove Dashboard Access

4.6/5(78 reviews)
5
86%
4
5%
3
1%
2
3%
1
5%

Controlled Admin Access

4.8/5(44 reviews)
5
91%
4
5%
3
2%
2
0%
1
2%

Recent Reviews

Remove Dashboard Access Reviews

by dspplug

Very important for safety

Meddling with htaccess always goes south on me unless I use the old notepad. I rarely have time to. This workaround does the same thing; and is just as good. Now, how do I remove access to wp-login.ph

by SmileWP

Does exactly what it says it will do

Installed, activated, found Settings, set it to allow dashboard for only Admins, Editors, and Authors. Works perfectly right out of the box.

by Texoma

Works Perfectly

Works as it says it will.

Controlled Admin Access Reviews

by bogeyman2007

Great Plugin

It’s a very great plugin. Thank you.

by pixluser

Perfect software

The software works perfectly. Something than can maybe be added is a way to log page view, of the admins we create. (Real time, or simply log events & display them onto a page), maybe with an email no

by jmsil

Excellent!

This is an extremely useful little plugin that not only makes it easier to provide admin access to outsiders but also to understand what actions they are taking and ensuring they don’t have access to

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Remove Dashboard Access or Controlled Admin Access more popular?
Remove Dashboard Access has 30K+ active installations while Controlled Admin Access has 10K+. Remove Dashboard Access is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Remove Dashboard Access or Controlled Admin Access?
Remove Dashboard Access has a 4.6/5 rating from 78 reviews, while Controlled Admin Access has a 4.8/5 rating from 44 reviews.
Are Remove Dashboard Access and Controlled Admin Access free?
Remove Dashboard Access is free and Controlled Admin Access is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Remove Dashboard Access or Controlled Admin Access?
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?
Remove Dashboard Access was last updated 1 year ago and Controlled Admin Access was last updated 3 months ago.

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