Membership Plugin – Restrict Content vs Simple Restrict (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Membership Plugin – Restrict Content
10K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Simple Restrict has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 15 reviews) while Membership Plugin – Restrict Content leads in active installations (10K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Membership Plugin – Restrict Content has accumulated 649K+ total downloads while Simple Restrict has 33K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Membership Plugin – Restrict Content | Simple Restrict | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 3.1/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 98 | ◄ | 15 |
| Active Installs | 10K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 649K+ | ◄ | 33K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 week ago | ◄ | 4 months ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2016 | |
| Age | 16 years | 10 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.0+ | 3.4+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 3.2.26 | 1.2.8 |
Rating Breakdown
Membership Plugin – Restrict Content
Simple Restrict
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Membership Plugin – Restrict Content averaged approximately 581 daily downloads while Simple Restrict averaged 6.
Recent Reviews
Membership Plugin – Restrict Content Reviews
Free version states it does Basic Membership Emails – does nothing of the sort
A client sought that feature the most from the Free version, seen available here in the comparison chart:Basic Membership Emails (last feature both Free and Pro supposedly offer)(Paid membership activ
No longer worth the investment
I will start by saying that Restrict Content Pro still works. It has received occasional updates and a new block. So, for the time being, it doesn’t seem abandoned. But my feeling is that the plugin i
Quick support and great plugin
I reached out to Restrict Content Pro who replied within 12 hours with the fix. I have had the opposite experience to another reviewer (Taco Fleur) despite having the exact same issue. The initial
Simple Restrict Reviews
Not for All Pages
This plugin cannot hide the content of pages created with template files.
OMG! AMAZING RESTRICTION
WOW! This is a crazy good plugin, don’t leave home without it. This plugin can be restricted pages more than other membership plugins can’t do… After I installed and set. The BuddyPress members page,
Awesome
I never review plugins – and I’ve got a pretty high bar for what’s acceptable in my book. This is an EXCELLENT plugin.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.