Simple Membership vs Authenticator (2026)

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

Simple Membership

Simple Membership

4.6(466)

40K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 month ago
View Simple Membership
VS
Authenticator

Authenticator

5(8)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 2 months ago
View Authenticator

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Authenticator has a higher user rating (5/5 from 8 reviews) while Simple Membership leads in active installations (40K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Membership has accumulated 3.3M+ total downloads while Authenticator has 97K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.6/5Simple Membership
Authenticator5/5
Total Reviews
466Simple Membership
Authenticator8
Active Installs
40K+Simple Membership
Authenticator1.0K+
Total Downloads
3.3M+Simple Membership
Authenticator97K+
Support Resolution
80%Simple Membership
AuthenticatorN/A
Last Updated
1 month agoSimple Membership
Authenticator2 months ago
First Released
2014Simple Membership
Authenticator2008
Age
12 yearsSimple Membership
Authenticator18 years
WP Requires
6.0+Simple Membership
Authenticator5.0+
PHP Requires
7.4+Simple Membership
Authenticator5.6+
Business Model
FreeSimple Membership
AuthenticatorFree
Latest Version
4.7.2Simple Membership
Authenticator1.3.1

Rating Breakdown

Simple Membership

4.6/5(466 reviews)
5
84%
4
5%
3
2%
2
2%
1
7%

Authenticator

5/5(8 reviews)
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Simple Membership Reviews

by Markku Holopainen

Very good plugin for membership levels and control

I have tested various plugins for creating and controlling members in various levels. This is the only plugin which I trust totally. It is very easy to create user groups/levels and users in different

by ramsok2020

PERFETTO!

Questo plugin è la soluzione perfetta per chi vuole realizzare l’accesso a vari livelli di abbonamento (gratuito ma con registrazione delle credenziali, oppure a pagamento) per i propri utenti: chi

by artline4media

werkt zoals het hoort

Mooie plugin voor een basis login en membership.

Authenticator Reviews

by giovanni1963it

Functionality

perfect

by gudi

I love simplicity

It doesn’t get easier than this. Thank you ♥

by Peter Raschendorfer

Indispensable

This is the first plugin I install on every new website to protect it until going live. Never had any problems with this handy piece of software. Thanks, Peter

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Simple Membership or Authenticator more popular?
Simple Membership has 40K+ active installations while Authenticator has 1.0K+. Simple Membership is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Simple Membership or Authenticator?
Simple Membership has a 4.6/5 rating from 466 reviews, while Authenticator has a 5/5 rating from 8 reviews.
Are Simple Membership and Authenticator free?
Simple Membership is free and Authenticator is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Simple Membership or Authenticator?
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?
Simple Membership was last updated 1 month ago and Authenticator was last updated 2 months ago.

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