User Role Editor vs User Groups (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
User Groups

User Groups

4(9)

300 active installs

Free

Updated 9 years ago
View User Groups

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 300). Both are free WordPress plugins. User Role Editor has accumulated 21M+ total downloads while User Groups has 20K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.5/5User Role Editor
User Groups4/5
Total Reviews
287User Role Editor
User Groups9
Active Installs
700K+User Role Editor
User Groups300
Total Downloads
21M+User Role Editor
User Groups20K+
Support Resolution
0%User Role Editor
User GroupsN/A
Last Updated
4 months agoUser Role Editor
User Groups9 years ago
First Released
2010User Role Editor
User Groups2012
Age
16 yearsUser Role Editor
User Groups14 years
WP Requires
4.4+User Role Editor
User Groups2.8+
PHP Requires
7.3+User Role Editor
User Groupsfalse+
Business Model
FreeUser Role Editor
User GroupsFree
Latest Version
4.64.6User Role Editor
User Groups1.3.1

Rating Breakdown

User Role Editor

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

User Groups

4/5(9 reviews)
5
67%
4
11%
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

User Groups Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is User Role Editor or User Groups more popular?
User Role Editor has 700K+ active installations while User Groups has 300. User Role Editor is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — User Role Editor or User Groups?
User Role Editor has a 4.5/5 rating from 287 reviews, while User Groups has a 4/5 rating from 9 reviews.
Are User Role Editor and User Groups free?
User Role Editor is free and User Groups is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — User Role Editor or User Groups?
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 User Groups was last updated 9 years ago.

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