PluginSift

User Role Editor vs Authenticator (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
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 User Role Editor leads in active installations (700K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. User Role Editor has accumulated 21M+ total downloads while Authenticator has 97K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.5/5User Role Editor
►
Authenticator5/5
Total Reviews
287User Role Editor
◄
Authenticator8
Active Installs
700K+User Role Editor
◄
Authenticator1.0K+
Total Downloads
21M+User Role Editor
◄
Authenticator97K+
Support Resolution
0%User Role Editor
AuthenticatorN/A
Last Updated
4 months agoUser Role Editor
►
Authenticator2 months ago
First Released
2010User Role Editor
Authenticator2008
Age
16 yearsUser Role Editor
Authenticator18 years
WP Requires
4.4+User Role Editor
Authenticator5.0+
PHP Requires
7.3+User Role Editor
Authenticator5.6+
Business Model
FreeUser Role Editor
AuthenticatorFree
Latest Version
4.64.6User Role Editor
Authenticator1.3.1

Rating Breakdown

User Role Editor

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

Authenticator

5/5(8 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

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 User Role Editor or Authenticator more popular?
User Role Editor has 700K+ active installations while Authenticator has 1.0K+. User Role Editor is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — User Role Editor or Authenticator?
User Role Editor has a 4.5/5 rating from 287 reviews, while Authenticator has a 5/5 rating from 8 reviews.
Are User Role Editor and Authenticator free?
User Role Editor is free and Authenticator is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — User Role Editor 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?
User Role Editor was last updated 4 months ago and Authenticator was last updated 2 months ago.

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