User Role Editor vs Groups (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Groups has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 380 reviews) while User Role Editor leads in active installations (700K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. User Role Editor has accumulated 21M+ total downloads while Groups has 991K+. Groups has a higher support resolution rate (100% vs 0%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | User Role Editor | Groups | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | ► | 4.8/5 |
| Total Reviews | 287 | ► | 380 |
| Active Installs | 700K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 21M+ | ◄ | 991K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | ► | 100% |
| Last Updated | 4 months ago | ► | 1 week ago |
| First Released | 2010 | 2012 | |
| Age | 16 years | 14 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.4+ | 6.7+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.3+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.64.6 | 4.1.0 |
Rating Breakdown
User Role Editor
Groups
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, User Role Editor averaged approximately 2,187 daily downloads while Groups averaged 345.
Recent Reviews
User Role Editor Reviews
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.
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
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
Groups Reviews
Simple access restriction that really works
I’ve been using this plugin for a number of years on our documentation website. I create documentation for all of my clients in one single website, and then I restrict access to the pages so that each
Super!
…
Clean simple plug-in that works as expected!
I needed a simple solution for member only pages and this plug-in works great!
More Access Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as User Role Editor and Groups
The best WordPress membership and user role editor plugin. User Roles & Capabilities editor helps you restrict content in just a few clicks.
Disable Dashboard access for users of a specific role or capability. Disallowed users are redirected to a chosen URL. Get set up in seconds.
With the "User Access Manager"-plugin you can manage the access to your posts, pages and files.
The permissions plugin for posts, pages, categories, tags and more. You can control permissions for roles, individual users, and even custom groups.
Give a temporarily limited admin access to themes designers, plugins developers and support agents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is User Role Editor or Groups more popular?
Which has better ratings — User Role Editor or Groups?
Are User Role Editor and Groups free?
Which plugin has better support — User Role Editor or Groups?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.