User Role Editor vs User Switcher (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 Switcher

User Switcher

4.6(7)

100 active installs

Free

Updated 9 years ago
View User Switcher

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, User Switcher has a higher user rating (4.6/5 from 7 reviews) while User Role Editor leads in active installations (700K+ vs 100). Both are free WordPress plugins. User Role Editor has accumulated 21M+ total downloads while User Switcher has 8.3K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.5/5User Role Editor
User Switcher4.6/5
Total Reviews
287User Role Editor
User Switcher7
Active Installs
700K+User Role Editor
User Switcher100
Total Downloads
21M+User Role Editor
User Switcher8.3K+
Support Resolution
0%User Role Editor
User SwitcherN/A
Last Updated
4 months agoUser Role Editor
User Switcher9 years ago
First Released
2010User Role Editor
User Switcher2014
Age
16 yearsUser Role Editor
User Switcher12 years
WP Requires
4.4+User Role Editor
User Switcher3.4+
PHP Requires
7.3+User Role Editor
User Switcherfalse+
Business Model
FreeUser Role Editor
User SwitcherFree
Latest Version
4.64.6User Role Editor
User Switcher2.0.0

Rating Breakdown

User Role Editor

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

User Switcher

4.6/5(7 reviews)
5
86%
4
0%
3
0%
2
14%
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

User Switcher Reviews

No reviews yet

Frequently Asked Questions

Is User Role Editor or User Switcher more popular?
User Role Editor has 700K+ active installations while User Switcher has 100. User Role Editor is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — User Role Editor or User Switcher?
User Role Editor has a 4.5/5 rating from 287 reviews, while User Switcher has a 4.6/5 rating from 7 reviews.
Are User Role Editor and User Switcher free?
User Role Editor is free and User Switcher is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — User Role Editor or User Switcher?
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 Switcher was last updated 9 years ago.

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