WP-Ban vs Simple Restrict (2026)

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

WP-Ban

3.7(27)

9.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 year ago

View WP-Ban

Simple Restrict

4.9(15)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 4 months ago

View Simple Restrict

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Simple Restrict has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 15 reviews) while WP-Ban leads in active installations (9.0K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. WP-Ban has accumulated 325K+ total downloads while Simple Restrict has 33K+.

Detailed Comparison

Metric	WP-Ban		Simple Restrict
Rating	3.7/5	►	4.9/5
Total Reviews	27	◄	15
Active Installs	9.0K+	◄	1.0K+
Total Downloads	325K+	◄	33K+
Support Resolution	N/A		N/A
Last Updated	1 year ago	►	4 months ago
First Released	2007		2016
Age	19 years		10 years
WP Requires	4.3+		3.4+
PHP Requires	false+		false+
Business Model	Free		Free
Latest Version	1.69.2		1.2.8

Rating

3.7/5WP-Ban

►

Simple Restrict4.9/5

Total Reviews

27WP-Ban

◄

Simple Restrict15

Active Installs

9.0K+WP-Ban

◄

Simple Restrict1.0K+

Total Downloads

325K+WP-Ban

◄

Simple Restrict33K+

Support Resolution

N/AWP-Ban

Simple RestrictN/A

Last Updated

1 year agoWP-Ban

►

Simple Restrict4 months ago

First Released

2007WP-Ban

Simple Restrict2016

Age

19 yearsWP-Ban

Simple Restrict10 years

WP Requires

4.3+WP-Ban

Simple Restrict3.4+

PHP Requires

false+WP-Ban

Simple Restrictfalse+

Business Model

FreeWP-Ban

Simple RestrictFree

Latest Version

1.69.2WP-Ban

Simple Restrict1.2.8

Rating Breakdown

WP-Ban

3.7/5(27 reviews)

59%

26%

Simple Restrict

4.9/5(15 reviews)

93%

Download Trends

Over the past 30 days, WP-Ban averaged approximately 16 daily downloads while Simple Restrict averaged 6.

Recent Reviews

WP-Ban Reviews

by hugrat

Can’t get it to do anything

Probably one of those ban plugins that don’t work if you do not have the exact default wordpress login. Bummer..

by kapaemtarik

nice tool

I have been searching for a tool to get rid of robot users and their advertising comments at my site’s comment section. This extension worked. It successfully blocked 48 entry from 8 different ip adre

by luckyjo

It works!

Love your hardwork!

Simple Restrict Reviews

by Abhisek Dev

Not for All Pages

This plugin cannot hide the content of pages created with template files.

by junglejim620

OMG! AMAZING RESTRICTION

WOW! This is a crazy good plugin, don’t leave home without it. This plugin can be restricted pages more than other membership plugins can’t do… After I installed and set. The BuddyPress members page,

by TamerDesigns

Awesome

I never review plugins – and I’ve got a pretty high bar for what’s acceptable in my book. This is an EXCELLENT plugin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WP-Ban or Simple Restrict more popular?

WP-Ban has 9.0K+ active installations while Simple Restrict has 1.0K+. WP-Ban is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.

Which has better ratings — WP-Ban or Simple Restrict?

WP-Ban has a 3.7/5 rating from 27 reviews, while Simple Restrict has a 4.9/5 rating from 15 reviews.

Are WP-Ban and Simple Restrict free?

WP-Ban is free and Simple Restrict is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.

Which plugin has better support — WP-Ban or Simple Restrict?

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?

WP-Ban was last updated 1 year ago and Simple Restrict was last updated 4 months ago.

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