Force Login vs Private 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, Private groups has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 49 reviews) while Force Login leads in active installations (30K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Force Login has accumulated 9.0M+ total downloads while Private groups has 152K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Force Login | Private groups | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8/5 | ► | 4.9/5 |
| Total Reviews | 101 | ◄ | 49 |
| Active Installs | 30K+ | ◄ | 1.0K+ |
| Total Downloads | 9.0M+ | ◄ | 152K+ |
| Support Resolution | 0% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 year ago | ► | 4 months ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2014 | |
| Age | 12 years | 12 years | |
| WP Requires | 4.6+ | false+ | |
| PHP Requires | false+ | false+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 5.6.3 | 3.9.7 |
Rating Breakdown
Force Login
Private groups
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Force Login averaged approximately 6,237 daily downloads while Private groups averaged 10.
Recent Reviews
Force Login Reviews
Short and sweet, does what you need
It is nice to find such an easy-to-use plugin, that also has a way alter with some hooks, so if you don’t mind doing a little PHP you can specify certain pages can be visible.
Just Works!
I used this plugin to implement a security fence around our Members area. It’s easy. You have to have permalinks set up to include postname and then in the filter code just filter on the pages that
Simply works fine <3
This plugin does what it is expected to do. No fancy extras, no bloat. Simply works. I love it. Many thanks for the author.
Private groups Reviews
Granular, well explained, works like a charm
Exactly what I needed. A simple, yet powerful solution. Very well documented inside the Settings area.
Wonderful Plugin
Just works wonderfully, I’m really impressed.
Very impressed
While testing, I was already impressed with the functionality, then had a minor bug issue and it was fixed within 24 hours with a few emails. Now that’s superb support 🙂 Super plugin that works
More Private Worth Comparing
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Force Login or Private groups more popular?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.