Force Login vs Private groups (2026)

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

Force Login

Force Login

4.8(101)

30K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 year ago
View Force Login
VS
Private groups

Private groups

4.9(49)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 4 months ago
View Private groups

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

Rating
4.8/5Force Login
Private groups4.9/5
Total Reviews
101Force Login
Private groups49
Active Installs
30K+Force Login
Private groups1.0K+
Total Downloads
9.0M+Force Login
Private groups152K+
Support Resolution
0%Force Login
Private groupsN/A
Last Updated
1 year agoForce Login
Private groups4 months ago
First Released
2014Force Login
Private groups2014
Age
12 yearsForce Login
Private groups12 years
WP Requires
4.6+Force Login
Private groupsfalse+
PHP Requires
false+Force Login
Private groupsfalse+
Business Model
FreeForce Login
Private groupsFree
Latest Version
5.6.3Force Login
Private groups3.9.7

Rating Breakdown

Force Login

4.8/5(101 reviews)
5
94%
4
0%
3
0%
2
3%
1
3%

Private groups

4.9/5(49 reviews)
5
94%
4
0%
3
6%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Force Login Reviews

by bkjproductions

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.

by esyrett

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

by ucsendre

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

by smoothkeyboard62

Granular, well explained, works like a charm

Exactly what I needed. A simple, yet powerful solution. Very well documented inside the Settings area.

by olesuper8

Wonderful Plugin

Just works wonderfully, I’m really impressed.

by acrspf

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Force Login or Private groups more popular?
Force Login has 30K+ active installations while Private groups has 1.0K+. Force Login is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Force Login or Private groups?
Force Login has a 4.8/5 rating from 101 reviews, while Private groups has a 4.9/5 rating from 49 reviews.
Are Force Login and Private groups free?
Force Login is free and Private groups is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Force Login or Private groups?
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?
Force Login was last updated 1 year ago and Private groups was last updated 4 months ago.

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