Controlled Admin Access vs User Access Shortcodes
Two WordPress plugins head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
These aren’t all alternatives to each other — they do different jobs — so this page compares popularity only, not features.
At a glance
Controlled Admin Access leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,768, ahead of User Access Shortcodes at #5,485. Over the last 7 days Controlled Admin Access held its place and User Access Shortcodes slipped 11 places. Controlled Admin Access has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 10K+ active installs against 1K+ for User Access Shortcodes. Downloads this week: Controlled Admin Access 362 and User Access Shortcodes 63. Ratings: Controlled Admin Access 4.8★ from 45 and User Access Shortcodes 4.9★ from 13 reviews.
| Metric | Controlled Admin Access | User Access Shortcodes |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,768 ▬ | #5,485 ▼ 11 |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 1K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 362 | 63 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (45) | 4.9★ (13) |
| Last updated | Aug 20, 2026 | Jan 29, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.1.3 | 2.3 |
| Best rank on record | #1,762 | #5,471 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Dec 2015 | Nov 2014 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
More comparisons
- Controlled Admin Access vs User Role Editor
- Controlled Admin Access vs User Access Manager
- Controlled Admin Access vs Username Changer
- Controlled Admin Access vs Groups – Memberships and Access Control
- Controlled Admin Access vs Loginizer
- User Access Shortcodes vs Username Changer
- User Access Shortcodes vs Login as User: See the Site as Any User
- User Access Shortcodes vs Manage Notification E-mails
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Controlled Admin Access or User Access Shortcodes?
By active installs, Controlled Admin Access: 10K+ sites run it against 1K+ for User Access Shortcodes, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 18, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Controlled Admin Access or User Access Shortcodes?
Controlled Admin Access, at #1,768 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with User Access Shortcodes at #5,485. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Controlled Admin Access or User Access Shortcodes alternatives to each other?
Not all of them. Some of these plugins do different jobs and many sites run more than one. This page compares their popularity, not their features.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each plugin’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the plugins have moved over time rather than a single day.