Groups – Memberships and Access Control vs User Role Editor
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
User Role Editor leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #90, ahead of Groups – Memberships and Access Control at #1,737. Over the last 7 days User Role Editor held its place and Groups – Memberships and Access Control slipped 1 place. User Role Editor has the largest install base, roughly 70× the next: 700K+ active installs against 10K+ for Groups – Memberships and Access Control. Downloads this week: User Role Editor 226,789 and Groups – Memberships and Access Control 1,230. Ratings: Groups – Memberships and Access Control 4.8★ from 382 and User Role Editor 4.5★ from 288 reviews.
| Metric | Groups – Memberships and Access Control | User Role Editor |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,737 ▼ 1 | #90 ▬ |
| Active installs | 10K+ | 700K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,230 | 226,789 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (382) | 4.5★ (288) |
| Last updated | Sep 24, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 |
| Current version | 4.8.0 | 4.66.3 |
| Best rank on record | #1,733 | #89 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2012 | Mar 2010 |
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
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- Groups – Memberships and Access Control vs Simple Membership
- Groups – Memberships and Access Control vs Ultimate Member
- User Role Editor vs Controlled Admin Access
- User Role Editor vs Loginizer
- User Role Editor vs User Access Manager
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Groups – Memberships and Access Control or User Role Editor?
By active installs, User Role Editor: 700K+ sites run it against 10K+ for Groups – Memberships and Access Control, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 31, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Groups – Memberships and Access Control or User Role Editor?
User Role Editor, at #90 on the WordPress.org popular plugins list today, with Groups – Memberships and Access Control at #1,737. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Are Groups – Memberships and Access Control or User Role Editor 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.