PublishPress Capabilities vs Ultimate Member (October 2026)
Updated October 23, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org User Profile Plugins top 10: PublishPress Capabilities at #12 and Ultimate Member at #1. Ultimate Member leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
PublishPress Capabilities
PublishPress Capabilities: User Role Access Control, Admin Area Permissions
User role editing for WordPress. Manage user roles, control capabilities and permissions, and restrict admin access for any role.
Ultimate Member
Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin
Membership & community plugin with user profiles, registration & login, member directories, content restriction, user roles and much more.
Who leads on what
Ultimate Member leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track.
Ultimate Member ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #12 in User Profile Plugins.
Ultimate Member has more users: 200,000+ active installs against 100,000+.
PublishPress Capabilities is rated higher: 4.7 out of 5 from 143 reviews, against 4.4 from 1,445 reviews.
Ultimate Member has more reviews behind its score: 1,445 against 143.
PublishPress Capabilities was updated more recently, on October 14, 2026; Ultimate Member on September 29, 2026.
Ultimate Member was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 150,005 times against 126,023.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
PublishPress Capabilities
Pick PublishPress Capabilities if the review score matters most to you or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Ultimate Member
Pick Ultimate Member if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one being installed faster right now.
PublishPress Capabilities vs Ultimate Member side by side
| PublishPress Capabilities | Ultimate Member | |
|---|---|---|
| User Profile Plugins ranking | #12 | #1 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 143 | 1,445 |
| Active installs | 100,000+ | 200,000+ |
| Total downloads | 4,434,887 | 13,746,516 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 126,023 | 150,005 |
| Last updated | Oct 14, 2026 | Sep 29, 2026 |
| First published | Jul 30, 2012 | Jan 21, 2015 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.2.5 | 7.0 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free + paid version |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
PublishPress Capabilities ratings
Ultimate Member ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither PublishPress Capabilities nor Ultimate Member can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the User Profile Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
PublishPress Capabilities vs Ultimate Member: common questions
Is PublishPress Capabilities better than Ultimate Member?
Ultimate Member leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Ultimate Member ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #12 in User Profile Plugins.
Which has more users, PublishPress Capabilities or Ultimate Member?
Ultimate Member ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #12 in User Profile Plugins.
Which is rated higher, PublishPress Capabilities or Ultimate Member?
Ultimate Member has more users: 200,000+ active installs against 100,000+.
Are PublishPress Capabilities and Ultimate Member free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. PublishPress Capabilities may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Ultimate Member is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist.
Alternatives to PublishPress Capabilities and Ultimate Member
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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