PublishPress Capabilities vs Ultimate Member (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org User Profile Plugins top 10: PublishPress Capabilities at #10 and Ultimate Member at #1. Ultimate Member leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
PublishPress Capabilities
PublishPress Capabilities – User Role Editor, Access Permissions, User Capabilities, Admin Menus
PublishPress Capabilities is the access control plugin. You can manage user capabilities, permissions, user roles, admin menus and more.
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 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Ultimate Member ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #10 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 August 25, 2026; Ultimate Member on August 24, 2026.
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 or you want the score backed by more reviews.
PublishPress Capabilities vs Ultimate Member side by side
| PublishPress Capabilities | Ultimate Member | |
|---|---|---|
| User Profile Plugins ranking | #10 | #1 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 143 | 1,445 |
| Active installs | 100,000+ | 200,000+ |
| Total downloads | 4,290,502 | 13,493,202 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 25, 2026 | Aug 24, 2026 |
| First published | Jul 30, 2012 | Jan 21, 2015 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.2.5 | 7.0 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free + paid version |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
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 3 of the 5 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 #10 in User Profile Plugins.
Which has more users, PublishPress Capabilities or Ultimate Member?
Ultimate Member ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #10 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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