Groups vs Ultimate Member (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Membership Plugins top 10: Groups at #10 and Ultimate Member at #2. Ultimate Member leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Groups
Groups – Memberships and Access Control
Turn your site into a powerful membership solution. Manage members, teams and access to content easily.
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 5 of the 6 measures we track.
Ultimate Member ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #10 in Membership Plugins.
Ultimate Member has more users: 200,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Groups is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 382 reviews, against 4.4 from 1,445 reviews.
Ultimate Member has more reviews behind its score: 1,445 against 382.
Ultimate Member was updated more recently, on September 29, 2026; Groups on September 24, 2026.
Ultimate Member was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 150,005 times against 10,792.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
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, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Groups vs Ultimate Member side by side
| Groups | Ultimate Member | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Plugins ranking | #10 | #2 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 382 | 1,445 |
| Active installs | 10,000+ | 200,000+ |
| Total downloads | 1,060,045 | 13,746,516 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 10,792 | 150,005 |
| Last updated | Sep 24, 2026 | Sep 29, 2026 |
| First published | Jan 12, 2012 | Jan 21, 2015 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.0 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free + paid version |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Groups 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 Groups nor Ultimate Member can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Membership Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Groups vs Ultimate Member: common questions
Is Groups better than Ultimate Member?
Ultimate Member leads on 5 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: #2 against #10 in Membership Plugins.
Which has more users, Groups or Ultimate Member?
Ultimate Member ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #10 in Membership Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Groups or Ultimate Member?
Ultimate Member has more users: 200,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are Groups and Ultimate Member free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Groups 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 Groups and Ultimate Member
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
More Membership Plugins comparisons
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- Groups vs Simple Membership After Login Redirection
- Groups vs User Registration
- Groups vs WP-Members
- Groups vs ProfilePress
- Members vs Ultimate Member
- Paid Membership Subscriptions vs Ultimate Member
- Simple Membership After Login Redirection vs Ultimate Member
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.