Members vs Ultimate Member (October 2026)
Updated October 23, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Membership Plugins top 10: Members at #1 and Ultimate Member at #2. Members leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Members
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin
The best WordPress membership and user role editor plugin. User Roles & Capabilities editor helps you restrict content in just a few clicks.
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
Members leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track.
Members ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #2 in Membership Plugins.
Members has more users: 300,000+ active installs against 200,000+.
Members is rated higher: 4.9 out of 5 from 1,280 reviews, against 4.4 from 1,445 reviews.
Ultimate Member has more reviews behind its score: 1,445 against 1,280.
Members was updated more recently, on October 21, 2026; Ultimate Member on September 29, 2026.
Ultimate Member was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 150,005 times against 47,987.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Members
Pick Members if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, the review score matters most to you or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Ultimate Member
Pick Ultimate Member if you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Members vs Ultimate Member side by side
| Members | Ultimate Member | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Plugins ranking | #1 | #2 |
| Rating | 4.9 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 1,280 | 1,445 |
| Active installs | 300,000+ | 200,000+ |
| Total downloads | 7,765,412 | 13,746,516 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 47,987 | 150,005 |
| Last updated | Oct 21, 2026 | Sep 29, 2026 |
| First published | Sep 17, 2009 | 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
Members 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 Members nor Ultimate Member can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Membership Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Members vs Ultimate Member: common questions
Is Members better than Ultimate Member?
Members leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Members ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #2 in Membership Plugins.
Which has more users, Members or Ultimate Member?
Members ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #2 in Membership Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Members or Ultimate Member?
Members has more users: 300,000+ active installs against 200,000+.
Are Members and Ultimate Member free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Members 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 Members and Ultimate Member
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
More Membership Plugins comparisons
- Kit vs Members
- Kit vs Ultimate Member
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- Groups vs Ultimate Member
- Members vs Paid Membership Subscriptions
- Members vs Simple Membership
- Members vs Simple Membership After Login Redirection
- Members vs Simple Membership Custom Messages
- Members vs User Registration
- Members vs WP-Members
- Members vs ProfilePress
- Members vs User Frontend
Weekly · free
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.