New User Approve vs User Registration (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org User Profile Plugins top 10: New User Approve at #8 and User Registration at #4. User Registration leads on all 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
New User Approve
WordPress user approval plugin to moderate registrations. Approve or deny real users and prevent fake signups to control who registers on site.
User Registration
User Registration & Membership – Free & Paid Memberships, Subscriptions, Content Restriction, User Profile, Custom User Registration & Login Builder
Build membership sites with tiered plans, content restriction, drag-&-drop custom registration & login form builder, and built-in payment system.
Who leads on what
User Registration leads on all 6 measures we track.
User Registration ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #8 in User Profile Plugins.
User Registration has more users: 50,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
User Registration is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 832 reviews, against 4.3 from 131 reviews.
User Registration has more reviews behind its score: 832 against 131.
User Registration was updated more recently, on October 17, 2026; New User Approve on September 30, 2026.
User Registration was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 58,886 times against 25,011.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
New User Approve
New User Approve does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
User Registration
Pick User Registration 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, 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.
New User Approve vs User Registration side by side
| New User Approve | User Registration | |
|---|---|---|
| User Profile Plugins ranking | #8 | #4 |
| Rating | 4.3 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 131 | 832 |
| Active installs | 20,000+ | 50,000+ |
| Total downloads | 943,571 | 4,572,894 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 25,011 | 58,886 |
| Last updated | Sep 30, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
| First published | Oct 30, 2008 | Jul 6, 2017 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | – | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free + paid version |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
New User Approve ratings
User Registration 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 New User Approve nor User Registration can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the User Profile Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
New User Approve vs User Registration: common questions
Is New User Approve better than User Registration?
User Registration leads on all 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. User Registration ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #8 in User Profile Plugins.
Which has more users, New User Approve or User Registration?
User Registration ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #8 in User Profile Plugins.
Which is rated higher, New User Approve or User Registration?
User Registration has more users: 50,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Are New User Approve and User Registration free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. New User Approve is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. User Registration is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist.
Alternatives to New User Approve and User Registration
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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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.