Paid Membership Subscriptions vs User Registration (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Membership Plugins top 10: Paid Membership Subscriptions at #5 and User Registration at #4. User Registration leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Paid Membership Subscriptions
Paid Membership Subscriptions – Effortless Memberships, Recurring Payments & Content Restriction
Feature-packed membership plugin for creating subscription plans, adding recurring payments & content restriction on your membership 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 4 of the 5 measures we track.
User Registration ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #5 in Membership Plugins.
User Registration has more users: 50,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
User Registration is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 828 reviews, against 4.7 from 265 reviews.
User Registration has more reviews behind its score: 828 against 265.
Paid Membership Subscriptions was updated more recently, on August 19, 2026; User Registration on August 12, 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.
Paid Membership Subscriptions
Pick Paid Membership Subscriptions if you want the one shipping releases most recently.
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 or you want the score backed by more reviews.
Paid Membership Subscriptions vs User Registration side by side
| Paid Membership Subscriptions | User Registration | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Plugins ranking | #5 | #4 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 265 | 828 |
| Active installs | 10,000+ | 50,000+ |
| Total downloads | 2,023,230 | 4,480,493 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 19, 2026 | Aug 12, 2026 |
| First published | Nov 4, 2015 | Jul 6, 2017 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.0.4 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free + paid version |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Paid Membership Subscriptions 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 Paid Membership Subscriptions nor User Registration can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Membership Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Paid Membership Subscriptions vs User Registration: common questions
Is Paid Membership Subscriptions better than User Registration?
User Registration leads on 4 of the 5 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 #5 in Membership Plugins.
Which has more users, Paid Membership Subscriptions or User Registration?
User Registration ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #5 in Membership Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Paid Membership Subscriptions or User Registration?
User Registration has more users: 50,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are Paid Membership Subscriptions and User Registration free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Paid Membership Subscriptions may also sell a paid version or add-ons. User Registration is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist.
Alternatives to Paid Membership Subscriptions 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.