Ultimate Member vs WP-Members (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: Ultimate Member at #2 and WP-Members at #6. Ultimate Member leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
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.
WP-Members
WP-Members Membership Plugin
The original WordPress membership plugin with content restriction, user login, custom registration fields, user profiles, and more.
Who leads on what
Ultimate Member leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track.
Ultimate Member ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #6 in Membership Plugins.
Ultimate Member has more users: 200,000+ active installs against 50,000+.
WP-Members is rated higher: 4.6 out of 5 from 272 reviews, against 4.4 from 1,445 reviews.
Ultimate Member has more reviews behind its score: 1,445 against 272.
Ultimate Member was updated more recently, on August 24, 2026; WP-Members on February 27, 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.
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 or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
WP-Members
Pick WP-Members if the review score matters most to you.
Ultimate Member vs WP-Members side by side
| Ultimate Member | WP-Members | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Plugins ranking | #2 | #6 |
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.6 |
| Reviews | 1,445 | 272 |
| Active installs | 200,000+ | 50,000+ |
| Total downloads | 13,493,202 | 4,018,853 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 24, 2026 | Feb 27, 2026 |
| First published | Jan 21, 2015 | Sep 23, 2009 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 6.9.7 |
| Requires PHP | 7.0 | – |
| Pricing | Free + paid version | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Ultimate Member ratings
WP-Members 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 Ultimate Member nor WP-Members can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Membership Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Ultimate Member vs WP-Members: common questions
Is Ultimate Member better than WP-Members?
Ultimate Member leads on 4 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: #2 against #6 in Membership Plugins.
Which has more users, Ultimate Member or WP-Members?
Ultimate Member ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #6 in Membership Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Ultimate Member or WP-Members?
Ultimate Member has more users: 200,000+ active installs against 50,000+.
Are Ultimate Member and WP-Members free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Ultimate Member is listed as commercial, so a paid version or add-ons exist. WP-Members may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Ultimate Member and WP-Members
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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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.