10 Best User Role Editor Alternatives in 2026
Updated September 7, 2026 · Ranked by how closely each plugin matches, from WordPress.org data · How this works
User Role Editor has 700,000+ active installs on WordPress.org. These 10 plugins share its category or its tags on WordPress.org, are actively maintained, and each has at least 100 active installs. They are ordered by how closely they match, not by our opinion.
The 10 closest alternatives to User Role Editor
- 1
Security and Firewall
Closest matchAll-In-One Security (AIOS) – Security and Firewall
4.7 (1,715) 1 million+ active installsProtect your website investment with All-In-One Security (AIOS) – a comprehensive and easy to use security plugin designed especially for WordPress.
Shares the security tag on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, rated 4.7 against 4.5, last updated 25 days ago.
- 2
Limit Login Attempts Security – Login Security, 2FA, Firewall, Brute Force Prevention
4.8 (1,481) 1 million+ active installsWordPress login security with brute force protection, Two-factor authentication (2FA/MFA), firewall, IP/country blocking, and login monitoring
Shares the security tag on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, rated 4.8 against 4.5, last updated 6 days ago.
- 3
4.8 (1,031) 1 million+ active installsLoginizer is a WordPress security plugin which helps you fight against bruteforce attacks.
Shares the access, security tags on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, rated 4.8 against 4.5, last updated 19 days ago.
- 4
Kadence Security
Paid version availableKadence Security – Password, Two Factor Authentication, and Brute Force Protection
4.6 (3,990) 700,000+ active installsHarden your site security with Login Security, Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), Vulnerability Scanner, Firewall, and more. Formerly iThemes Security.
Shares the security tag on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, rated 4.6 against 4.5, last updated July 27, 2026.
- 5
4.6 (678) 1 million+ active installsA better way to manage dozens of WordPress websites.
Shares the security tag on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, rated 4.6 against 4.5, last updated 17 days ago.
- 6
Wordfence Security
Paid version availableWordfence Security – Firewall, Malware Scan, and Login Security
4.7 (4,992) 5 million+ active installsFirewall, Malware Scanner, Two Factor Auth, and Comprehensive Security Features, powered by our 24-hour team. Make security a priority with Wordfence.
Shares the security tag on WordPress.org. About 7.1 times the installs, rated 4.7 against 4.5, last updated 28 days ago.
- 7
MainWP Child
Paid version availableMainWP Child – Securely Connects to the MainWP Dashboard to Manage Multiple Sites
5.0 (70) 700,000+ active installsMainWP Child establishes a secure link between your WordPress sites and your self-hosted MainWP Dashboard, simplifying site management.
Shares the security tag on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, rated 5.0 against 4.5, last updated 13 days ago.
- 8
Really Simple Security – Simple and Performant Security (formerly Really Simple SSL)
4.9 (8,863) 3 million+ active installsEasily improve site security with WordPress Hardening, Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), Login Protection, Vulnerability Detection and SSL certificate.
Shares the security tag on WordPress.org. About 4.3 times the installs, rated 4.9 against 4.5, last updated 6 days ago.
- 9
4.9 (79) 1 million+ active installsEnable SVG uploads and sanitize them to stop XML/SVG vulnerabilities in your WordPress website.
Shares the security tag on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, rated 4.9 against 4.5, last updated today.
- 10
Security Optimizer – The All-In-One Protection Plugin
4.5 (157) 1 million+ active installsSecure your WordPress site from brute-force attacks, threats, malware, and bots. Free to use and easy to set up.
Shares the security tag on WordPress.org. A similar number of installs, last updated 10 days ago.
Switching from User Role Editor: common questions
What is the best alternative to User Role Editor?
Security and Firewall is the closest match: it shares the same WordPress.org tags and has 1 million+ active installs with a 4.7 out of 5 rating.
Which User Role Editor alternative has the most users?
Wordfence Security, with 5 million+ active installs reported by WordPress.org.
Which User Role Editor alternative is rated highest?
MainWP Child, rated 5.0 out of 5 by 70 reviewers. Only plugins with at least 50 reviews are counted.
Are these User Role Editor alternatives free?
Every plugin listed here is free to install from WordPress.org. Where WordPress.org marks a plugin as commercial, the developer also sells a paid version or add-ons, and that is shown on each plugin.
How are alternatives chosen?
Automatically, from WordPress.org data: plugins that share a category top 10 with User Role Editor score highest, then plugins that appear in the same WordPress.org rankings, then plugins with the same tags, weighted so rare tags count more than common ones. Plugins by the same author and plugins rated under 4.0 are left out.
How we choose these alternatives
Nothing on this page is picked by hand. Every day we walk the whole WordPress.org directory, then score every plugin against User Role Editor on three signals: sharing a category top 10 counts most, then appearing in the same WordPress.org rankings, then carrying the same tags, with rare tags counting for more than common ones like "wordpress". Plugins by the same author are excluded, so an author's own add-ons cannot fill the list, and so is anything rated below 4.0 or with fewer than 100 active installs. The ten highest scores are what you see, in that order. Full methodology.
The bottom line
Security and Firewall is the closest match to User Role Editor by the data we track, and Wordfence Security has the widest reach with 5 million+ active installs. Safe SVG shipped the most recent release, on September 6, 2026. The list is rebuilt every day from WordPress.org, so a plugin that stops being maintained drops out on its own.
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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.