User Frontend vs WP User Manager (October 2026)
Updated October 23, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org User Profile Plugins top 10: User Frontend at #6 and WP User Manager at #9. They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
User Frontend
User Frontend – Membership, User Registration, User Profile, User Directory & Content Restriction with Frontend Post Submission
Create an AI-powered frontend post form, user registration form, user profile page, membership site, user directory, and content restriction.
WP User Manager
WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory
Registration forms, a frontend login form, user profiles and a member directory for WordPress. Add Stripe payments and content restriction.
Who leads on what
They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most.
User Frontend ranks higher on WordPress.org: #6 against #9 in User Profile Plugins.
User Frontend has more users: 20,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
WP User Manager is rated higher: 4.7 out of 5 from 350 reviews, against 4.1 from 535 reviews.
User Frontend has more reviews behind its score: 535 against 350.
WP User Manager was updated more recently, on October 20, 2026; User Frontend on October 1, 2026.
WP User Manager was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 37,832 times against 20,239.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
User Frontend
Pick User Frontend if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run or you want the score backed by more reviews.
WP User Manager
Pick WP User Manager if the review score matters most to you, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
User Frontend vs WP User Manager side by side
| User Frontend | WP User Manager | |
|---|---|---|
| User Profile Plugins ranking | #6 | #9 |
| Rating | 4.1 | 4.7 |
| Reviews | 535 | 350 |
| Active installs | 20,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Total downloads | 2,006,722 | 771,263 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 20,239 | 37,832 |
| Last updated | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 20, 2026 |
| First published | Jan 10, 2011 | Jul 6, 2015 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 49 days
User Frontend ratings
WP User Manager 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 User Frontend nor WP User Manager can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the User Profile Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
User Frontend vs WP User Manager: common questions
Is User Frontend better than WP User Manager?
They split the 6 measures we track, so the choice comes down to which one you weigh most. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. User Frontend ranks higher on WordPress.org: #6 against #9 in User Profile Plugins.
Which has more users, User Frontend or WP User Manager?
User Frontend ranks higher on WordPress.org: #6 against #9 in User Profile Plugins.
Which is rated higher, User Frontend or WP User Manager?
User Frontend has more users: 20,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are User Frontend and WP User Manager free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. User Frontend may also sell a paid version or add-ons. WP User Manager may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to User Frontend and WP User Manager
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.