Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.

wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.

1312 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 1211 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.

Directory rank vs rivals

wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band 3.7 years ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.

1. ★★★★★ codings

   5mo ago

   Looks great, functions better than expected, and excellent support. If only all WordPress plugins were this well made and maintained.

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ costinpg

   6mo ago

   Better Messages has been a very useful plugin for our WooCommerce/Dokan marketplace. We use it for buyer-to-seller communication, and the WebSocket version makes the experience feel smooth and real-time.It is a practical and affordable alternative to external chat platforms, while still offering the main features we need: private conversations, notifications, and an internal inbox.One improvement that would help us a lot would be easier control over frontend notification prompts and translation strings, especially for browser push notifications.Overall, it is a strong plugin and a great choice for marketplaces that need internal messaging without building a custom chat system from scratch.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ vncnt198

   11mo ago

   Perfectly suited to my needs, the free version is already very feature-rich. Well done.

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ danieljproctor

   1.2y ago

   I had the an issue with a small BUG in the plugin today. He responded within 3 minutes of sending the request and launched an update to wordpress within the hour. The issue was fixed faster than I could imagine. Thanks! Awesome work guys.

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ pnem

   1.3y ago

   So easy to use, and so many features. It really is a next level WordPress plugin.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ Robert Mark Edgar Williams

   1.5y ago

   Thank you for such a great plugin. It is very obvious that there was a lot of thought and hard work put into the development of the Better Messages plugin. Please continue to upgrade and add any features that would make it an even greater plugin. If you are interested, please contact me by email, I have a few suggestions that I would like to share with you.

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ SelwynManning

   1.6y ago

   Better Messages has all the most modern functions I was looking for in an instant message system. Its logic is well thought through, and its many functions can be applied without slowing page loads nor increasing CPU/Memory to any significant degree. It is especially coded to integrate with Peepso social community software. Better Messages support, documentation, guidance, and trial before purchasing options are all 5-star excellent. On initial installation (during the trial period) I had a timeout issue (caused by my server configuration) and Andrij came to my support within minutes. He adjusted code in Better Messages, and all functions came alive. He gave me guidance on what I needed to do too. I sincerely recommend the Better Messages plugin (and the company’s service) to anyone wishing to have a professionally-coded A-Class instant messaging system on their site or platform. Thank you Andrij and Better Messages team. This topic was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by SelwynManning.

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ Josh Journey

   1.6y ago

   Better Messages is the best message plugin. Everything is responsive, doesn’t burden page load time, has message reactions, precise message search to specific text, user group chats, automatic purge option of old messages, and many more features. Documentation is excellent, has many quality filter hooks, and allows custom file extensions for upload such as GPX. I inquired about a specific user block feature in PeepSo that is entirely separate from Better Messages and within a day saw it included in Better Messages! Andrij is very kind, responsive, and continues to bring impressive innovations to Better Messages. Many great integrations, collaborations, and giving us the tools to foster our communities. I am very thankful for this – it is a gift to the world. 🙂

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 2.15.13 Added Automatic Message Cleanup for chat rooms Added Participants List Order setting at Settings → Messaging → Group Conversation Settings Better Messages → Administration moderation area now showing message timestamps i 2.15.13
2. — Version 2.15.9 Migration to new Roadmap Added Shortcode Builder — visual admin tool at Settings → Shortcodes that configures the [better_messages_live_chat_button] shortcode without code. Added initial BuddyBoss ReadyLaunch theme integ 2.15.9
3. — Version 2.15.8 Fixed pages with the slug messages returning 404 on sites that use WooCommerce as the Messages Location Fixed the compact-sidebar hover tooltip lingering on the conversation screen after tapping an avatar on mobile Added 2.15.8
4. — Version 2.15.7 Added Send Message, Audio Call and Video Call buttons to the PeepSo user hovercard Added emoji search translations — admin can download per-locale annotations so emoji picker search works in 30+ languages (e.g. German “g 2.15.7
5. — Version 2.15.6 Added JavaScript filter slots in the guest authentication screen — better_messages_auth_required_top , better_messages_auth_required_between , and better_messages_auth_required_bottom — for injecting custom HTML into the 2.15.6
6. — Version 2.15.5 Added per-role filter for the auto-remove inactive chat room participants feature, so an admin can target guests or other specific roles only and leave members untouched Fixed new chat room participants could be remove i 2.15.5

All 26 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (3.1.6). Sites still on an older version should update.

1. Patched High · 7.2 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots <= 3.1.3 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗
   2026-10-22 CVE-2026-114179 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.1.3 Patched in 3.1.4
2. Patched Medium · 6.4 Better Messages <= 3.0.4 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Stored DOM-Based Cross-Site Scripting via User Display Name ↗
   2026-09-24 CVE-2026-94376 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.0.4 Patched in 3.0.5
3. Patched Medium · 6.5 Better Messages <= 3.0.4 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) SQL Injection via 'group_id' Message Meta Parameter ↗
   2026-09-24 CVE-2026-93899 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command Affects <= 3.0.4 Patched in 3.0.5
4. Patched Medium · 5.3 Better Messages <= 2.15.33 - Unauthenticated Information Exposure Spoofing via 'X-Real-IP' Header via /guests/register ↗
   2026-09-18 CVE-2026-89093 Improper Authentication Affects <= 2.15.33 Patched in 3.0.0
5. Patched Medium · 6.5 Better Messages <= 2.15.33 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Custom+) Chat-Room Transcript Disclosure via '/thread/<id>' REST Endpoint ↗
   2026-09-18 CVE-2026-89334 Missing Authorization Affects <= 2.15.33 Patched in 3.0.0
6. Patched Medium · 6.1 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots plugin for WordPress <= 2.15.22 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via 'icn' Parameter ↗
   2026-09-15 CVE-2026-18555 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.15.22 Patched in 2.15.23
7. Patched High · 7.2 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots <= 2.15.27 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗
   2026-09-02 CVE-2026-84812 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.15.27 Patched in 2.15.28
8. Patched High · 7.2 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots <= 2.15.22 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗
   2026-08-18 CVE-2026-32547 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.15.22 Patched in 2.15.23
9. Patched High · 7.2 Better Messages <= 2.15.19 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Arbitrary File Deletion via Path Traversal via 'file' Parameter ↗
   2026-07-27 CVE-2026-16585 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory Affects <= 2.15.19 Patched in 2.15.20
10. Patched Medium · 5.3 Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots <= 2.14.16 - Unauthenticated Insecure Direct Object Reference ↗
    2026-05-27 CVE-2026-42736 Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key Affects <= 2.14.16 Patched in 2.15.0
11. Patched Medium · 6.1 Freemius <= 2.10.1 - Reflected DOM-Based Cross-Site Scripting via url Parameter ↗
    2026-04-30 CVE-2024-13362 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.6.7 Patched in 2.7.0
12. Patched Medium · 6.1 Better Messages – Live Chat for WordPress, BuddyPress, PeepSo, Ultimate Member, BuddyBoss <= 2.10.2 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗
    2025-12-16 CVE-2025-14154 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.10.2 Patched in 2.10.3
13. Patched High · 7.5 Better Messages – Live Chat for WordPress, BuddyPress, PeepSo, Ultimate Member, BuddyBoss <= 2.6.9 - Unauthenticated Sensitive Information Exposure Through Unprotected Directory ↗
    2025-02-28 CVE-2024-13611 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Affects <= 2.6.9 Patched in 2.7.0
14. Patched Medium · 4.8 Better Messages – Live Chat for WordPress, BuddyPress, PeepSo, Ultimate Member, BuddyBoss <= 2.7.4 - Unauthenticated Limited Server-Side Request Forgery in nice_links ↗
    2025-02-28 CVE-2024-13697 Server-Side Request Forgery Affects <= 2.7.4 Patched in 2.7.5
15. Patched Medium · 6.4 Better Messages – Live Chat for WordPress, BuddyPress, PeepSo, Ultimate Member, BuddyBoss <= 2.6.9 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Shortcode ↗
    2025-01-31 CVE-2024-13612 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.6.9 Patched in 2.7.0
16. Patched Medium · 5.3 BP Better Messages <= 2.4.32 - Missing Authorization ↗
    2024-04-22 CVE-2024-32802 Missing Authorization Affects <= 2.4.32 Patched in 2.4.33
17. Patched Medium · 6.4 BP Better Messages <= 2.4.0 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via shortcode ↗
    2023-11-29 CVE-2023-49168 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.4.0 Patched in 2.4.1
18. Patched Medium · 6.1 Freemius SDK <= 2.5.9 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting via fs_request_get ↗
    2023-07-18 CVE-2023-33999 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects 1.9.10.72 - 2.1.17 Patched in 2.1.18
19. Patched Medium · 5.4 Better Messages <= 1.9.10.68 - Authorization Bypass to Blocking Control Bypass ↗
    2022-11-09 CVE-2022-40216 Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key Affects <= 1.9.10.68 Patched in 1.9.10.69
20. Patched High · 7.4 Better Messages <= 1.9.10.68 - Server-Side Request Forgery ↗
    2022-10-21 CVE-2022-41609 Server-Side Request Forgery Affects <= 1.9.10.68 Patched in 1.9.10.69
21. Patched High · 7.7 Better Messages <= 1.9.10.57 - Resource Exhaustion ↗
    2022-08-22 CVE-2022-33142 Uncontrolled Resource Consumption Affects <= 1.9.10.57 Patched in 1.9.10.58
22. Patched Medium · 6.3 Freemius SDK <= 2.4.2 - Missing Authorization Checks ↗
    2022-03-04 CVE-2022-4974 Missing Authorization Affects < 1.9.9.170 Patched in 1.9.9.170
23. Patched High · 8.8 Better Messages <= 1.9.9.148 - Cross-Site Request Forgery ↗
    2022-01-18 CVE-2022-36389 Cross-Site Request Forgery Affects <= 1.9.9.148 Patched in 1.9.9.149
24. Patched High · 8.8 Better Messages <= 1.9.9.148 - Cross-Site Request Forgery ↗
    2022-01-18 CVE-2022-29454 Cross-Site Request Forgery Affects <= 1.9.9.148 Patched in 1.9.9.149
25. Patched Medium · 6.1 BP Better Messages <= 1.9.9.37 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting ↗
    2021-10-04 CVE-2021-24808 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects < 1.9.9.41 Patched in 1.9.9.41
26. Patched High · 8.8 BP Better Messages <= 1.9.9.37 - Cross-Site Request Forgery ↗
    2021-10-04 CVE-2021-24809 Cross-Site Request Forgery Affects < 1.9.9.41 Patched in 1.9.9.41

Translated into 32 languages, 2 at 90% or more

Plus 8 more locales with partial translations.

Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2023-02-23 9K+ → 10K+ up after 84 days in tier
2. 2022-12-01 8K+ → 9K+ up after 110 days in tier
3. 2022-08-13 7K+ → 8K+ up after 144 days in tier
4. 2022-03-22 6K+ → 7K+ up after 175 days in tier
5. 2021-09-28 5K+ → 6K+ up after 141 days in tier
6. 2021-05-10 4K+ → 5K+ up after 166 days in tier
7. 2020-11-25 3K+ → 4K+ up after 110 days in tier
8. 2020-08-07 2K+ → 3K+ up after 239 days in tier

Competes with

The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).

Embed this report card

Drop a live Pulse card for Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Better Messages – Chat Rooms, Group Chat, Private Messages & AI Chat Bots: 10K+ active installs, 4.8★ (142 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/bp-better-messages