Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin
by Blair Williams · AI
Also makes 3 other plugins · 530K+ installs across the portfolio →
The best WordPress membership and user role editor plugin. Edit roles, restrict content, and now manage it all with an AI assistant.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 97/100
no flags
Active installs
300K+
≈390K estimated
Momentum
-12%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “ai” for “codex”. “ai” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “codex” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
97 health vs 77 average across 3,394 AI plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.7%
of downloads still active
At least 300K of 8.1M lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median AI plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,010 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other AI plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 12 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 1 day ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.9★ over 1,281 reviews, smoothed to 4.87★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
16 of 18 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
Search visibility
How it's tracked →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.
53
Momentum
Holding steady
+0.8
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
47%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+0.8
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
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.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| capabilities your tag | #1 | #1 | up 1 |
| role editor | #1 | #1 | up 1 |
| user role editor | #1 | #1 | up 1 |
| memberships your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| roles your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| members | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| user role | #1 | #1 | up 1 |
| role | #1 | #1 | up 1 |
| edit roles | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| permissions your tag | #2 | #2 | up 2 |
| membership | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| restrict content | #2 | #2 | up 1 |
| user roles management | #1 | #1 | up 1 |
| top members | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| free for members | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| user plugin | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| user role plugin | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| custom user roles | #1 | #1 | up 1 |
| advanced members | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| user roles and permission | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| ai your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
1745 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 1635 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “ai” for “codex”. “ai” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “codex” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 457.8K · peaks are release surges
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
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
12
releases in the last 12 months
yesterday
latest release · v3.3.1 · 30 Oct 2026
69
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare 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.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “300K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 2.6 years ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 2 Oct 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ usi154mo ago
The members plugin makes it easy to manage different roles for a library management system.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ docmolly4mo ago
Works and makes protecting content through MemberPress much simpler.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ itdennis4mo ago
Leicht, effizient. Zumindest für schnelle, umsetzbare Lösungen die funktionieren und keinen “Stress” machen. Für größere Einsätze habe ich es noch nicht getestet.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ abuchsbaum4mo ago
I do digital support for an arts institution that uses our website to sell tickets to events. We’ve been using Members for four years with no problem when all of a sudden our calendar went down, with no event appearing anywhere. Our web developer tracked it down to a Members option to hide protected posts from the REST API, which effectively was everything on our calendar. I don’t know if this is a new option that just was added during an update or if something caused it to flip on all of a sudden, but it took a long time to work out the issue, given that deep in the settings for a back-end permissions plug in is about the last place I’d look for this type of issue. I would love to hear an explanation as to what happened but until I do, I would recommend no one use a product that would do something this thoughtless.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ roycooke274mo ago
Easy Membership app to understand how to get roles functionality up and ready quickly. Did exactly what I wanted it to do. Will be upgrading to Pro at a later date.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ zimmermandesign4mo ago
When I first downloaded the free plugin, I was a bit skeptical that it would do what I needed it to, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out this plugin is AMAZING! It is really simple to use, letting you set up exactly what each user is permitted to do. It does its job very well, and is just all around a VERY good plugin. Well done, Devs!!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ LindaLovesWordPress4mo ago
So glad there are developers hanging in there and keeping their plugins updated in spite of what Matt has done to discourage the ecospace he created. This is a free plugin that does what we need it to do. Thank you very much to Blair Williams. This topic was modified 1 month ago by LindaLovesWordPress.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ LuciaRed5mo ago
A effortless installation and set up on all my b2b sites with content that targets a specific user role. Very easy to set up and run.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 3.2.26 Fixed: On the user profile / edit-user screen with Multiple User Roles enabled, the role checkboxes could appear to have no checkmark — looking “unresponsive” — when another plugin’s admin CSS overrode core checkbox styl 3.2.26
- — Version 3.2.25 Fixed: Saving a post via the REST API as a user without the restrict_content capability (e.g. custom roles, Gutenberg + ACF Pro) failed with “Sorry, you are not allowed to edit the _members_access_role custom field,” and 3.2.25
- — Version 3.2.24 Fixed: Content Permissions could not be saved via the REST API (block editor, Elementor, and other page builders) in 3.2.23, failing with “Sorry, you are not allowed to edit the _members_access_role custom field.” The me 3.2.24
- — Version 3.2.23 Fixed: Unauthenticated sensitive information disclosure via a REST API pagination side channel (CVE-2026-12426). Protected posts are now excluded from REST queries at the SQL level so the result counts and pagination hea 3.2.23
- — Version 3.2.22 Added import/export feature Added capabilities search Ensure WP 7.0 Compat 3.2.22
- — Version 3.2.21 Fixed: Privacy Caps add-on not granting privacy capabilities to administrators on fresh activations Removed: Legacy standalone-plugin code from bundled add-ons (dead activation hooks, obsolete build scripts, orphaned rea 3.2.21
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 2 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (3.3.1). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 5.3 Members <= 3.2.22 - Unauthenticated Sensitive Information Disclosure via REST API Pagination Side Channel ↗2026-07-10 CVE-2026-12426 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Affects <= 3.2.22 Patched in 3.2.23
- Patched Medium · 5.3 Members <= 3.2.10 - Unauthenticated Content Restriction Bypass to Sensitive Information Exposure ↗2024-12-10 CVE-2024-11008 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Affects <= 3.2.10 Patched in 3.2.11
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 66 languages, 7 at 90% or more
Plus 42 more locales with partial translations.
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Share of voice
How often each assistant names Members when asked about this topic, where it comes in the answer, and how that compares with its wp.org search position. Latest run 25 Oct 2026.
- Assistants
- ChatGPT, Claude
- Topics tracked
- Membership
Readme readiness
8 of 8 pass · checked 26 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "The best WordPress membership and user role editor plugin. User Roles & Capabilities editor helps you restr..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 6 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 6 of 6 read like questions a user would type.
- ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("if you want", "if you need").
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions WooCommerce, Advanced Custom Fields, ACF, MemberPress and 1 more.
- ✓ Headings and lists 7 headings and 3 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 4,624 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 5 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2024-03-19 200K+ → 300K+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2024-03-17 300K+ → 200K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2024-03-16 200K+ → 300K+ up after 1556 days in tier
- 2019-12-12 100K+ → 200K+ up
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).
-
PublishPress Capabilities: User Role Access Control, Admin Area Permissions 90K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Roles & Capabilities 1K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags B -
Comment Moderation Role by WPBeginner 200+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags B - M Map Cap 100+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Melapress Role Editor 100+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A - U User Switcher 100+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/members" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin: 300K+ active installs, 4.9★ (1,281 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/members
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