wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “restrict user”
wp.org orders by popularity, so a plugin a host bundled onto millions of sites, or a big-brand one that's slow and mediocre, can sit at the top. Our ranking is built to answer a different question: which of these is actually worth installing. How this works →
For “restrict user”, we and wp.org disagree on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 9 of the top 20. 7 plugins are pushed down for signals wp.org ignores: errors, a host-installed base, or removal risk.
wp.org search ranks on
Install count (uncapped), the raw star average, freshness, and support. Popularity dominates, so the biggest install base usually wins regardless of how it got there.
We add
A cap on the install boost, volume-weighted ratings, and signals wp.org can't see: whether it throws errors on current PHP, whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.
Ranked above its merit
Restrict for Elementor shows at wp.org #9 but places #18 on merit, a gap of 9 places. Its 900+ installs carry it up the search order; its 4.0★ average from 9 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End places #10 on merit, 4.8★ from 913 reviews, but shows at wp.org #20. A smaller install base keeps it further down the default search order than its quality signals alone would.
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin 300K+ · 4.9★ (1281)
wp.org #2 ↑1 1 too low 2 
Restrict User Access – Ultimate Membership & Content Protection 10K+ · 4.3★ (94) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #1 1 too high 3 
User Registration & Membership – Free & Paid Memberships, Subscriptions, Content Restriction, User Profile, Custom User Registration & Login Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (832)
wp.org #3 ↓1 4 
User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738)
wp.org #4 5 
Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin 200K+ · 4.4★ (1445)
wp.org #6 1 too low 6 
Stop User Enumeration 60K+ · 4.9★ (132)
wp.org #7 ↑6 1 too low 7 
User Menus – Nav Menu Visibility 80K+ · 5.0★ (1281)
wp.org #14 ↓7 7 too low 8 R Restrict Usernames Emails Characters 1K+ · 4.5★ (25)
wp.org #5 3 too high 9 
WP User Manager – Registration Form, Login Form, User Profile Builder & Member Directory 10K+ · 4.7★ (350) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #8 1 too high 10 User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End 10K+ · 4.8★ (913)
wp.org #20 ↓3 10 too low 11 
New User Approve 20K+ · 4.3★ (131)
wp.org #12 ↑3 1 too low 12 
User Frontend – Membership, User Registration, User Profile, User Directory & Content Restriction with Frontend Post Submission 20K+ · 4.1★ (537) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #11 ↑3 1 too high 13 
Login as User: See the Site as Any User 30K+ · 4.8★ (41)
wp.org #13 ↑3 14 
Open User Map – Interactive Leaflet Maps 10K+ · 5.0★ (70)
wp.org #17 ↓6 3 too low 15 
User Access Manager 10K+ · 4.4★ (112)
wp.org #16 ↑2 1 too low 16 
ProfilePress – Paid Membership, Online Courses (LMS), Ecommerce, User Registration & Login Form, User Profile & Restrict Content 100K+ · 3.1★ (938) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #10 6 too high 17 
UsersWP – Front-end login form, User Registration, User Profile & Members Directory plugin for WP 20K+ · 4.7★ (183)
wp.org #24 7 too low 18 Restrict for Elementor 900+ · 4.0★ (9) thin reviews
wp.org #9 9 too high 19 
Simple Restrict 1K+ · 4.9★ (15) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #15 ↓3 4 too high 20 
Restrict – membership, site, content and user access restrictions for WordPress 2K+ · 4.2★ (25)
wp.org #22 2 too low 21 
Page Restrict for WooCommerce 700+ · 4.7★ (23) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #21 ↑2 22 
Advanced Datepicker – Restrict Date for Elementor Forms 900+ · 5.0★ (4) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↑1 4 too high 23 
Advanced Datepicker – Restricts Date for Contact Form 7 500+ · 5.0★ (3) throws errorsnot PHP-current thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↑1 4 too high 24 
Advanced Datepicker – Restricts Date for WPForms 300+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #23 ↑1 1 too high Merit ranking caps the install boost at 1M (wp.org leaves it uncapped), replaces the raw star average with a volume-weighted Bayesian score and a Wilson lower bound, and keeps wp.org's own freshness and compatibility decays. Method from the plugin-directory source; see Meta Trac #8298. Positions are tracked daily from the first visit to a keyword, so the small arrows show movement since tracking began.