wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “users roles”
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 “users roles”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 5 of the top 20. 1 plugin is 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
Menu By User Roles shows at wp.org #9 but places #20 on merit, a gap of 11 places. Its 1K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 5.0★ average from 3 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.
Buried gem
User Registration & Membership – Free & Paid Memberships, Subscriptions, Content Restriction, User Profile, Custom User Registration & Login Builder places #12 on merit, 4.8★ from 832 reviews, but shows at wp.org #23. 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 #1 2 
User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor 40K+ · 4.7★ (738)
wp.org #3 1 too low 3 
User Role Editor 700K+ · 4.5★ (288)
wp.org #2 1 too high 4 
Ultimate Member – User Profile, Registration, Login, Member Directory, Content Restriction & Membership Plugin 200K+ · 4.4★ (1445)
wp.org #4 5 
Nav Menu Roles 70K+ · 4.9★ (219)
wp.org #5 ↑2 6 
Import and export users and customers 70K+ · 4.7★ (259)
wp.org #6 7 
PublishPress Capabilities: User Role Access Control, Admin Area Permissions 90K+ · 4.7★ (143)
wp.org #7 ↓2 8 
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) 200K+ · 5.0★ (423)
wp.org #10 2 too low 9 
Export and Import Users and Customers 50K+ · 4.8★ (442) throws errorsnot PHP-current
wp.org #8 1 too high 10 
TranslatePress – Translate Multilingual sites with AI Translation 400K+ · 4.7★ (1667)
wp.org #17 ↓2 7 too low 11 
WPFront User Role Editor 30K+ · 4.5★ (65)
wp.org #11 ↓2 12 User Registration & Membership – Free & Paid Memberships, Subscriptions, Content Restriction, User Profile, Custom User Registration & Login Builder 50K+ · 4.8★ (832)
wp.org #23 ↓6 11 too low 13 
Activity Log – Monitor User and Agent Changes 200K+ · 4.3★ (74)
wp.org #15 2 too low 14 
GTM4WP – A Google Tag Manager (GTM) plugin for WordPress 700K+ · 4.5★ (155)
wp.org #22 ↓2 8 too low 15 M Multiple Roles 5K+ · 4.7★ (15) thin reviews
wp.org #14 1 too high 16 
Import Users from CSV 10K+ · 4.1★ (44)
wp.org #21 ↑1 5 too low 17 
Hide Admin Bar Based on User Roles – Disable the WordPress Toolbar by Role or Capability 20K+ · 3.9★ (20) thin reviews
wp.org #13 4 too high 18 
Send Users Email – Email Subscribers, Email Marketing Newsletter 5K+ · 4.5★ (28)
wp.org #20 ↑1 2 too low 19 
Product Visibility by User Role for WooCommerce 6K+ · 3.8★ (21) thin reviews
wp.org #18 ↑1 1 too high 20 Menu By User Roles 1K+ · 5.0★ (3) thin reviews
wp.org #9 11 too high 21 
Users Registration Date – Sortable Users Column 3K+ · 5.0★ (6) thin reviews
wp.org #19 ↓1 2 too high 22 
Payment Gateways by User Roles for WooCommerce 2K+ · 5.0★ (4) thin reviews
wp.org #16 ↓4 6 too high 23 
Premmerce User Roles 600+ · 5.0★ (2) thin reviews
wp.org #12 ↓1 11 too high 24 
HM Multiple Roles 1K+ · 3.6★ (5) thin reviews
wp.org #24 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.