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Best Free WordPress Plugins for Access-Control

15 plugins compared · Updated August 2026 · Access-control

All 15 Free only Premium only

Choosing a WordPress plugin for access-control comes down to a few things: whether it is still actively maintained, whether real users rate it well, and whether it does the specific job you need without dragging the rest of the site down.

We ranked 15 plugins using our WPScore, which weighs the user rating (adjusted for how many people actually rated it), how many sites run it, how recently it was updated, and which WordPress version it is tested against. 15 of them have enough public data to be scored; the rest are listed below the ranked block, clearly marked, rather than being given a number we cannot justify.

How this list is funded. Some links here earn us a commission if you buy. It costs you nothing extra, and it does not move anything up the list — the order comes from the WPScore, which is calculated from public ratings, install counts and update history. See the method.

At a glance

  1. 1. Groups Best overall 85/100
  2. 2. Restrict User Access 82/100
  3. 3. SureMembers 80/100
  4. 4. Easy Basic Authentication 80/100
  5. 5. Quick Download Button 78/100
  6. 6. Membership & User Roles for WooCommerce 78/100
  7. 7. Restrictions for BuddyPress 78/100
  8. 8. Custom Access Roles 77/100
  9. 9. Role Based Content Restrictor 76/100
  10. 10. RoleMaster Suite 75/100
  11. 11. Groups 404 Redirect 74/100
  12. 12. SimpleShop 72/100
  13. 13. Menu By User Roles 71/100
  14. 14. Simple Password Protect 70/100
  15. 15. Geo Blocker 67/100
1 Groups
Best overall Free by itthinx

Groups

Turn your site into a powerful membership solution. Manage members, teams and access to content easily.

4.8★
from 381 ratings
10k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
85

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
2 Restrict User Access
Free by Joachim Jensen

Restrict User Access

Create Access Levels and restrict any post, page, category, etc. Supports bbPress, BuddyPress, WooCommerce, WPML, and more.

4.3★
from 94 ratings
10k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
82

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
3 SureMembers
Free by Brainstorm Force

SureMembers

Protect your content, build memberships, and control who sees what on your WordPress site, without writing a single line of code.

5★
from 1 ratings
1k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
80

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
4 Easy Basic Authentication
Free by Matteo Enna

Easy Basic Authentication

Secure your WordPress site with easy and effective basic authentication. Restrict access, monitor attempts, and enhance security.

5★
from 3 ratings
700+
active installs
Updated
Jun 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
80

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
5 Quick Download Button
Free by sidocode

Quick Download Button

Add stylish download buttons to any post or page — 7 styles, countdown, popup modal, access control. Gutenberg block and shortcode.

4.6★
from 12 ratings
2k+
active installs
Updated
May 2026
Tested to
WP 6.9.7
78

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
8 Custom Access Roles
Free by Room 34 Creative Services, LLC

Custom Access Roles

Create custom roles with editing capability for only specific pages, categories and post types.

5★
from 1 ratings
200+
active installs
Updated
Jul 2026
Tested to
WP 7.0.4
77

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
10 RoleMaster Suite
Free by Liton Arefin

RoleMaster Suite

Create, manage, and assign WordPress user roles and capabilities with precision — ideal for e-commerce and membership sites.

3.7★
from 3 ratings
700+
active installs
Updated
May 2026
Tested to
WP 6.9.7
75

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
12 SimpleShop
Free by Redbit s.r.o.

SimpleShop

The SimpleShop WP plugin connects your WordPress website with a SimpleShop account and allows you to restrict the access only for members.

1k+
active installs
Updated
Aug 2026
Tested to
WP 7.1
72

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org
15 Geo Blocker
Free by Mohamed Shili

Geo Blocker

🔐 Block or allow visitors by country. Track access attempts. View analytics. Stay in control — effortlessly.

5★
from 1 ratings
1k+
active installs
Updated
May 2025
Tested to
WP 6.8.8
67

WPScore

Read review View on WordPress.org