The strongest User Role Editor alternative for most sites is Members, which pairs role editing with content permissions and a cleaner interface than the subject. For a straightforward free role manager, WPFront User Role Editor is a solid pick, while Advanced Access Manager suits sites needing granular, post-level access control. We ranked these from our index of 55,000+ WordPress plugins.

Why people switch from User Role Editor

• User Role Editor’s interface feels utilitarian, so people move to Members for a cleaner, more modern experience.
• Teams needing content restriction as well as role editing move to Members or Advanced Access Manager.
• Users wanting fine-grained, per-post access rules move to Advanced Access Manager.
• Editors wanting simple capability tweaks integrated with a publishing suite move to PublishPress Capabilities.

Members – Roles plus content control

Members, from the MemberPress team, is a free role and capability editor that also adds content permissions and a role manager with a clean interface. Against User Role Editor, it combines editing roles with restricting who can view content. The honest drawback is that its deeper membership and access features are really shown off in the paid MemberPress product it promotes.

Choose Members if you want role editing plus content restriction in one clean plugin.

WPFront User Role Editor – Simple free role editing

WPFront User Role Editor is a focused, free plugin for creating, editing, and cloning roles and assigning capabilities. Against User Role Editor, it offers a slightly friendlier workflow for common role tasks like bulk assignment. The honest drawback is that it stays narrow in scope, so it lacks the content-restriction and access-governance features the broader tools include.

Choose WPFront User Role Editor if you want a simple, free way to create and clone roles.

Advanced Access Manager – Granular access control

Advanced Access Manager is a powerful access governance plugin that controls capabilities down to individual posts, pages, and API endpoints. Against User Role Editor, it goes far beyond editing roles into detailed, per-object permissions. The honest drawback is that its depth brings a steep learning curve, and the interface can feel overwhelming for someone who only needs basic role edits.

Choose Advanced Access Manager if you need fine-grained, per-post and per-endpoint access rules.

PublishPress Capabilities – Publishing workflows

PublishPress Capabilities, part of the PublishPress suite, manages roles and capabilities with a focus on editorial and publishing permissions. Against User Role Editor, it fits neatly alongside content workflow tools and backs up role settings. The honest drawback is that some of the more advanced capability and admin menu controls are reserved for the PublishPress Pro tier.

Choose PublishPress Capabilities if you manage editorial teams and want roles tied to a publishing suite.

remove-dashboard-access – Locking the dashboard

Remove Dashboard Access is a small, single-purpose plugin that blocks lower-level users from reaching wp-admin and redirects them elsewhere. Against User Role Editor, it solves one specific problem quickly without touching capabilities in detail. The honest drawback is that it is narrow by design, so it is a complement rather than a full role management replacement.

Choose remove-dashboard-access if you only need to keep certain users out of the WordPress dashboard.

When to stay on User Role Editor

Stay on User Role Editor if you simply need to add or edit capabilities and its no-frills interface already gets the job done. It is stable, widely used, and covers the core task of role editing reliably. If you do not need content restriction, per-post rules, or a publishing workflow, moving to a heavier tool adds complexity you will not use.

How we ranked these

Every plugin here is scored by the WPS Score, a single 0 to 10 rating built from 21 signals covering maintenance, support responsiveness, compatibility, performance, and ratings quality across our index of 55,000+ plugins. Rankings are derived from that data, not editorial preference, and no plugin author can pay to change a score. How the WPS Score works.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to User Role Editor?

Members is the best free alternative to User Role Editor for most sites because it adds content restriction and a cleaner interface alongside role editing. WPFront User Role Editor is another strong free choice if you only need to create and clone roles.

Can these plugins restrict content by role?

Members and Advanced Access Manager can restrict content by role, controlling who sees specific posts or pages. User Role Editor focuses on editing capabilities rather than restricting content, so for access control you would pair it with another plugin or switch to one of those tools.

Is it safe to edit user roles and capabilities?

Editing roles is safe if you proceed carefully, but removing the wrong capability can lock users, including yourself, out of features. Plugins like Members and PublishPress Capabilities let you back up or reset roles, which is a sensible safeguard before making broad changes.

The verdict

The best all-round User Role Editor alternative is Members for combining role editing with content control, while Advanced Access Manager wins for granular access rules and WPFront User Role Editor for simple free management. If you only need to tweak capabilities, staying on User Role Editor is entirely reasonable.