The strongest Members alternative for most sites is User Role Editor, which gives finer, checkbox-level control over every capability than Members exposes by default. For scheduled and per-post permissions, PublishPress Capabilities is the closest match, while Advanced Access Manager goes furthest for complex access rules. We ranked these from our index of 55,000+ WordPress plugins.

Why people switch from Members

• People who want granular, capability-by-capability editing move to User Role Editor or PublishPress Capabilities.
• Those needing advanced access control, such as content and API restrictions, move to Advanced Access Manager.
• Admins wanting a simpler role editor move to WPFront User Role Editor.
• Sites that only need to hide the dashboard from certain users move to Remove Dashboard Access.

User Role Editor – Granular role editing

User Role Editor is a focused, long-running plugin for editing WordPress roles and capabilities down to individual checkboxes. Against Members, it gives more direct, fine-grained control over exactly what each role can do, including custom capabilities. What it does not do: its interface is functional rather than modern, and bulk tools, per-user overrides, and other extras are reserved for the pro version.

Choose User Role Editor if you want precise, checkbox-level control over every capability.

WPFront User Role Editor – Simple role management

WPFront User Role Editor lets you create, edit, and clone roles and assign capabilities through a clear interface. Against Members, it keeps role management approachable while still covering the essentials like restoring defaults. What it does not do: its free feature set is fairly basic, and login redirects, bulk actions, and other conveniences sit behind the paid upgrade.

Choose WPFront User Role Editor if you want straightforward role editing without a steep learning curve.

Advanced Access Manager – Complex access control

Advanced Access Manager is a powerful access-control plugin covering roles, capabilities, content restrictions, and API and REST controls. Against Members, it goes far beyond role editing into detailed, rule-based access management. What it does not do: that depth brings a steeper learning curve, and its interface can overwhelm if you only need to adjust a few role capabilities.

Choose Advanced Access Manager if you need detailed access rules across content and APIs.

PublishPress Capabilities – Roles plus scheduling

PublishPress Capabilities is PublishPress Capabilities, a role and capability editor that adds editorial touches like copying roles and managing capabilities cleanly. Against Members, it offers a tidy way to fine-tune permissions with editorial workflows in mind. What it does not do: several of its more advanced controls, including features tied to the wider PublishPress suite, require the pro version.

Choose PublishPress Capabilities if you want capability editing with an editorial, workflow-friendly slant.

remove-dashboard-access – Hiding the admin area

Remove Dashboard Access does one focused job: it blocks lower-level users from reaching the WordPress admin dashboard and redirects them elsewhere. Against Members, it is a simple, single-purpose tool for keeping subscribers or customers out of wp-admin. What it does not do: it does not edit roles or capabilities at all, so it complements rather than replaces a full role manager.

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

When to stay on Members

Stay on Members if its role editor and content-permission features already meet your needs, since it is a well-maintained plugin backed by the MemberPress team. It handles creating roles, editing capabilities, and blocking content by role cleanly. If you are not hitting its limits and do not need advanced access rules, moving to another manager adds work without a clear gain.

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 the Members plugin?

User Role Editor is the best free alternative for most sites, offering granular, checkbox-level control over roles and capabilities. WPFront User Role Editor and PublishPress Capabilities are also strong free choices, so the right pick depends on how much detail and workflow support you need.

Which plugin gives the most detailed access control?

Advanced Access Manager offers the most detailed access control, extending beyond roles into content restrictions, REST API controls, and rule-based permissions. That power comes with a steeper learning curve, so simpler tools like User Role Editor are better if you only need to adjust role capabilities.

Can I stop users from seeing the WordPress dashboard?

Yes. Remove Dashboard Access is built specifically to block lower-level users from the admin area and redirect them to a chosen page. It does not edit roles itself, so pair it with a role manager like Members or User Role Editor if you also need to change what users can do.

The verdict

The best all-round replacement is User Role Editor for its precise capability control, with Advanced Access Manager the pick for complex access rules and PublishPress Capabilities for editorial teams. If Members already covers your roles and content permissions, staying on Members is a sensible choice.