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Ultimate Dashboard – Custom WordPress Dashboard

By David Vongries

Site Administration & Utilities / Site Health & Diagnostics

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Ultimate Dashboard – Custom WordPress Dashboard Review - In-Depth Analysis

Customize the WordPress dashboard with Ultimate Dashboard. Replace default widgets, create custom widgets, and enhance user experience.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.94/10

User Rating

4.6/5 (based on 114+ reviews)

Active Installations

60,000+

Update Frequency

Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

4.6 / 10 (Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Ultimate Dashboard allows you to create a custom WordPress dashboard for you and your clients. Replace the default WordPress dashboard widgets with your own and give the WordPress dashboard a more meaningful use.

This plugin is clean and lightweight, designed to optimize the user experience for clients inside the WordPress admin area. Customize the WordPress Dashboard today!

With Ultimate Dashboard, you can remove all or individual default WordPress widgets with just a click. Create icon, text, and HTML widgets to customize a client dashboard and direct users to key areas of their website.

The plugin also features a login customizer, allowing you to white label the WordPress login area and apply your own branding. You can change the WordPress login URL, hide the /wp-admin/ URL for non-logged-in users, and redirect users after login on a per-role basis.

Additional features include adding custom CSS to the WordPress dashboard and login screen, creating custom top-level and sub-menu pages, and changing various dashboard elements. For even more features, check out Ultimate Dashboard PRO.

Comparing to Alternatives

Ultimate Dashboard offers a robust custom WordPress dashboard experience with several direct competitors in the market. These alternatives provide similar admin customization features, allowing users to tailor their WordPress backend.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Highly rated with a 4.6 average from over 100 users
Supports extensive dashboard customization and admin area simplification
Includes a pro version with advanced features
Positive user feedback highlights simplicity and effectiveness
Ability to hide elements that other plugins cannot

Weaknesses

Known security vulnerabilities with some high severity issues
Support response times reported as slow by some users
Limited support for certain page builders like Gutenberg and Cornerstone
Some users report bugs and lack of timely customer service

User Sentiment Analysis

With 85% of ratings at 5 stars and a total rating of 4.6, users generally praise the plugin for its functionality and simplicity. However, a small portion of users express frustration with support and feature limitations.

Positive highlights

"Works great as advertised" - jmanalili
"Simplicity makes it the best for me" - marcruger
"This plugin hide what others cant" - ironman45
"The Best Dashboard editor" - Mike Hanlon
"This plugin is really amazing and helpful!" - ictd

Common complaints

Slow or unresponsive customer support
Lack of support for popular page builders like Gutenberg and Cornerstone

Weaknesses

Security vulnerabilities including unauthenticated stored XSS
Delayed fixes for some security issues
Limited integration with some page builders
Support delays impacting user experience

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a powerful and customizable WordPress dashboard with advanced hiding capabilities and are comfortable managing updates and security patches.

Not ideal for

Users who require immediate and responsive customer support or need seamless integration with all popular page builders like Gutenberg out of the box.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers essential dashboard customization and admin area simplification features suitable for most users.

Pro version (49 - 149 USD / year)

The pro version adds advanced customization options, enhanced hiding capabilities, and priority features for power users.

Final Verdict

Ultimate Dashboard is a highly rated plugin that delivers strong dashboard customization features and simplicity, making it a favorite among many users. Its pro version enhances its capabilities, offering good value for those needing more advanced options. However, users should be aware of the plugin's history of security vulnerabilities and slower support response times, which may impact some.

For users prioritizing security and responsive support, considering alternatives might be prudent. Nonetheless, for those who value customization depth and are comfortable managing security updates, Ultimate Dashboard remains a solid choice with a proven track record of user satisfaction.