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Authorizer

By Paul Ryan

User Management & Authentication / User Registration & Login

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

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

Authorizer Review - In-Depth Analysis

Authorizer limits login attempts and restricts access to specific users. It authenticates against external sources like OAuth2, Google, LDAP, or CAS.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.95/10

User Rating

5/5 (based on 20+ reviews)

Active Installations

6,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

8.3 / 10 (High Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Authorizer restricts access to a WordPress site to specific users, typically students enrolled in a university course. It maintains a list of approved users that you can edit to determine who has access. It also replaces the default WordPress login/authorization system with one relying on an external server, such as Google, CAS, LDAP, or an OAuth2 provider.

Additionally, Authorizer lets you limit invalid login attempts to prevent bots from compromising your users' accounts. It provides various options for authentication and access control.

Authorizer requires a CAS server or LDAP server and specific PHP extensions to function properly.

Comparing to Alternatives

Authorizer stands out in the user role and authentication plugin category with unique features and a strong focus on OpenID/OAuth2 login integration. While there are several alternatives available, Authorizer offers a distinct approach to user approval flows and field mapping.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Comprehensive OpenID/OAuth2 login integration with automatic field mapping
Well-designed user approval flow enhancing security and user management
Easy setup and compatibility with Active Directory
Strong coding practices ensuring reliability and performance
Includes protection against brute force attacks

Weaknesses

Lacks option to restrict authentication exclusively to external services
No pro version with additional premium features
May require clearing cache to resolve occasional authentication errors
Limited customization options compared to some alternatives

User Sentiment Analysis

With a perfect 5-star rating from all 20 reviewers, user sentiment for Authorizer is overwhelmingly positive, highlighting its ease of use, powerful features, and excellent support.

Positive highlights

'Brilliant plugin & team behind it!' – svyatoslavnetrunner
'Most complete solution in OpenID/OAuth2 login field' – Mateus Machado Luna
'Very easy to setup and works with Active Directory' – flim0
'Sencillo y práctico' (Simple and practical) – aleadco94
'Super developer! Well done!' – oshurkov

Common complaints

Weaknesses

Missing option to restrict authentication to external services only
No paid version with advanced features
Some users report needing to clear cache to fix authentication errors
Limited translation updates noted

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Organizations and developers seeking a robust and secure OpenID/OAuth2 login solution with easy setup and strong user approval flows will find Authorizer ideal, especially those integrating with Active Directory or requiring brute force protection.

Not ideal for

Users needing extensive customization of authentication methods or those wanting a plugin with a paid tier offering advanced features might find Authorizer less suitable. Also, those requiring exclusive external authentication restrictions may need to look elsewhere.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version includes comprehensive OpenID/OAuth2 login integration, user approval workflows, field mapping, brute force protection, and Active Directory compatibility, offering substantial value without cost.

Final Verdict

Authorizer is a standout free plugin delivering a powerful and secure authentication experience with excellent user approval features and seamless integration capabilities. Its perfect user rating reflects high satisfaction and reliability.

While it lacks a paid version and some advanced customization options, its strengths in security and ease of use make it a top choice for organizations needing robust OpenID/OAuth2 login solutions without additional cost.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Authorizer plugin.

Authentication

CAS

LDAP

OAuth

Screenshots

FAQ

If you add external=wordpress to the wp-login.php URL querystring, you can always get the WordPress login form to reappear. For example, if your site is at https://www.example.com, then the URL would be: https://www.example.com/wp-login.php?external=wordpress