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Change Author

By Martin Teley

User Management & Authentication / User Registration & Login

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

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

Change Author Review - In-Depth Analysis

Assign non-authors as post authors easily. This plugin allows you to credit contributors without giving them publishing rights.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.68/10

User Rating

4/5 (based on 12+ reviews)

Active Installations

1,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This plugin is designed for blogs and websites with multiple contributing authors. It allows you to assign non-authors as post authors, giving them credit for their work without granting them the ability to publish articles themselves.

By overriding the default WordPress functionality, this plugin replaces the Author meta-box with a customizable meta box that lets you select any user. Simply create a user with a subscriber role and assign the article to that user whenever needed.

Comparing to Alternatives

Change Author is a straightforward plugin designed to modify the author of posts, with a few direct alternatives available.

Top alternatives

Co-Authors Plus ( WPS: 6.89)

Strengths

Simple and lightweight plugin.
Effectively changes author metadata when compatible.
Highly rated by users who find it functional.
Addresses a common WordPress limitation.
No known security vulnerabilities.

Weaknesses

Lacks updates to maintain compatibility with latest WordPress versions.
Does not support multisite author changes reliably.
Limited features compared to some alternatives.
No pro version or advanced options available.

User Sentiment Analysis

With 75% of users giving 5-star ratings, the plugin is well-liked by many, though a quarter of users report significant issues.

Positive highlights

"At Last!" - Rik0399 appreciates it fixes a missing WordPress feature.
"Works great. Like it!" - romanbitca finds it easy and useful.
"Just awesome" - vnkjoshi confirms it works as expected.

Common complaints

Does not work on multisite installations.
Incompatible with the latest WordPress versions.
Fails to override the default author meta box as intended.

Weaknesses

Compatibility issues with recent WordPress updates.
Limited functionality on multisite setups.
No recent updates to address bugs or compatibility.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users running single-site WordPress installations who need a simple way to change post authors without extra features.

Not ideal for

Users on multisite networks or those requiring compatibility with the latest WordPress versions or advanced author management features.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version allows basic author changes on posts with a lightweight and straightforward interface.

Final Verdict

Change Author is a useful plugin for users needing a simple author change solution on single-site WordPress installations. It is well-regarded by many users for its ease of use and effectiveness when compatible.

However, its lack of updates has led to compatibility issues with newer WordPress versions and multisite environments, limiting its usefulness for some. Users requiring ongoing support or advanced features may want to consider alternatives like Co-Authors Plus.