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Disable Gutenberg

By Jeff Starr

Content Management / Blog & Article Publishing

Reviewed by Abdul Hameid

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

Disable Gutenberg Review - In-Depth Analysis

Disable Gutenberg Block Editor and restore the Classic Editor. This plugin allows selective disabling of Gutenberg for posts, pages, roles, and more.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.23/10

User Rating

5/5 (based on 735+ reviews)

Active Installations

500,000+

Update Frequency

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 disables the new Gutenberg Editor (aka Block Editor) and replaces it with the Classic Editor. You can disable Gutenberg completely, or selectively disable for posts, pages, roles, post types, and theme templates. Plus you can hide the Gutenberg nag, menu item, and more!

The Disable Gutenberg plugin restores the classic (original) WordPress editor and the Edit Post screen. So you can continue using plugins and theme functions that extend the Classic Editor. Supports awesome features like Meta Boxes, Quicktags, Custom Fields, and everything else the Classic Editor can do.

Easy to Use: Just activate and done! The default plugin settings are configured to hide all traces of the Gutenberg Block Editor, and fully restore the original Classic Editor. Further options for customizing when/where Gutenberg is enabled are available in the plugin settings.

Fully configurable, enable or disable Gutenberg and restore the Classic Editor wherever is necessary. This plugin does not collect or store any user data. It does not set any cookies, and it does not connect to any third-party locations. Thus, this plugin does not affect user privacy in any way.

Comparing to Alternatives

Disable Gutenberg competes with a crowded field of classic-editor restoration plugins, but it stands out for its granular control over where the block editor is disabled, rather than offering a blanket switch. This makes it a strong pick for developers managing multiple sites and post types.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Fine-grained control to disable Gutenberg by post type, user role, or specific page
Lightweight and reliable performance reported across many client sites
Long-standing development history and trusted author reputation
More flexible than the official Classic Editor plugin for selective disabling

Weaknesses

The sheer number of alternatives means feature overlap makes choosing harder for new users
Advanced settings may be more configuration than casual users need

User Sentiment Analysis

With 735 ratings and a near-perfect 98.9% five-star share, sentiment is overwhelmingly positive. Only 5 reviews (0.7%) fall into the 1-2 star range, indicating extremely high user satisfaction and reliability.

Positive highlights

"This plugin has saved my sanity... the only reason I'm still using WordPress at all" — Elizabeth Beeton
"A very reliable and lightweight plugin... more flexible options than the official Classic Editor plugin" — strony.olsztyn
"The first plugin I install... You are a hero" — Nate
"I like this plugin is so easy... it stops gutenberg immediately. Perfect" — phoenix36
"This experienced dev was really getting tired of blocks... Thank you" — PandamusRex

Common complaints

Weaknesses

No documented complaints available since negative reviews are essentially nonexistent (0.7% of total)
Heavy reliance on Gutenberg alternatives long-term could mean future WordPress core changes pose compatibility risk, though not currently reported

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Developers, agencies, and site owners who prefer the Classic Editor or need to selectively disable Gutenberg for certain post types, roles, or pages will find this plugin ideal. It's especially useful for managing multiple client sites with varying editorial needs.

Not ideal for

Users fully committed to the block editor workflow or those wanting to gradually adopt Gutenberg features won't benefit from this plugin, since its entire purpose is to suppress it. No security concerns exist, so hesitation should be based purely on editorial preference.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers robust functionality, including the ability to disable Gutenberg by post type, user role, and individual pages, plus general control over restoring the Classic Editor experience — satisfying most user needs without payment.

Pro version (35 - 180 USD / lifetime)

Specific premium tier details aren't detailed in user feedback, but as a plugin with a pro version, it likely extends configuration options, priority support, or additional customization layers beyond the already comprehensive free feature set.

Final Verdict

Disable Gutenberg earns its near-perfect rating through reliable, granular control that many users say surpasses the official Classic Editor plugin. With zero recorded vulnerabilities and a security risk score of just 1/10, technical trust is high, and the review history shows almost no dissatisfaction across 735 ratings.

Despite a crowded alternatives market, this plugin's flexibility in targeting specific post types, roles, and pages gives it a clear edge for professional and multi-site use. For anyone who prefers the Classic Editor and wants dependable, well-supported tooling to enforce that choice, this is a strong, low-risk recommendation.

Other Notable Features

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

Disable Gutenberg

Classic Editor

Block Editor

Screenshots

FAQ

Yes. When Gutenberg is active, the plugin disables it (depending on your selected options) and replaces with the Classic Editor. Otherwise, if Gutenberg is not active (like with older versions of WordPress), the plugin does nothing. So it is safe to activate on any WordPress site.