/ Plugin Category

/ Site Administration & Utilities

/ URL Redirects & 301 Management

/ Easy Updates Manager

Easy Updates Manager

By David Anderson / Team Updraft

Site Administration & Utilities / URL Redirects & 301 Management

Easy Updates Manager Review - In-Depth Analysis

Manage all your WordPress updates effortlessly with Easy Updates Manager. Customize settings for automatic updates, logs, and more. Perfect for both single sites and multisite installations.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.05/10

User Rating

4.8/5 (based on 725+ reviews)

Active Installations

300,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Easy Updates Manager is a light yet powerful plugin that allows you to manage all kinds of updates on your WordPress site. It works seamlessly on both single site installations and in WordPress Multisite environments. With a huge number of settings for endless configuration, Easy Updates Manager is an obvious choice for anyone wanting to take control of their website updates.

This plugin includes features to disable all updates with one click, enable automatic updates, customize automatic update settings, and use logs to track what and when something is updated. You can also hide plugin and theme updates, select which plugins and themes can be automatically updated, and disable core, plugin, theme, and translation updates.

For users looking for more advanced features, the premium version offers safe mode for compatibility checks, scheduling for automatic updates, external logging, and more. You can integrate with UpdraftPlus for backups, receive email notifications of updates, and utilize webhooks for automatic updates via third-party services.

Comparing to Alternatives

Easy Updates Manager competes with a large field of smaller, single-purpose update-control plugins, but it stands out for combining granular control with automation and reliability at scale.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Granular per-plugin and per-theme auto-update controls
Integrates with UpdraftPlus for pre-update backups
Premium features like Safe Mode and scheduled updates suit developers and agencies
Long track record with a large, satisfied user base
Simple interface that works well for both beginners and multisite admins

Weaknesses

Has a history of two disclosed vulnerabilities, including a recent XSS issue
More feature-dense than lightweight single-purpose alternatives, which may be overkill for basic needs

User Sentiment Analysis

With a 4.8/5 average from 725 ratings and 92.7% five-star reviews, sentiment is overwhelmingly positive. Only 4.4% of ratings fall into the 1-2 star range, and notably, the negative review section returned no qualifying entries, suggesting complaints are rare and not well documented.

Positive highlights

"It works great" — kuzmich17051972
"I used this on all my WordPress sites, and it's nice that you can pick and choose which plugins you want auto-updated" — CarpeDiemTim
"What sets Easy Updates Manager apart is its depth of customization alongside ease of use... a professional-grade tool for developers and multisite admins" — fengyuan7558
"I'm happy with this through many years of service. When I need more I'll look at the pro version" — magdamunro
"Works! Makes life easier!" — koitiata

Common complaints

Weaknesses

Two disclosed vulnerabilities in its history, including a medium-severity reflected XSS issue patched in version 9.0.21
Users must stay current with updates to avoid exposure to previously known security flaws

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Site owners and developers managing multiple WordPress installs who want fine-grained control over which plugins and themes auto-update, especially those who value backup integration and scheduled update options. It's a strong fit for multisite admins and agencies needing dependable automation.

Not ideal for

Users who need a bare-bones, single-toggle update blocker may find this plugin more feature-rich than necessary. Security-conscious admins should also ensure they're running the latest version, given the plugin's history of two patched vulnerabilities.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers robust control over automatic updates for plugins, themes, and WordPress core, letting users selectively enable or disable auto-updates — functionality praised repeatedly in reviews as sufficient for everyday use.

Pro version (39 - 149 USD / year)

The premium tier adds Safe Mode, external logging, scheduled updates, and deeper integration with backup tools like UpdraftPlus, positioning it as a professional-grade solution for developers and multisite administrators.

Final Verdict

Easy Updates Manager earns its strong 4.8-star reputation through reliable, flexible update control that scales from simple sites to complex multisite setups. User sentiment is decisively positive, with almost no documented complaints, and the free version alone satisfies most needs while the pro tier adds meaningful automation for power users.

The plugin's main blemish is its security history, including a recently patched reflected XSS vulnerability, so staying updated is essential. Against a crowded field of simpler alternatives, Easy Updates Manager remains a well-rounded choice for anyone wanting more than a basic on/off switch for updates.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Easy Updates Manager plugin.

Update control

Easy updates manager

Disable updates

Screenshots

FAQ

Version 6.x.x should support WP versions 4.0 and up. Version 4.7.0 should support WP versions 2.3 – 4.0.

Since WordPress is constantly changing, this plugin will always strive to support the latest version of WordPress. As there are many security vulnerabilities reported, please always keep WordPress as up-to-date as possible.

Unfortunately, we do not support older versions of WordPress or the non-current release of this plugin.