User Role Editor

Quick take

User Role Editor is a practical permissions plugin when WordPress’s default Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor and Subscriber roles are too broad. This User Role Editor review recommends it for sites that need precise capability changes without building a custom role-management interface.

Best fit: User Role Editor makes the most sense for agencies, membership sites and multi-user WordPress installs needing granular role and capability control. I would look elsewhere for sites that only need WordPress default roles with no custom permission requirements.

How User Role Editor works

The core interface lets you select a role and add or remove WordPress capabilities with checkboxes. You can create roles from scratch or copy an existing role, delete unused custom roles, change the default role for new users and add or remove capabilities left behind by plugins.

Capabilities can also be assigned to an individual user, and a user can hold multiple roles.

Why capability-level control matters

WordPress permissions are capability based. A client may need to edit a custom post type but should not install plugins, change themes or manage other users. User Role Editor gives you a direct way to shape that boundary instead of giving someone a role that is broader than their actual job.

The important discipline is to change only capabilities you understand. Removing a capability can block a workflow, while granting one can expose administrative actions.

User Role Editor Free vs Pro

The free plugin already covers role creation, role editing, per-user capabilities, multiple roles and multisite support. For many small and medium sites, that is enough.

Pro adds controls for admin menu items, front-end menu visibility, widgets, meta boxes, role export/import, network-level role management, editing access by content IDs or taxonomies, plugin activation access, Gravity Forms access, content-view restrictions and a backend permissions viewer.

Multisite and advanced access

User Role Editor supports WordPress multisite in the free version. A super administrator can apply role updates across sites. Pro extends this with role and user management from Network Admin and synchronization tools across the network.

That makes Pro more relevant to agencies or organizations managing many connected sites than to a simple single-site blog.

User Role Editor pricing

User Role Editor pricing checked September 10, 2026 starts at $29/year for Pro Personal on one live site. Pro Business is $79/year for up to five copies, and Pro Unlimited is $159/year. Lifetime options are also offered at $87, $198 and $318 respectively.

The free version remains available from WordPress.org, so there is no need to buy Pro just to create a custom role.

Trade-offs and safe use

Permissions plugins can create confusing results when several plugins add their own capabilities or when a user has multiple roles. Test changes with a non-administrator account before rolling them out broadly.

I would also avoid using menu hiding as a substitute for real permission control. Hiding a screen changes the interface; capabilities determine whether the user can actually perform the protected action.

PluginSuggest verdict

User Role Editor is a strong fit when you need direct control over WordPress roles and capabilities. Free covers the core job well. Pro makes more sense when access rules extend into menus, specific content, widgets, multisite administration or other interface-level restrictions.

Permission-change safety

User Role Editor changes WordPress capabilities directly, so role edits should be treated like configuration changes with rollback planning. Before removing a capability from an administrator-adjacent role, capture the current role definition and keep a separate administrator account available. Test custom post types, WooCommerce screens, plugin settings, media access and user-management actions with a representative non-admin account instead of assuming a capability label describes every screen it affects.

For multisite, document whether a role is local to one site or synchronized across the network. A permission change that is harmless on a content site can be disruptive on another site that uses the same role for store management or editorial workflows.

Keep a small permission test checklist beside the site documentation so future plugin updates or new custom post types can be reviewed against the roles already in use.

Review this checklist again whenever a plugin adds new capabilities.

User Role Editor FAQs