Head-to-head · October 2026
Better Messages vs Hide Member Visibility fo…
Better Messages comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Hide Member Visibility for….
Better Messages
Better Messages is the most feature-rich realtime private messaging system for WordPress, with native…
Hide Member Visibility for BuddyPress
Hide Member Visibility for Buddypress allows administrator to hide any buddypress member from appearing in…
| Metric | Better Messages | Hide Member Visibility fo… |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 10K+ | 20+ |
| Downloads (30 days) | 46.2K | 272 |
| Download trend | -1.7% | +11.5% |
| Rating | 4.8/5 | 1/5 |
| Reviews | 142 | 1 |
| Health score | 93/100 | 19/100 |
| Last updated | 4 days ago | 7 years ago |
| Tested up to | WP 7.1.2 | WP 5.2.28 |
| Support resolved | 100% | — |
| Requires PHP | 7.4+ | 5.5+ |
| First released | Jan 2017 | Jun 2019 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Better MessagesHide Member Visibility…
Choose Better Messages if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews.
- Proven at scale on 10K+ active sites
- Loved by users — 4.8/5 from 142 reviews
- Actively developed — last update 4 days ago
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Responsive support — 100% of recent threads resolved
Choose Hide Member Visibility fo… if…
You care most about download trend.
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 7 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.2 (latest is 7.1)
Both compete in: buddypress
FAQ
Better Messages vs Hide Member Visibility fo…: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 4, 2026
Which is better, Better Messages or Hide Member Visibility for…?
Better Messages comes out ahead, winning 6 of 7 head-to-head checks against Hide Member Visibility for…. Choose Better Messages if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and reviews. Choose Hide Member Visibility for… if you care most about download trend.
Is Better Messages more popular than Hide Member Visibility for…?
Better Messages is the more popular of the two with 10K+ active installs, compared with 20+ for Hide Member Visibility for….
Can I use Better Messages and Hide Member Visibility for… together?
Both plugins cover buddypress, so most sites only need one. Running two plugins that do the same job can cause conflicts and slow your site down — pick the one that fits best and remove the other.
Are Better Messages and Hide Member Visibility for… free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.
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