# bbPress Protected Forums

> bbPress Protected Forums has 90+ active installs, a 5/5 rating from 3 reviews and 181 downloads in the last 30 days. Health score 32/100, keyword rankings, version adoption and the best alternatives.

**Verdict: Consider an alternative.** bbPress Protected Forums shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 32/100 on our health check.

**bbPress Protected Forums adds a metabox, shown while editing a forum, that allows you to disable new topic creation for determined user roles. The plugin is perfect for those situations that you may want your users to…**

## Key facts

- **Overall rank:** —
- **Active installs:** 90+
- **Total downloads:** 20,920
- **Downloads (30 days):** 181 (+11.7% vs previous 30 days)
- **Rating:** 5/5 from 3 reviews
- **Health score:** 32/100 (At risk)
- **Version:** 1.0
- **Last updated:** Sep 20, 2012
- **Tested up to:** WordPress 3.4.2
- **Requires:** WordPress 2.6+
- **Support resolved:** 0 of 0 threads (last 2 months)
- **Developer:** JordiPlana (https://pageforge.pro/directory/authors/jordiplana/)
- **WordPress.org:** https://wordpress.org/plugins/bbpress-protected-forums/

## Category rankings

| Category | Rank | Plugins |
|---|---|---|
| [bbPress](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/bbpress/) | #61 | 180 |
| [forums](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/forums/) | #12 | 45 |
| [lock](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/lock/) | #5 | 23 |
| [protected](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/protected/) | #10 | 21 |
| [topics](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/topics/) | #3 | 17 |

## WordPress.org search positions

| Keyword | Position | Results |
|---|---|---|
| bbPress | >100 | 635 |
| forums | >100 | 7,108 |
| lock | >100 | 2,546 |
| protected | >100 | 3,728 |
| topics | >100 | 2,508 |

## Version adoption

- 1.0: 100%

## Alternatives

| # | Name | Active installs | Rating | Updated | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [One User Avatar / User Profile Picture](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/one-user-avatar/) | 100K+ | 4.7/5 (41) | Aug 21, 2026 | 76/100 |
| 2 | [Content Aware Sidebars – Fastest Widget Area Plugin](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/content-aware-sidebars/) | 30K+ | 4.9/5 (724) | Dec 9, 2025 | 52/100 |
| 3 | [wpForo Forum](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/wpforo/) | 20K+ | 4.7/5 (390) | Sep 28, 2026 | 93/100 |
| 4 | [Restrict User Access – Ultimate Membership & Content Protection](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/restrict-user-access/) | 10K+ | 4.3/5 (94) | Oct 10, 2026 | 76/100 |
| 5 | [GD bbPress Attachments](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/gd-bbpress-attachments/) | 6K+ | 4.3/5 (26) | Apr 12, 2026 | 65/100 |
| 6 | [bbp style pack](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/bbp-style-pack/) | 6K+ | 4.9/5 (100) | Oct 8, 2026 | 80/100 |
| 7 | [Inline Image Upload for BBPress](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/image-upload-for-bbpress/) | 3K+ | 4.6/5 (64) | Oct 7, 2026 | 75/100 |
| 8 | [bbPress Notify (No-Spam)](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/bbpress-notify-nospam/) | 2K+ | 4.8/5 (40) | Mar 11, 2026 | 63/100 |
| 9 | [GD bbPress Tools](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/gd-bbpress-tools/) | 1K+ | 3.8/5 (24) | May 24, 2026 | 55/100 |
| 10 | [Private groups](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/bbp-private-groups/) | 1K+ | 4.9/5 (49) | Aug 20, 2026 | 87/100 |

## Frequently asked questions

### Is bbPress Protected Forums free?
Yes. bbPress Protected Forums is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.

### Is bbPress Protected Forums safe to use in 2026?
bbPress Protected Forums shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 32/100 on our health check.

### How many websites use bbPress Protected Forums?
bbPress Protected Forums is active on 90+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 20,920 times since it launched in September 2012. It was downloaded 181 times in the last 30 days.

### Does bbPress Protected Forums work with WordPress 7.1?
bbPress Protected Forums is officially tested up to WordPress 3.4.2, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.

### When was bbPress Protected Forums last updated?
The latest version, 1.0, was released on September 20, 2012 (14 years ago).

### Who makes bbPress Protected Forums?
bbPress Protected Forums is developed and maintained by JordiPlana.

### What are the best alternatives to bbPress Protected Forums?
The most popular alternatives to bbPress Protected Forums are One User Avatar (100K+ installs), Content Aware Sidebars (30K+ installs) and wpForo Forum (20K+ installs).


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Source: live WordPress.org data · HTML version: https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/bbpress-protected-forums/ · Generated 2026-10-11 05:40 UTC by PageForge