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ContentGate – Content Restriction & Access Control by Login Status & User Role icon
Maintained Tested up to 6.9.9 #27 in access-control

ContentGate – Content Restriction & Access Control by Login Status & User Role

Restrict content access on your WordPress site based on user roles or login status. Protect posts, pages, or even your entire site with ease.

Active installs40+10+ tier
Downloads · 30d126▲ +26% vs prev. 30d
Rating5/51 reviews
Health score41/100At risk
All-time downloads600Since Apr 2026
Support resolved0 / 10% in last 2 months
RequiresWP 5.5PHP 7.4+
Downloads · 7d32▼ -8.6% week over week
Our verdict

Consider an alternative

ContentGate shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 40+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 6 months ago, and scores 41/100 on our health check.

  • Small user base (40+ active installs)
  • Very few reviews so far
  • Only tested up to WordPress 6.9 (latest is 7.1)

How does it stack up?

Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support

Daily downloads

257Jun 29Aug 12Sep 26
Yesterday10
Daily average (1y)3
Peak day29Apr 1, 2026
Last 12 months594

Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.

Rankings

Where ContentGate stands today

WordPress.org search rankings

Live position in the plugin search, top 100
KeywordPositionCompeting pluginsCategory
access-control #40 6,792 Best access-control plugins →
content restriction #34 2,177 Best content restriction plugins →

Version adoption

Share of active sites per release.

  • 1.0100.0%

Rating breakdown

★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

  • 5★100.0%
  • 4★0.00%
  • 3★0.00%
  • 2★0.00%
  • 1★0.00%

About ContentGate

From the official readme · v1.0.1

Description

Restrict content on your WordPress website with simple, rule-based access control.

ContentGate lets you control who can view your content based on login status and user roles. Whether you want to hide pages from non-logged-in users, limit access by role, or protect specific posts, ContentGate makes it easy to create clear rules and apply them instantly.

Set conditions once and control content visibility across your site without complex setup.

Key Features

Rule-Based Content Restriction

Content Restriction based on:

  • Login Status (Logged in vs logged out users)
  • WordPress user roles (Administrator, Editor, Author, etc.)
  • Combined conditions using AND logic

Create rules using a simple IF → THEN logic. Some examples:

  • IF user is “Logged In” → access page A, B and C (logged out user cannot access A, B and C)
  • IF user role is “subscriber” or “editor” → can access page A, B and C (Contributor cannot access pages)
  • IF user is “Logged In” and role is “Author” → can access page A, B and C (Others will see content restriction message)

Apply Rules to Your Content

Control access for:

  • Entire website
  • Specific pages
  • Individual posts

Global Restriction Message

Display a consistent message when unauthorized user tries accessing your restricted content:

  • Show custom instructions
  • Prompt users to log in
  • Use smart tags for dynamic content

This helps users understand why content is hidden and what they need to do next, reducing confusion and improving overall experience.

How It Works

ContentGate uses a simple rule system:

  1. Create a rule
  2. Set conditions (login status, user role, or both)
  3. Choose content to restrict
  4. Save and apply

Content visibility updates automatically based on your rules.

Easy Rule Management

Create and manage your content restriction rules without complexity:

  • Add, update, or delete rules anytime
  • Supports up to 3 active rules (unlimited in Pro)
  • Clean interface focused on quick setup
  • No coding or technical setup required

Designed to keep content restriction simple while giving you just enough control for common use cases.

What You Can Do with ContentGate

ContentGate is designed for focused content restriction use cases:

  • Create a Login Requirement: Require users to log in before accessing your content.
  • Restrict Content by Role: Control which user roles can view specific content.
  • Protect Selected Content: Restrict access to specific pages or posts without affecting the entire site.
  • Restrict Your Entire Website: Make your whole website accessible only to selected users or logged-in visitors.
  • Combine Conditions for Better Control: Use AND logic to apply multiple conditions together:
    • Logged in AND specific role
    • Logged out AND restricted content

Who Is It For?

ContentGate is ideal for:

  • Website owners who need simple content restriction
  • Blogs that require login to view content
  • Small websites with basic access control needs
  • Private or internal websites
  • Anyone looking for a lightweight restriction solution

Why Content Restriction Matters

Without proper control, content can be accessed by anyone, which may not always be intended.

ContentGate helps you:

  • Control who can view your content
  • Protect sensitive or limited-access pages
  • Manage visibility with simple rules

Built for WordPress

  • Uses native WordPress roles and login system
  • Works with existing pages and posts
  • Lightweight and performance-friendly

External Services

  1. Google Fonts

This plugin connects to Google Fonts to load typography for frontend display.

It sends the user’s IP address to Google servers when fonts are requested. This request is made when a page containing the plugin is loaded.

This service is provided by Google LLC:
– Terms of Service: https://policies.google.com/terms
– Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

  1. SelectWoo

This plugin includes the SelectWoo library to enhance select box UI functionality.

SelectWoo is bundled with the plugin and runs locally on the user’s browser. No data is sent to external servers.

SelectWoo is an open-source library maintained by the WooCommerce team:
– Source: https://github.com/woocommerce/selectWoo

Changelog

1.0.1 – 06-04-2026

  • Fix – Hide unrelated admin notices

1.0.0 – 01-04-2026

  • Initial Public Release

Full changelog on WordPress.org →

For developers

Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.

Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.

Active installs badge Rating badge Health score badge

Best ContentGate alternatives

All access-control plugins →
Alternatives
Rank Plugin Active installs Rating Updated Health
1 PublishPress Capabilities: User Role Access Control, Admin Area Permissions PublishPress Capabilities: User Role Access Control, Admin… User role editing for WordPress. Manage user roles, control capabilities and permissions… by PublishPress 100K+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.7 (143) 5 days ago 91
2 Restrict User Access – Ultimate Membership & Content Protection Restrict User Access Create Access Levels and restrict any post, page, category, etc. Supports bbPress… by Joachim Jensen 10K+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.3 (94) 1 month ago 72
3 PublishPress Permissions: Access Control, Content Permissions, User Access PublishPress Permissions: Access Control, Content Permissio… The permissions plugin for posts, pages, categories, tags and more. You can control… by PublishPress 10K+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.3 (66) 6 days ago 91
4 Groups – Memberships and Access Control Groups – Memberships and Access Control Turn your site into a powerful membership solution. Manage members, teams and access to… by itthinx 10K+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.8 (382) 3 days ago 93
5 SureMembers – Membership & Content Restriction Plugin SureMembers – Membership & Content Restriction Plugin Protect your content, build memberships, and control who sees what on your WordPress site… by Brainstorm Force 2K+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 5 (2) 3 weeks ago 67
6 Quick Download Button Quick Download Button Add stylish download buttons to any post or page — 7 styles, countdown, popup modal, access… by sidocode 2K+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.6 (12) 5 months ago 59
7 SimpleShop SimpleShop The SimpleShop WP plugin connects your WordPress website with a SimpleShop account and… by Redbit s.r.o. 1K+ ★★★★★★★★★★ No reviews 1 month ago 66
8 Menu By User Roles Menu By User Roles Menu By User Roles allows you to control the visibility of menu items based on user roles. by kahnu044 1K+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 5 (3) 12 months ago 49
9 Groups 404 Redirect Groups 404 Redirect Redirect 404's when a visitor tries to access a page protected by Groups. by itthinx 1K+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 4.6 (10) 2 days ago 80
10 Geo Blocker – Control Site Access by Region and IP Geo Blocker – Control Site Access by Region and IP 🔐 Block or allow visitors by country. Track access attempts. View analytics. Stay in… by Mohamed Shili 1K+ ★★★★★★★★★★ 5 (1) 1 year ago 32

FAQ

ContentGate: quick answers

Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.

Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 27, 2026

Is ContentGate free?

Yes. ContentGate is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.

Is ContentGate safe to use in 2026?

ContentGate shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 40+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 6 months ago, and scores 41/100 on our health check.

How many websites use ContentGate?

ContentGate is active on 40+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 600 times since it launched in April 2026. It was downloaded 126 times in the last 30 days.

Does ContentGate work with WordPress 7.1?

ContentGate is officially tested up to WordPress 6.9.9, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.

What PHP version does ContentGate need?

ContentGate requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.

When was ContentGate last updated?

The latest version, 1.0.1, was released on April 9, 2026 (6 months ago).

Who makes ContentGate?

ContentGate is developed and maintained by ThemeGrill.

What are the best alternatives to ContentGate?

The most popular alternatives to ContentGate are PublishPress Capabilities:… (100K+ installs), Restrict User Access (10K+ installs) and PublishPress Permissions: A… (10K+ installs).

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