Deactivate WordPress Users
Allows admins to deactivate a user as opposed to deleting a user. Works with web and XML-RPC based authentication.
Consider an alternative
Deactivate WordPress Users shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites, is rated 4/5 and was last updated 12 years ago, and scores 27/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 12 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.9 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Deactivate WordPress Users stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| authentication | >100 |
| deactivate | >100 |
| disable | >100 |
| user | >100 |
| users | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4 from 1 reviews
About Deactivate WordPress Users
From the official readme · v1.1Description
Allows admins to deactivate a user as opposed to deleting a user. Works with web and XML-RPC based authentication.
Once installed and activated, a checkbox appears on the user profile settings page. When checked, the user will not be able to login with the account. If they attempt to login, This user has been deactivated. Please contact the administrator. will be displayed in the login error box.
Installation
Installation is standard, via FTP or via the plugin downloader in WordPress admin.
Changelog
1.1
- Restricts display of checkbox
- Users can no longer deactivate selves
- Must be user 1 to deactivate an admin
1.0
- First working version of the plugin
For developers
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Best Deactivate WordPress Users alternatives
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FAQ
Deactivate WordPress Users: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 10, 2026
Is Deactivate WordPress Users free?
Yes. Deactivate WordPress Users is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Deactivate WordPress Users safe to use in 2026?
Deactivate WordPress Users shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites, is rated 4/5 and was last updated 12 years ago, and scores 27/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Deactivate WordPress Users?
Deactivate WordPress Users is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 2,272 times since it launched in May 2014. It was downloaded 79 times in the last 30 days.
Does Deactivate WordPress Users work with WordPress 7.1?
Deactivate WordPress Users is officially tested up to WordPress 3.9.40, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Deactivate WordPress Users last updated?
The latest version, 1.1, was released on June 20, 2014 (12 years ago).
Who makes Deactivate WordPress Users?
Deactivate WordPress Users is developed and maintained by Eric Binnion.
What are the best alternatives to Deactivate WordPress Users?
The most popular alternatives to Deactivate WordPress Users are Limit Login Attempts (300K+ installs), WPS Limit Login (100K+ installs) and Two Factor (100K+ installs).
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