HTTP Basic Auth
With this plugin you can protect your WordPress installation with Basic Auth. Basic Auth can use custom password or WordPress users login data.
Consider an alternative
HTTP Basic Auth shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 1/5 and was last updated 5 years ago, and scores 21/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (200+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 4 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.9 (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 HTTP Basic Auth stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| auth | >100 |
| Basic auth | >100 |
| http auth | >100 |
| http basic auth | >100 |
| security | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 1 from 1 reviews
About HTTP Basic Auth
From the official readme · v1.1.0Description
With this plugin you can protect your WordPress installation with Basic Auth. Basic Auth can use custom password or WordPress users login data.
This plugin protects all dynamically generated content: posts, pages, archives, etc. Basic auth does not protect static content like images, scripts and CSS files.
You can protect: admin area (wp-admin), login page and frontend area.
Installation
You can install this plugin like any other WordPress plugin.
- Download and unzip the latest release zip file.
- Upload the entire plugin directory to your /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
- Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress Administration.
You can also use WordPress uploader to upload plugin zip file in menu Plugins -> Add New -> Upload Plugin. Then go directly to point 3.
Changelog
1.1.0 – 2022-02-27
- Added compatibility with WordPress 5.9
1.0.12 – 2018-05-04
- Changed slug to http-basic-auth
1.0.11 – 2018-05-04
- Added tags
1.0.9 – 2018-05-03
- New contributor: WP Desk
1.0.8 – 2018-05-03
- Some cosmetics fixes
1.0.7 – 2018-05-02
- Added tests
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.
Best HTTP Basic Auth alternatives
All auth plugins →
FAQ
HTTP Basic Auth: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 26, 2026
Is HTTP Basic Auth free?
Yes. HTTP Basic Auth is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is HTTP Basic Auth safe to use in 2026?
HTTP Basic Auth shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 1/5 and was last updated 5 years ago, and scores 21/100 on our health check.
How many websites use HTTP Basic Auth?
HTTP Basic Auth is active on 200+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 10,116 times since it launched in May 2018. It was downloaded 91 times in the last 30 days.
Does HTTP Basic Auth work with WordPress 7.1?
HTTP Basic Auth is officially tested up to WordPress 5.9.18, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does HTTP Basic Auth need?
HTTP Basic Auth requires PHP 7.0 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was HTTP Basic Auth last updated?
The latest version, 1.1.0, was released on February 27, 2022 (5 years ago).
Who makes HTTP Basic Auth?
HTTP Basic Auth is developed and maintained by Grzegorz Rola.
What are the best alternatives to HTTP Basic Auth?
The most popular alternatives to HTTP Basic Auth are authLdap (4K+ installs), WP BASIC Auth (3K+ installs) and WP Cron HTTP Auth (1K+ installs).
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