Mu Manager – Manage mu-plugins like standard plugins
It lets you disable, enable, delete, download, and edit mu-plugins as you do with the standard plugins.
Safe pick
Yes — Mu Manager is a safe, well-maintained plugin to use in 2026. It runs on 900+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 3 days ago, and scores 82/100 on our health check.
- Actively developed — last update 3 days ago
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Momentum — downloads up 278.2% vs the previous 30 days
- Small user base (900+ active installs)
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 Mu Manager stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| mu plugin | #1 |
| must use | #1 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 7 reviews
About Mu Manager
From the official readme · v0.0.6Description
With Mu Manager you can manage the mu-plugins like the standard plugins.
You can disable, enable, delete, download, and edit mu-plugins as you do with normal plugins.
The mu-plugins are the plugins that load before any standard plugin. In a normal WordPress installation they are located in the folder wp-content/mu-plugins.
Usually, WordPress doesn’t allow you to deactivate the mu-plugins. With Mu Manager you can enable, disable, and delete mu-plugins without the need for FTP.
It’s useful if you need to temporarily deactivate a mu-plugin, or to get rid of some mu-plugins installed by some hosting providers that you don’t need.
Some hosting providers, such as HostGator or Bluehost, might automatically install for instance a must-use plugin that enables the Endurance Page Cache, which you totally don’t need if you use a caching plugin.
With Mu Plugin Manager you can easily get rid of Endurance Page Cache, or whatever mu-plugin that you don’t need.
How to deactivate a mu-plugin
- Go to the page of Plugins
- Click on Must-Use
- Click on Deactivate on the row of the mu-plugin that you want to deactivate
How to enable a previously disabled mu-plugin
- Go to the page of Plugins
- Click on Must-Use
- Click on Activate on the row of the mu-plugin that you want to activate
How to delete a previously disabled mu-plugin
- Go to the page of Plugins
- Click on Must-Use
- Click on Delete on the row of the mu-plugin that you want to delete
How to edit an mu-plugin
- Go to the page of Plugins
- Click on Must-Use
- Click on Edit on the row of the mu-plugin that you want to edit
Edit opens the same Plugin File Editor used by standard plugins (wp-admin/plugin-editor.php).
How to download an mu-plugin
- Go to the page of Plugins
- Click on Must-Use
- Click on Download on the row of the mu-plugin that you want to download
The download is a zip archive. It contains the mu-plugin PHP file and, when present, the folder with the same name.
Help
If you have any issues don’t hesitate to open a thread on the support forum.
Changelog
0.0.6
*Changed: remove the editor links after an mu-plugin save has finished
0.0.5
*Added: edit mu-plugins with the Plugin File Editor
0.0.4
*Added: download action link on the Must-Use plugins screen
0.0.3
*Fix: MU Plugins page not showing if only no mu-plugins are active
0.0.2
*Added: hash to file extensions
*Fix: PHP warnings
0.0.1
*Initial release
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 Mu Manager alternatives
All mu plugin plugins →FAQ
Mu Manager: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 19, 2026
Is Mu Manager free?
Yes. Mu Manager is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Mu Manager safe to use in 2026?
Yes — Mu Manager is a safe, well-maintained plugin to use in 2026. It runs on 900+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 3 days ago, and scores 82/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Mu Manager?
Mu Manager is active on 900+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 9,914 times since it launched in May 2022. It was downloaded 779 times in the last 30 days.
Does Mu Manager work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested Mu Manager up to WordPress 7.1.3, the latest release. It requires WordPress 4.6 or newer.
What PHP version does Mu Manager need?
Mu Manager requires PHP 5.6 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Mu Manager last updated?
The latest version, 0.0.6, was released on October 16, 2026 (3 days ago).
Who makes Mu Manager?
Mu Manager is developed and maintained by Jose Mortellaro.
What are the best alternatives to Mu Manager?
The most popular alternatives to Mu Manager are Admin CSS MU (10K+ installs), BEA (200+ installs) and Disable Plugins (10+ installs).
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