User Groups
The User Groups plugin does not modify user capabilities, limit access, or anything like that. This plugin does one thing, and does it well: create groups and organize your users by that group.
Consider an alternative
User Groups shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 4/5 and was last updated 10 years ago, and scores 34/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (200+ active installs)
- No update in 10 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.5 (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 User Groups stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| groups | >100 |
| user | >100 |
| user group | >100 |
| users | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4 from 9 reviews
About User Groups
From the official readme · v1.3.1Description
Group Your Users
- Add descriptions to user groups
- Assign colors to user groups
- View all users in a group
- Add users to more than one group at a time
The User Groups plugin does not modify user capabilities, limit access, or anything like that. This plugin does one thing, and does it well: create groups and organize your users by that group.
Works beautifully with the Rich Text Tags plugin for adding WYSIWYG descriptions to the User Groups.
Installation
- Upload the User Groups plugin folder to the
/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
- Create User Groups by going to Users > Groups
- Add users to an User Group by visiting their profile page and selecting checkboxes of the groups you’d like to add them to
Changelog
Fixed minor PHP message as reported here
1.3 & 1.3.1 on April 11, 2016
- Fixed: User Groups lost when users update own profile
- Fixed: Compatibility with WordPress 4.2 – 4.5
- Added: Translation strings
- Fixed: Additional sanitization
- Fixed: Colorpicker in Edit User Group screen
1.2.2 on June 11, 2015
- Fixed: PHP notices
- Fixed: When a User Group color wasn’t set, the group would not display in the Users table column
- Fixed: Potential security issue with
add_query_arg()– learn more (please update!)
1.2.1
- Implemented fix for a few bugs reported on WordPress Codex
- Fixed: User Groups with no users are viewable
1.1.1
- Fixed minor PHP message as reported here
1.1
- Added bulk editing of user groups
1.0
- Liftoff!
Screenshots
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 User Groups alternatives
All groups plugins →
FAQ
User Groups: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 27, 2026
Is User Groups free?
Yes. User Groups is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is User Groups safe to use in 2026?
User Groups shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 4/5 and was last updated 10 years ago, and scores 34/100 on our health check.
How many websites use User Groups?
User Groups is active on 200+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 21,258 times since it launched in June 2012. It was downloaded 74 times in the last 30 days.
Does User Groups work with WordPress 7.1?
User Groups is officially tested up to WordPress 4.5.33, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was User Groups last updated?
The latest version, 1.3.1, was released on April 11, 2016 (10 years ago).
Who makes User Groups?
User Groups is developed and maintained by Zack Katz.
What are the best alternatives to User Groups?
The most popular alternatives to User Groups are Groups (10K+ installs), Private groups (1K+ installs) and Registration Options for Bu… (1K+ installs).
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