If you want to include registration on your website, you’re going to need a WordPress user registration plugin.
You may want to sell courses, offer exclusive content, provide paid news or resources or provide a safe haven for like-minded individuals.
Whatever your reasons, you’ll need some form of user registration plugin to manage who has access to what.
Our team has tried and tested each of the WordPress registration plugins in this list. What follows is our honest appraisal according to our own experiences with them.
5 Benefits of Using WordPress Registration Plugins
WordPress has its own registration feature but it’s basic to say the least. If you want to appear more professional or add more features, a registration plugin is where it’s at.
Some are free, others are paid for but each of them delivers the features you need.
Benefits of using WordPress registration plugins include:
Keep Users Away From WordPress Admin
If you use the registration function built into WordPress, users will automatically gain access to your website admin area.
While they may not be able to see much or do anything depending on what user role you assign, you really don’t want users anywhere near there.
Use a plugin and you can create a custom form that redirects your new member to a dedicated page or user area and away from your admin dashboard.
Essential for Creating Memberships
If you’re planning to create a membership website of any kind, you’re going to need a way to restrict content to members only. You’ll want to keep the general public out while allowing members in, especially if you plan to charge for access.
Membership websites can include:
- Online course websites
- Stores with members-only areas
- Exclusive online communities
- Blogs and websites with premium content
- News websites with paywalls
- Any type of website that separates users in some way
The uses you can put a membership website to are endless, but they all have one thing in common.
They use some form of user registration.
Looks more professional
The default WordPress user registration feature is okay and gets the job done, but it’s hardly a premium experience. It’s also not very customizable.
If you want to bring user registrations on brand, add elements to the form or something else, you’ll need a WordPress registration plugin.
Accept payments
The default WordPress feature cannot handle payments so you’ll definitely need a user registration plugin for that.
Not all plugins will handle payment directly but they can usually integrate with SureCart, WooCommerce or other plugin to manage everything.
As long as your plugin integrates with at least one payment gateway, you should be able to accept paid memberships.
Automatically Assign User Roles
User roles are typically linked to membership tiers of some kind. When a user registers, they will be assigned a role depending on their membership tier, plan they joined or other hierarchy depending on what you set up.
Having to manually assign user roles is going to be tiresome.
Having an account plugin for WordPress automatically handle user provisioning and role assignment makes the whole process faster and more manageable.
10 Best WordPress User Registration Plugins
Here are what we consider the 10 best WordPress user registration plugins you can use right now:
Let’s take a look at each of these in a little more depth.
SureMembers
SureMembers can handle much more than user registrations, it’s a fully-fledged membership plugin that can help you create an entire community complete with user registration.
SureMembers makes it easy to create exclusive communities. Set up membership tiers, charge for access, add custom access rules, use paywalls, drip content, sell online courses, the list is endless.
SureMembers has a powerful user registration element, but it’s capable of a whole lot more than that.
SureMembers Features
- Full membership plugin for WordPress
- Use paywalls or charge for access
- Set custom access rules and user roles
- Use it to help sell online courses
- Set up free access, free trials or premium only
Pros Of SureMembers
- Easy to set up and use
- Create any type of membership community you like
- Drip or schedule content
- Charge for access or allow free memberships
- Integrates with popular learning management systems
Cons Of SureMembers
- Premium-only
Pricing
SureMembers is available from $69 per year.
Spectra Pro
Spectra Pro is also more than an account plugin for WordPress. It’s an entire drag and drop page builder that has dedicated user registration form and user login form blocks built in.
Both blocks are fully customizable and include styling options to help them fit your brand.
You can customize where you send a user after successful registration or login, include Google reCAPTCHA v2 or v3 in forms and place your form anywhere on your website.
While Spectra Pro doesn’t have advanced user handling features, the page builder is a very useful addition to the WordPress block editor.
Spectra Pro Features
- Full drag and drop page builder
- User registration and user login blocks
- Fully customizable forms
- Includes over 35 other blocks, tools, patterns and templates
- Easy to use and integrates into the block editor
Pros Of Spectra Pro
- A full page builder that’s very simple to use
- Adds powerful blocks to the WordPress block editor
- Includes 2 user registration and login blocks
- Adds a popup builder to help with upsells or conversion
- Designed to load fast with no impact on performance
Cons Of Spectra Pro
- You’ll need to pay
Pricing
Spectra Pro costs from $49 per year.
WPForms
WPForms is a very popular form plugin for WordPress. Purchase the premium version and you’ll get a user registration form addon that adds even more utility.
You can create a form yourself with the free version but it won’t have all the features you need.
The premium version adds a fully customizable form that can automatically assign a user role or membership tier. It also adds compatibility with payment gateways so you can charge for membership without requiring another plugin.
WPForms Features
- Drag and drop form builder with lots of options
- Dedicated user registration form with premium
- Integrates with payment gateways
- Supports conditional logic and smart form functions
- Free version is very stable
Pros Of WPForms
- Very flexible form plugin
- Form templates cover most requirements including user registration
- Optional addons add extra features
- Conditional logics makes for smart forms
- Regularly updated with good support
Cons Of WPForms
- You’ll need the premium version for the user registration template
Pricing
WPForms costs from $39 per year.
Formidable Forms
Formidable Forms is another hugely popular forms plugin for WordPress that can handle user registrations. It uses a drag and drop form builder along with numerous templates to help you build intelligent forms with minimal effort.
We like Formidable Forms because it has a series of user registration templates covering many use cases. This could save a lot of time when you’re putting your website together.
This plugin isn’t quite as easy to use as WPForms but is capable of a lot more. It’s still relatively simple to get to grips with but is more involved, with more capability.
Formidable Forms Features
- Multiple user registration templates
- Drag and drop form builder
- Supports payment gateways for premium memberships
- Advanced tools such as calculated fields and data manipulation
- Supports polls, surveys, quizzes and other features
Pros Of Formidable Forms
- Powerful form plugin with many advanced features
- Drag and drop form builder with styling options
- Multiple readymade user registration templates
- Interactive form options such as polls and quizzes
- Useful data management tools
Cons Of Formidable Forms
- Premium only
- Learning curve for more advanced functions
Pricing
Formidable Forms costs from $39 per year.
User Registration
User Registration is a simpler user registration plugin for WordPress to get to grips with than Formidable Forms and is ideal for simpler forms or more modest requirements.
It uses a drag and drop form builder and has templates for more common form types. Forms can also automatically assign WordPress user roles once complete, which can be useful for membership websites.
The plugin also supports analytics, notifications, manual or automatic approvals, uploads, conditional logic and advanced fields.
User Registration Features
- Drag and drop form builder
- Supports geolocation, content restrictions and other features
- Can create multi-step user registration forms
- Readymade templates for common form types
- Demo available on the website
Pros Of User Registration
- More capable than it initially appears
- Simple to create forms and integrate them into posts and pages
- Templates for common form types
- You can see most forms on the demo website
- Supports popular payment gateways
Cons Of User Registration
- You’ll need a premium plan to accept payments
Pricing
There’s a free version of User Registration and premium plans starting at $79 per year.
WP User Manager
WP User Manager is a dedicated WordPress registration plugin designed specifically for member management. It has all the tools you need to create effective forms and manage users and their data.
Of all the plugins in our user registration roundup, WP User Manager seems to take security most seriously. It supports GDPR, uses reCAPTCHA, two-factor authentication, password management tools and lets you control user roles and access.
There’s also support for custom fields, shortcodes, email notifications, avatars, user directories and a whole lot more.
WP User Manager Features
- Full suite of user management tools including signup forms
- Works with Stripe payment gateway
- Supports web hooks, shortcodes and widgets
- Works with widgets and custom fields
- Integrates with lots of third party tools and services
Pros Of WP User Manager
- Flexible user manager with advanced tools
- Easy to learn
- Takes security seriously
- Lots of security options including 2FA
- Integrates with lots of third party tools such as Mailchimp
Cons Of WP User Manager
- Registration forms locked to premium plans
- Premium is expensive
Pricing
WP User Manager has a free version and four premium plans costing from $149 per year.
Registration Magic
Registration Magic is a powerful user registration plugin for WordPress that includes all the tools you could possibly need to enable, track and manage users.
It includes form templates, customizable form fields, submission tracking, email notifications, downloads, user role assignment, payments and even supports user submitted content.
There’s a lot to learn and a lot to configure but if you need something more in-depth, Registration Magic is probably for you.
Registration Magic Features
- Visual form builder with templates
- Automatically assigns user roles
- Built-in email autoresponder
- Includes analytics tools
- Supports custom forms and fields
Pros Of Registration Magic
- Very powerful user WordPress registration plugin
- Includes templates as well as a visual form builder
- Google reCAPTCHA support
- Integrates with payment gateways and email marketing tools
- Analytics and reporting functions
Cons Of Registration Magic
- There’s a lot to learn to get the best out of it
Pricing
There’s a free version of Registration Magic and two premium plans prices from $89 per year.
Ultimate Member
Ultimate Member is a well-rounded account plugin for WordPress that helps you build registration forms and manage members throughout their time with you.
The plugin includes templates for registrations, login pages and member directories. It helps you build user profiles, manage users and accounts and restrict content depending on what user level members have.
Ultimate Member has been designed to be as accessible as possible and is easy to use at any skill level.
Ultimate Member Features
- Designed with ease of use in mind
- User registration and login forms
- Includes user account dashboard
- User roles and content restrictions
- Optional extensions to add functionality
Pros Of Ultimate Member
- Very simple to use and manage
- Readymade user forms and dashboard
- Includes member directory and user cards
- Automatic user role assignment
- Self-service dashboard with common controls
Cons Of Ultimate Member
- Premium is expensive
Pricing
There’s a free version of Ultimate Member and two premium plans starting at $249 per year.
User Profile Builder
User Profile Builder is a smart user registration plugin for WordPress designed to deliver everything visitors look for. It offers social login options, customizable registration and login forms and multi-step forms.
The design is slick, modern and easy to use on both the admin and user side. Forms work quickly, they integrate with WooCommerce, provide email notifications and there are templates to cover most form types.
User Profile Builder integrates with Elementor and email marketing tools so can work within a larger marketing and promotion effort too.
User Profile Builder Features
- Modern design with a reassuring feel
- User registration and login forms
- Supports social media login and multi-step forms
- Lots of integration options
- Content restriction controls
Pros Of User Profile Builder
- Straightforward to set up and use
- Has a demo so you can try before you buy
- Lots of use case options including private stores
- User directory and profiles
- User role assignment and editing
Cons Of User Profile Builder
- Some features require an addon to use
Pricing
User Profile Builder has a free option and three premium plans that start at €99 per year.
ProfilePress
ProfilePress is a membership plugin that includes user registration and profiles. It’s a sometimes complex plugin perhaps not ideal for those new to WordPress, but you can do a lot with it if you know HTML and a little CSS.
ProfilePress supports paid memberships, checkout, paywalls, coupons, payment gateways, content restrictions and much more. There are customizable templates for most tasks, including registration and login.
As a membership plugin, you also gain access to analytics, eCommerce functions, user profiles, member directories, email confirmations and checkout options. There’s a lot to learn but a lot on offer.
ProfilePress Features
- Full membership plugin with user registration and login
- Supports eCommerce functions with streamlined checkout
- Drag and drop form builder with customizable templates
- Member directories and user profiles
- Content access controls
Pros Of ProfilePress
- More than ‘just’ a user registration plugin for WordPress
- Templates for most form types
- Drag and drop form builder for custom forms
- Attractive dashboards with logical navigation
- Flexible content protection controls
Cons Of ProfilePress
- Premium only
Pricing
ProfilePress costs from $129 per year.
How To Set Up User Registration on Your Website
Setting up user registration on your website is very straightforward.
Set Up User Registration With WordPress
If you’re just looking for basic user registration, you don’t need a plugin as WordPress can do it for you.
Just be aware that using WordPress tools will allow all users to see, and perhaps, interact with your website admin dashboard.
There aren’t any customization options or many features, but you can enable users to register for an account to leave comments or interact on your blog.
Here’s how:
- Log into WordPress and select Users from the left menu
- Select Add New User and enter the details
- Set a Role at the bottom using the dropdown menu
- Select the Add New User button that will light up once you’re done
Our friends over at Astra wrote an extensive post explaining WordPress user roles and capabilities. It’s well worth a read!
Set Up User Registration With SureMembers
If you want to do more with registered users such as offer paid memberships, offer premium content or something else, you can do all that and more with SureMembers.
It’s so much more than an account plugin for WordPress!
Here’s everything you need to know to create a membership website that converts.
The process is easy and takes less than 15 minutes to set up.
The combination of SureMembers and SureCart provides all the features you need to create any kind of membership website whether you charge for content or not.
User Registration FAQs
Have questions on user registration in WordPress? We have answers!
How do I let users register in WordPress?
You can let users register in WordPress using the default registration function or by using a user registration plugin.
Either way, make sure there’s a way for users to register, some kind of registration form and a way to approve or disapprove an application. Payments are optional for all user registrations.
How do I stop spam signups on WordPress?
You can stop spam signups on WordPress by using one of these registration plugins along with anti-spam precautions such as reCAPTCHA and double authentication.
reCAPTCHA can prevent bots signing up while double authentication means anyone who signs up must have access to the email address they used. This should reduce spam signups.
How do I get users to register on my website?
To get users to register on your website you’ll need a registration form and a reason for them to register. That reason can be premium services or products, premium content, membership to an exclusive community or a store with membership perks.
As long as you offer value in return for registration, you should get results.
How do I restrict a WordPress page to logged-in users?
You can restrict a WordPress page to logged-in users by using SureMembers. Create a membership tier (Access Group) and set page or post access to logged in users only.
It’s a very straightforward process that takes less than a minute and enables you to control exactly what posts or pages non-members can and cannot see.
How do I disable ‘anyone can register’ in WordPress?
It’s simple to disable ‘anyone can register’ in WordPress. Open your dashboard and select Settings > General. Then uncheck the box next to Anyone Can Register and select Save Changes at the bottom of the page. That’s all there is to it.
Conclusion
There are as many types of websites that may benefit from a WordPress user registration plugin as there are plugins.
We tried to include a wide selection of options here to cover as many use cases as possible.
Whatever type of website you’re trying to build, there should be an account plugin for WordPress here that’s perfect for your needs!
Do you use any of these plugins? Have any others to suggest? Share your opinions in the comments below!
Disclosure: This blog may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may receive a small commission. Read disclosure. Rest assured that we only recommend products that we have personally used and believe will add value to our readers. Thanks for your support!
Recommended Articles
17 Best WordPress Membership Plugins To Create Subscription Websites – 2024