The Best User Profile Plugins For WordPress
Building your own blog community is tough busywork. Not only do you have to ensure that your content flow is consistent enough to keep them interested in your website, but you also have to take care of them once they’re staying. One of the best ways to do the latter is to legitimize them with user profile plugins for WordPress.
These plugins can ensure that your users are real and dedicated to your website. Moreover, user profile plugins just look great if you have a website membership since they give faces to your users. As such, these plugins work better when they let users customize their profiles while still giving you good control over moderation.
So, without further ado, here are some of the best user profile plugins you can find for WordPress. Some of them are paid and some are free, but we’ll help you weigh your options nonetheless.
Profile Builder
One of the most popular options here that won’t break the bank would be Profile Builder from Cozmoslabs. The developers tout Profile builder as an all-in-one option for managing your users among the audience. It lets you have your own user profile dashboard or control center in the front end and even comes with a drag-and-drop function for profile fields.
Profile Builder also comes with both a free version and a Pro version that costs $69 at the most affordable. The Pro version lets you make multiple forms or profiles for each member, and sync with other applications and software among many others.
Notes:
- Has a free version
- Pro version costs $69 for one website and one year of updates
- Pro version allows for many customizations for each user
- Drag-and-drop function
Ultimate Member
A more popular option compared to Profile Builder would be Ultimate Member. It has more than 100,000 active installations and is also highly-rated as user profile plugins go. The developers of Ultimate Member promise a smooth membership for your audience– something that can make or break their membership experience.
It also lets your users add some stylish profile pictures so they can customize their profiles to their hearts’ content. It also has a drag-and-drop function that makes it easy for the admin to organize. Last but not least, you can add some paid extensions for this plugin which makes it even more powerful.
Notes:
- Has a free version
- Premium version starts at $249/year and gives access to all extensions
- Drag-and-drop function
- Easy to use for the audience
- Extensions can vastly improve the plugin
ProfileGrid
ProfileGrid appears like a relative newcomer to the user profile plugins scene as it’s not as popular as the previous two plugins, however, it’s still highly-rated, making it a solid option. It’s a handy all-in-one profile plugin with some elegant added features like private messaging where your users can communicate with you directly.
The interface of ProfileGrid is also quite beautiful and classy. On top of the standard fare functionalities of the user plugin, ProfileGrid also allows users to submit and share their blogs, ensuring a great level of interactivity for your blog community.
Notes:
- Has a free version
- Paid version starts at $79 for a single website
- Beautiful interface
- Private messaging feature
- Allows better interactive freedom for your users
- Allows many layers of moderation for admins
RELATED: Membership Services: Worth The Effort to Create and Develop?
Ultimate Membership
Not to be confused with Ultimate Member, Ultimate Membership is a premium-only user profile plugin that boasts itself as the “most complete” profile plugin you can have. It allows for many layers of membership levels for your users and also lets you split them into free members or paying members.
Setup is easy enough and you can have an unlimited number of subscription packages should you want to be creative with your types of memberships. It also lets you have your own dashboard for easier control and the plugin easily integrates with many other software.
Notes:
- No free version
- Regular License starts at $49
- Unlimited number of subscription levels or types
- Your own member admin dashboard
- Vast integration network with other software
UserPro
UserPro is another premium-only option if you’re feeling extravagant enough. It gives more incentives for your users to actually engage or interact with the content, the blog, or each other through badges and other colorful digital milestone prizes.
You can even track what your users are doing on your website with a dedicated activity feed featured within the plugin. Last but not least, UserPro creates an interface for your users similar to social media where they get followers and can follow each other. It’s like having your own miniature social media community within the blog.
Notes:
- No free version but comes with a demo
- Pricing starts at $39 for a regular license
- Beautiful social network-esque front end interface for your users
- Incentivises user interaction, increasing engagements in your website
- Activity feed
- Vast integration network with many other software
WP User Frontend
WP User Frontend is another relative newcomer to the playing field but comes with its own twist in the formula. The plugin comes with an added feature that makes it easy for blog owners to accept content from their users, meaning having third-party and audience-created content can be easier with this plugin.
That’s because on top of the user profile feature, the plugin also couples it with a post-submission feature or interface for your registered users. You then edit their submissions (assuming you allow them to submit or write) thanks to the plugin’s own built-in submissions editor.
Notes:
- Has a free version
- Pro version starts at $49/year
- User submissions functionality
- Built-in user submissions editor that can also allow files and images to be uploaded
- Drag-and-drop functionality
Theme My Login
Sometimes the thing that can intimidate your audience from continuing the registration and login is your website reverting back to the WordPress interface for registrations or logins. Theme My Login remedies this by making your registration or login interface akin to your website’s theme.
You might find Theme My Login’s free version a little too limited, however, as it only allows for registrations and logins. You’ll have to go purchase one of its extensions if you want to give your users the luxury of customizing their own profiles. It’s basic, but it works like all the plugins in this list. Choose wisely.
Notes:
- Has a free (but limited) version
- Profile extension can be treated as the premium version and allows users to have profiles; costs $15
- Blends in well with your website theme
- Limited functionality even with the profile extension