10 Best WordPress Admin Dashboard Plugins for 2024 (Compared)

Customizing the WordPress admin area can improve productivity, streamline workflows, and give your dashboard a personalized look.

Whether you’re managing multiple sites, working with clients, or simply looking for a fresh experience, there are plenty of tools available to transform your WordPress admin experience.

For example, we like to use WPForms to create custom user registration forms and SeedProd to design login, maintenance mode, and coming soon pages. We also did the research to find the best plugin options for customizing other parts of the WordPress admin area.

In this article, we will share some of the best free and paid WordPress plugins to customize the admin area and improve workflows.

Can’t wait to read full descriptions? Here is a quick list of our top picks:

🏅	Plugin	Best for	Pricing
🏅	WPForms	Creating custom forms and user registration forms	$49.50/yr
🏅	SeedProd	Custom login pages, maintenance mode pages, and coming soon pages	$39.50/yr
🏅	WP Adminify	Customizing the admin dashboard and white-labeling	$79/yr
🏅	White Label CMS	Custom branding for the admin area	Free
🏅	Ultimate Dashboard	Creating custom admin dashboards	$58/yr
🏅	WP Frontend Admin	Displaying admin pages on the frontend	$49.99/yr
🏅	WP Dark Mode	Adding dark mode to WordPress	$49/yr
🏅	Theme My Login	Custom login, registration, and profile pages	Free
🏅	Admin Columns	Customizing admin columns for better data management	Free
🏅	Better Admin Bar	Streamlining the WordPress admin bar	Free

How We Tested WordPress Admin Plugins

To ensure we recommend the best WordPress admin plugins, we did thorough tests on a variety of popular tools. Our evaluation criteria focused on real-world scenarios and how effectively these plugins and themes improve workflow, usability, and the overall admin experience.

Here’s how we approached our testing process:

• Usability and Setup: We installed and set up each plugin ourselves to see the installation process. We also paid close attention to how these tools could be configured by users with varying experience levels, from beginners to more advanced users.
• Customization and Functionality: We explored the level of customization each plugin offers. For instance, could we modify the admin dashboard, create custom widgets, or streamline the navigation? We also tested whether these tools provided additional functionalities like dark mode, admin column control, or white labeling.
• Performance and Speed: We monitored each plugin’s performance, particularly how they impacted site speed and responsiveness. Using tools like PageSpeed Insights, we ensured that no plugins added unnecessary load to the WordPress dashboard.
• Compatibility with Other Plugins: Since WordPress sites often rely on multiple plugins, we tested compatibility between the admin tools and other popular plugins. We ensured the plugins worked well with tools like WooCommerce, WPForms, and more.
• Ease of Use for Teams and Clients: We evaluated how well the plugins function for teams and client-based projects. This includes managing user roles, simplifying the interface for clients, and making the admin area intuitive for users with limited WordPress knowledge.

Why Make Changes to the Admin Area Theme and Interface?

The default WordPress admin area is designed to be easy for most users. However, based on our experience working with numerous WordPress sites, we’ve found that it might not always suit your specific workflow or aesthetic preferences.

In our daily use, we all want to personalize the software we use to streamline our processes and quickly perform common website tasks.

Whether you’re managing a personal site, like many of our readers, or handling multiple client projects as we often do, customizing the admin interface can bring several benefits:

1. Improved Usability: Through our testing, we’ve found that customizing the admin interface allows you to remove distractions, simplify navigation, and highlight the tools you use most. This can save time and make managing your website more efficient, especially when dealing with larger projects.
2. Enhanced Branding: When working with clients, as we frequently do, matching the admin area to their brand adds a professional touch. Custom logos, colors, and layouts make their dashboard feel unique, reinforcing the high level of service we strive to provide.
3. Increased Functionality: From our experience with various plugins, we’ve seen how adding custom widgets, columns, or features to the admin area makes it easier to access important data at a glance. This flexibility means you can tailor your dashboard to meet your specific needs.
4. Better User Roles Management: For sites with multiple contributors, as we’ve seen in client setups, customizing the admin interface by user roles ensures that each user only sees the options they need. This can lower confusion and prevent potential errors.

Having worked extensively with different admin tools, we’ve hand-picked the best solutions that we’ve tested and found effective for a variety of use cases.

1. WPForms

Many WordPress websites allow users to register and log in to their accounts. However, they don’t want users to access the admin area. This is where WPForms is handy, as it is the best option for creating custom login and registration forms.

We use WPForms’ user registration feature on our free WordPress video courses website and on contact forms and suggestions pages. You can read more about it in our detailed WPForms review with pros and cons.

You can use it to create login and registration forms and automatically redirect users to any page on your site. You can also assign user roles to new users and create a forgot password form so that users can reset their passwords.

Want to sell products, services, or file downloads? WPForms also lets you accept credit card payments online using Stripe, PayPal, Square, and Authorize.Net.

The best part is that users wouldn’t see the WordPress admin area. They will see your website’s brand and colors throughout their journey.

Do you need users to contribute? WPForms comes with a Post Submissions add-on, which allows users to submit content directly from the front end of your website.

What We Like:

• WPForms provides an easy way to create custom user experiences, altogether avoiding the WordPress admin area.
• Automatic redirects allow you to send users to the exact page they want to be.
• Payment integrations make selling a product, service, or download easy without integrating a full-fledged eCommerce shopping cart.

What We Don’t Like:

• WPForms offers fewer options for customizing its interface within the WordPress admin area.

Pricing: The basic plan starts at $49.50/year; a free version is also available. However, you will need the Pro plan ($199.50/year) to unlock user registration and post-submission add-ons.

2. SeedProd

SeedProd is commonly known as one of the best WordPress page builders. However, it also allows you to design several parts of the WordPress admin experience.

For instance, we use SeedProd for the login page on our WPBeginner Videos website. You can brand the login page to match your website’s theme, add your logo, and even include custom fields.

It can be used to design beautiful custom login pages, maintenance mode, and coming soon pages in WordPress. Whether you’re updating your site or launching a new one, these pages help you keep visitors informed professionally.

SedProd is best for creating professional-looking pages without needing any coding skills. Thanks to its drag-and-drop builder and pre-designed templates, we found it incredibly easy to use.

While your site is being worked on, you can collect email addresses, showcase your social media, and keep your audience engaged. Your users will see the maintenance or coming soon page, but you can still see your site when logged in as an administrator.

See our complete SeedProd review for more details.

What We Like

• Custom Login Pages: Easily create branded login pages that match your site’s look and feel.
• Maintenance Mode: Seamlessly inform visitors that your site is under maintenance with professional templates.
• Coming Soon Pages: Keep your audience engaged with coming soon pages that can include countdown timers and email opt-ins.

What We Don’t Like

• SeedProd’s admin interface has limited customization options for users looking to match it with other admin themes.

Pricing: Starting at $39.50/year. A free version called SeedProd Lite is also available.

3. WP Adminify

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the cluttered look of the WordPress admin panel, then WP Adminify offers a clean and practical solution. We’ve personally found this tool helpful when customizing admin areas for our projects. It gives users control over their admin dashboard without requiring a technical background.

One of the first things we noticed was how much easier it became to navigate the admin area with custom admin columns. This feature alone helped us streamline our workflows significantly.

With WP Adminify, you can reorganize, hide, or display specific data to suit your needs. We’ve used this feature to remove unnecessary clutter and ensure the most important information is always within easy reach.

The plugin also comes with several admin color themes, which we appreciate for personalizing the workspace. You can even create your own color combinations.

Using the plugin options, you can completely white-label the WordPress admin area with your own custom logo and branding, a feature we’ve found especially useful for client projects.

Using WP Adminify, WordPress agencies can deliver highly customized websites with a white-labeled admin area optimized for their client’s specific workflows and branding. We’ve done this ourselves, and it adds a great touch of professionalism.

Individual site owners can also benefit from improving their workflows by adding or removing shortcuts, ultimately creating a more productive admin interface.

For more details, see our complete WP Adminify review.

What We Like

• Customizable Admin Columns: WP Adminify’s ability to reorder and customize admin columns made our work more efficient. It puts the right data front and center, speeding up daily tasks.
• Integrated Page Speed Insights: We loved the convenience of having performance metrics right in the dashboard. It allows users to make quick adjustments to improve site speed without relying on external tools.
• White Label WordPress: The plugin allows developers and agencies to create white-label admin interfaces tailored to client needs, something we’ve found extremely useful when delivering custom solutions.

What We Don’t Like

• While WP Adminify offers extensive customization, advanced users may find its styling options for specific elements limited compared to other options.

Pricing: Paid plans start from $79/year. There is also a limited free version available.

4. White Label CMS

Many WordPress agencies want to make it easier for their clients to manage sites seamlessly. White Label CMS is a plugin we’ve tried ourselves, and it makes this process super easy. It allows you to remove WordPress branding from the back end and replace it with your custom branding, giving a more professional experience to clients.

For agencies and freelancers, the ability to replace the WordPress logo with custom branding is invaluable. It transforms the default dashboard into a space that feels unique to your clients, offering them a polished, professional environment. We’ve found it particularly useful when delivering a customized, branded admin interface in our partner agency projects.

You can even customize the login page, add client-specific widgets, and rearrange admin menus, which helps reduce confusion by keeping only the most relevant tools visible. This has been a great way for us to streamline WordPress admin workflows.

We also appreciated how White Label CMS simplifies user access. You can easily control what different user roles see, ensuring clients or team members don’t accidentally modify crucial settings.

Site owners will also find White Label CMS beneficial for personalizing their admin panel. The custom welcome panel was one of our favorite features, allowing us to create a personalized experience with custom instructions, helpful links, or site-specific information that appears right when you log in.

What We Like

• Custom Branding: White Label CMS makes it easy to swap the WordPress logo for your own branding. This is particularly useful for agencies and freelancers looking to give their clients a professional feel.
• User Role Control: The plugin lets you control what different users see in the admin area. This makes it perfect for managing client access and preventing them from accessing sensitive settings.
• Custom Welcome Panel: We found the custom welcome panel particularly useful for adding personalized instructions or links for clients.

What We Don’t Like

• Compared to other plugins, the customization options for certain areas of the admin interface, such as deeper layout changes, are somewhat limited.

Pricing: Free

5. Ultimate Dashboard

We’ve found Ultimate Dashboard to be another great tool for decluttering and streamlining the admin experience. It is especially useful when you want to remove unnecessary widgets and create a custom dashboard that works the way you need it to.

When we tested Ultimate Dashboard, the first thing that impressed us was how quickly we could clear out the default WordPress widgets that typically overwhelm the dashboard.

This simple change immediately made the admin area feel more manageable, allowing us to focus on the tasks that matter most.

This feature is particularly beneficial for agencies or freelancers working with clients. You can present a clean, branded dashboard that only includes the tools your clients need to manage their site—no more confusion from irrelevant widgets.

The plugin also excels at creating custom dashboard widgets. We found adding widgets for frequently used links, performance analytics, login pages, or even custom messages incredibly easy.

Beyond removing clutter, Ultimate Dashboard offers white-label options, which we’ve used to replace the WordPress branding with custom logos and colors. This adds a professional look to client projects without requiring complex custom coding.

For more details, see our complete Ultimate Dashboard review.

What We Like

• Custom Widgets: We loved how easy it was to create custom widgets. You can add shortcuts, analytics, or client-specific messages to make the dashboard more user-friendly and efficient.
• Dashboard Cleanup: Ultimate Dashboard quickly declutters the admin area by removing unwanted widgets. This can give clients a more focused experience.
• White Label Options: For agencies, the white-label feature allows you to replace WordPress branding with your own. This means you can offer a polished and professional look without custom coding.

What We Don’t Like

• While highly effective for removing clutter, the customization options for widget placement and layout can feel limited compared to other tools.

Pricing: Starting from $58. There is also a free version available with limited features.

6. WP Frontend Admin

For some of our projects, we needed to display specific WordPress admin pages on the front end. We used WP Frontend Admin for that, and it makes it very easy to display WordPress admin pages on the front end.

Whether you’re creating a custom dashboard for clients or running a WooCommerce store, this plugin brings admin functionality to the front end. We’ve found it to be particularly helpful when simplifying the interface for less tech-savvy users.

During our testing, one of the most useful features was the ability to create custom dashboards that display specific admin pages, such as the WPForms forms page, post editors, or analytics, directly on the front end.

The plugin is also ideal for agencies and freelancers managing client sites. You can offer clients a clean, branded frontend interface without giving them full access to the backend.

What really makes WP Frontend Admin stand out is its flexibility. You can build dashboards for nearly any purpose: manage courses in MemberPress, allow users to submit posts with the Gutenberg editor, or even edit site settings—all from the front end.

For multisite networks, WP Frontend Admin lets you make global dashboards that all site admins can access. This is particularly useful for WordPress-as-a-Service (WaaS) businesses, where managing multiple subsites from a single frontend dashboard can save time and reduce complexity.

What We Like

• Frontend Admin Pages: The plugin’s standout feature is its ability to display and interact with any WordPress admin page from the front end. This can make managing client-facing tasks much easier.
• Custom Dashboards: We loved how easy it was to build custom dashboards with admin functionality tailored for specific users or roles. This can be especially useful in reducing complexity for clients.
• Multisite Support: The multisite integration allows global dashboards for networked sites, making it a perfect tool for agencies and WaaS platforms.

What We Don’t Like

• While powerful, WP Frontend Admin can take some time to set up complex dashboards, especially for more intricate use cases like multisite management.

Pricing: Starting from $49.99. A limited free version is also available.

7. WP Dark Mode

Many of our team members have their devices set to automatically switch to dark mode at specific times. However, we noticed that device settings don’t usually affect websites.

That’s when we tested WP Dark Mode, which lets you easily add dark mode functionality to your WordPress site, creating a more comfortable browsing experience. We tested it out and found it incredibly easy to set up.

One of the standout features of WP Dark Mode is its ability to automatically detect user device preferences. If a user’s device is set to dark mode, the plugin automatically switches your WordPress site to dark mode.

The plugin also includes a wide range of customization options. We were impressed by how easy it was to tweak the appearance of the dark mode, from adjusting the colors to modifying the dark mode toggle switch.

WP Dark Mode offers even more flexibility for developers managing client sites, such as scheduling dark mode activation at specific times of the day and providing dark mode for the WordPress admin dashboard. We’ve utilized the admin dark mode feature ourselves, and it made long work sessions far more comfortable.

For more details, see our WP Dark Mode review, which includes a complete walk-through of the plugin.

What We Like

• Auto-Detection of User Preferences: The ability to automatically switch to dark mode based on the user’s device settings creates a great user experience.
• Customization Options: WP Dark Mode allows you to easily adjust the dark mode colors and toggle switch. This lets site owners create a design that matches their branding.
• Admin Dashboard Dark Mode: Enabling dark mode within the WordPress admin area made long work sessions far more comfortable for site administrators.

What We Don’t Like

• Some advanced features, like scheduling dark mode activation or custom styling options, are only available in the premium version. This may require an additional investment for full functionality.

Pricing: Starting from $49/year. A limited free version is also available.

8. Theme My Login

Managing user registration and login pages in WordPress can be a hassle, especially when trying to provide a seamless experience that matches your site’s theme.

Theme My Login makes it easy to integrate custom login, registration, and profile pages directly into your WordPress theme, ensuring a consistent design for your users.

We found this plugin particularly useful for creating a branded experience without needing to write any custom code.

The best part about Theme My Login is that it automatically matches your site’s existing theme. This means users can log in, register, or manage their profile without ever seeing the default WordPress login page.

This creates a more polished and professional experience for site owners running membership sites, online courses, or private communities.

During our testing, we appreciated how simple the plugin was to configure. It offers various customization options, like redirecting users after login or enabling social login through extensions.

For developers or agencies, Theme My Login allows you to create custom user flows, control how users manage their profiles, and protect certain pages behind login gates.

What We Like

• Seamless Integration: Theme My Login automatically adapts to your site’s theme, ensuring login, registration, and profile pages blend perfectly with your design.
• Custom Redirects: Easily set up custom redirects after login, registration, or logout, helping guide users to the most relevant content.
• Social Login Support: The ability to extend the plugin with social login options through add-ons makes it easy for users to log in with their social media accounts.

Pricing: Free with paid extensions.

9. Admin Columns

Organizing and managing large amounts of data in the WordPress admin dashboard can be tedious. For instance, dealing with custom post types, product orders, or users can take a lot of time and effort.

Admin Columns simplifies this by allowing you to fully customize and rearrange the columns in your WordPress admin lists, making data management faster and more intuitive.

We found this plugin particularly useful for streamlining workflows and improving efficiency for content-heavy websites and eCommerce stores.

With Admin Columns, you can easily add, remove, or reorder columns in the WordPress admin area for posts, pages, users, and custom post types. For instance, here is how you can add a featured image column to the Posts page.

During our testing, we displayed important information like custom fields, taxonomies, and product details. It allowed us to access the most critical data much faster.

One of the best features of Admin Columns is the ability to sort, filter, and directly edit items within the columns. This means you can update content, user data, or product information without leaving the admin page.

What We Like

• Customizable Admin Views: Admin Columns made it easy to customize the admin lists. This allowed us to add relevant columns for better content and product management.
• Sorting, Filtering, and Inline Editing: The ability to sort, filter, and edit data directly from the admin columns drastically improved our workflow by reducing navigation.
• WooCommerce Integration: Admin Columns work seamlessly with WooCommerce, letting you manage orders, products, and customer information more efficiently.

What We Don’t Like

• While Admin Columns offers a lot of customization options, some advanced features, like filtering for custom fields and complex sorting, are only available in the premium version.

Pricing: Starting from $79/yr and a limited Free version is also available.

10. Better Admin Bar

The default WordPress admin bar can sometimes feel cluttered. Better Admin Bar helps streamline it by allowing you to hide or reorder items, making the bar cleaner and easier to navigate.

One of the best features is the ability to remove unused links. During our testing, we were able to hide links that weren’t relevant to certain users. This improved focus and reduced distractions

You can also customize the position of the admin bar. For example, you can make it fixed or floating. This helps ensure the admin bar is always accessible when needed.

Better Admin Bar is an excellent tool for improving the WordPress admin experience. It’s perfect for site owners wanting a more straightforward, functional interface.

What We Like

• Customizable Links: You can hide or remove links from the admin bar to keep only what’s important.
• Positioning Options: The admin bar can be fixed or moved to make it easier to access.
• Cleaner Interface: Removing unnecessary items creates a less cluttered, more efficient admin bar.

What We Don’t Like

• The plugin is great for removing clutter, but advanced users may find the options limited compared to other admin area customization plugins.

Pricing: Free

Bonus Resources

The following are some additional resources for customizing the WordPress admin area and managing admin tasks more efficiently:

• Tips to Protect Your WordPress Admin Area
• Plugins and Tips to Improve WordPress Admin Area
• Crucial WordPress Maintenance Tasks to Perform Regularly
• How to Add a Notification Center in WordPress Admin
• How to Add Custom Admin Notices in WordPress
• How to Add or Change WordPress Admin Icons

We hope this article helped you find excellent WordPress admin theme plugins. You may also want to see our guide on accessing the WordPress admin area when you are locked out or take a look at adding an admin user to the WordPress database.

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