59
JWT Authentication for WP REST API
Secure tokens that might accidentally break your entire API.
HealthyDeclining
59/100
The plugin works for basic needs but breaks unauthenticated endpoints and features persistent upsells.
Active installs
~65,000
our estimate · wp.org shows 60k+
Rating
4.4★
53 ratings
Trend · vs a year ago
-30%
Declining fast
459 → 323 installs/day
What to watch out for
- MINORdownloads down 30% vs a year ago
Downloads over time
real new installs per day · release spikes shown separately from the trend2025-04-302025-08-082025-11-162026-02-232026-06-03
organicrelease spikerelease tailorganic trend · 14d rolling median
Declining fast · -30% in the last year
459/day a year ago→323/day today
Reviews
what people actually sayJWT Authentication for WP REST API is a functional and easy-to-integrate plugin for extending WordPress authentication, but it is increasingly undermined by a paywall, persistent upsell notices, and a recurring bug that breaks unauthenticated API endpoints.
What people like
- +Works reliably for basic JWT authentication use cases×3
- +Extensible via filters, allowing custom data like user ID and role to be added to the token response×2
- +Paid support is described as technically competent and helpful
Common complaints
- −Core functionality is now behind a paywall, making the free version largely non-functional×2
- −Upsell/upgrade notices cannot be removed from the site
- −Breaks API endpoints that do not require authorization, such as WordPress posts and WooCommerce endpoints×2
- −Known bug causing 401 errors (rest_not_logged_in) in the latest version, with no fix applied for an extended period×2
- −Documentation on advanced usage (e.g., blocking endpoints) is lacking
Review trustReviews look organic
- 4.32★Verified rating — holds steady vs the raw 4.40★
- 11%One-shot reviewers — most reviewers are active community members
Reviews per month · 5★ vs lower
2023-07-202025-01-102026-06-04
5★ reviews1–4★ reviews
All-time ratings · 53 total
Latest reviews · 53 analyzed
- 2026-02-23★★★★★Simple and Greathozayrayz
- 2026-02-02★★★★★it's just salesdorf
- 2025-09-23★★★★★Works Very well & Paid support is greatxmtek
- 2025-05-15★★★★★Upgrade message cannot be removed from my site.Bizberg Themes
- 2025-05-15★★★★★Great plugin!Mwale Kalenga
- 2025-05-09★★★★★Getting an Issue while generating a token at login timevaibhavk3261-shot
- 2025-04-21★★★★★PaywallLucas K
- 2024-09-22★★★★★Code Errorkklo
- 2024-07-30★★★★★It's not easy for me to make it workalexlana
- 2024-03-13★★★★★Simply perfect!graficowalab
Releases
recent versions from WordPress.org SVNFor developers & the curious
the raw signals behind the grade — none of this is on the friendly summary aboveDownload signals
Baselines are computed on organic days only — release spikes and their tails are excluded, so they're not inflated by the auto-update wave.
319
Baseline · median of last 7 organic days
327
Prior 7-day baseline
259
Floor · 25th percentile over 14 days
319
Latest day · 2026-06-03(organic)
-2.4%
Week-over-week organic trend
Review signals
Concentration and drive-by metrics drive the review-burst and fake-review flags. 30–40% solo reviewers is normal; we only flag the extremes.
13%
Max month share · biggest single 30-day window
1.45
Distribution CV · <0.6 even, >1.5 bursty
77%
5★ share in analyzed sample
11%
Solo reviewers · only this one wp.org activity
—
Volume velocity · last 6mo vs prior 6mo
4.30 → 4.32★
Sample avg · raw → solo-filtered