# How to Redirect WordPress Users After Login or Logout (2026) Most guides on redirecting WordPress users after login describe an old plugin. Here's what changed in 2026 - and the fastest way to set it up free. > Source: https://pluginizelab.com/blog/redirect-users-after-login-logout-wordpress > Published: 2026-08-19 by Md Aminur Islam By default, WordPress sends everyone to the same place after they log in: the admin dashboard. That's rarely what you want. A customer should land on their account page, a member on the members area, a subscriber on your homepage. And on logout, "back to the login form" is almost never the right answer either. The good news: you don't need code for any of it. The catch is that most of the popular guides on this topic were written a while ago, and they describe the free alternatives as they were *years ago*. One of those alternatives is ours, and it's not the plugin they think it is anymore. Let's fix that, then get you set up in about two minutes. We build [Entryway](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-login-and-logout-redirect/) (formerly *WP Login and Logout Redirect*). We'll be straight about where it wins and where the paid options still beat it - the comparison table below is checked against WordPress.org and each vendor's own pricing in August 2026. ## The fastest way: role-based redirects, no code Install [**Entryway – WP Login & Logout Redirect**](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-login-and-logout-redirect/) from the WordPress plugin directory. It's free and GPL, with 6,000+ active installs. Then: 1. Open **Users → Redirects**. 2. Add a rule. Choose who it applies to - a **role** (e.g. *Customer*), a **specific user**, or a **capability**. 3. Set the **login** destination, the **logout** destination, or both. You can drop in placeholders like `{{username}}`, `{{user_slug}}` or `{{website_url}}` to build the URL dynamically. 4. Drag rules to order them. [Entryway](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-login-and-logout-redirect/) evaluates top to bottom and uses the first match, so put your most specific rules first. 5. Set a **site-wide default** for everyone a rule doesn't cover. That's it. It works with the standard WordPress login and with WooCommerce's account flow, so a customer logging in from checkout ends up where you'd expect. If you'd rather not add a plugin at all and you're comfortable with PHP, the core `login_redirect` filter does the login half in a few lines - but it can't do logout, role priority, or any of the tracking below, and one typo locks you out of admin. For most sites a rule engine is the safer trade. ## What actually changed Most older write-ups still call this plugin "the simplest, smallest plugin possible" or "a single redirect rule for everyone." That was true - years ago. As of **version 4.0**, [Entryway](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-login-and-logout-redirect/) is a full redirect *and* login-management tool: - **Smart rule engine** - target by role, individual user, or capability, with drag-and-drop priority. - **Dynamic URLs** - `{{username}}`, `{{user_slug}}`, and `{{website_url}}` placeholders. - **Audit log** - a searchable record of logins, logouts, failed attempts, and forced logouts, each with IP address, browser, and OS. Auto-cleans on a schedule you set (7 / 30 / 90 days, or keep forever). - **Live sessions** - see everyone currently signed in, and force-logout a single session or a whole group. - **Last Login column** - sortable, right on the Users screen. - **Sign-in alerts** - email notifications when a watched role logs in, plus daily/weekly/monthly digests. The interface is a modern React admin, and all of it is in the free version. Requirements are modest: WordPress 6.6+ and PHP 7.4+. ## Honest comparison Three plugins own this category. Here's how they line up today. | | **Entryway** | **LoginWP** | **Sky Login Redirect** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Active installs | 6,000+ | 90,000+ | 2,000+ | | Rating | 4.8 (5) | 4.8 (500+) | 4.7 (24) | | Role / user / capability rules | Free | Free | Free (role/user) | | Dynamic URL placeholders | Free | Free (1); more are Pro | - | | Redirect to previous page | - | **Pro** | Free | | Login-page styling | - | - | Free | | Audit log (IP / browser / OS) | **Free** | - | - | | Live sessions + force logout | **Free** | - | - | | Last-login tracking | **Free** | - | - | | Plugin integrations (LearnDash, etc.) | - | **Pro ($49/yr)** | - | | Price | Free, GPL | Free + Pro from $49/yr | Free + Pro | *Figures from WordPress.org and vendor pricing pages, August 2026; they drift, so confirm the current readme before you commit.* **Where the others win, honestly.** LoginWP has the deepest membership-plugin integrations - if you route users based on LearnDash course enrollment or MemberPress level, its Pro conditions are purpose-built for that, and its 90,000+ installs make it the most battle-tested option here. Sky Login Redirect bundles **login-page customization** (logo, colors, form styling) that [Entryway](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-login-and-logout-redirect/) doesn't touch at all - if restyling the login screen is half your goal, it does both jobs in one plugin. And LoginWP and Sky both ship **redirect-to-previous-page** in the box, which Entryway currently doesn't. **Where [Entryway](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-login-and-logout-redirect/) wins.** Nobody else gives you the audit log, live session view, force-logout, and last-login tracking - and Entryway gives you all four for free. LoginWP puts extra placeholders and every integration behind a $49/year license; Entryway's rule engine is entirely free. If your goal is "send people to the right place *and* know who's actually logging in," it's the only plugin here that does both without a paid tier. ## Which one to pick - **You want redirects plus visibility into logins** (who signed in, from where, force someone out) → **[Entryway](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-login-and-logout-redirect/)**. - **You route users by membership or LMS status** and don't mind paying → **LoginWP Pro**. - **You also want to restyle the login page** in the same plugin → **Sky Login Redirect**. For most sites the first line is the answer, and it costs nothing to test - it's GPL, it writes no data you can't remove, and deactivating it leaves your site exactly as it was. That's the cheapest way to find out if it fits.