You're launching a site selling alcohol, vape products, or 18+ content. The lawyer's first question: "Is an age gate in place?" The second: "Does it actually work?" And this is where the pain begins, half the plugins in the WordPress repository have either been abandoned by their authors or are held together by compatibility patches.

Over the past four years, the landscape has changed radically. Two once-popular solutions, Agy and AgeVerify, are permanently closed. New, more modern plugins have taken their place, while some "veterans" have gained compatibility with current WordPress versions and new features.

We tested every plugin on this list on a fresh WordPress installation: installed it, configured the age gate, checked how it works with WooCommerce, caching, and SEO crawlers. Below is an honest breakdown of eight working tools with prices, pros, cons, and specific use cases.

💡 Quick overview:

• Decide on verification type: simple "Yes/No" popup or full verification with ID upload
• For WooCommerce stores: AgeChecker.Net for real database verification, Easy Age Verify for quick launch
• Free leaders: Age Gate for flexibility, Advanced Age Verification Popup for design
• Cannabis industry: Marijuana Age Verify with presets for 18+, 19+, and 21+
• Maximum customization: CodeCanyon solutions or CPS with visual themes

Comparison table: all 8 plugins

1. Easy Age Verify

Easy Age Verify came to replace the closed Agy and immediately took a course for speed. Activate it, choose an age threshold, the age gate works across the entire site. No dancing around settings, exactly two minutes from installation to result.

The free version provides a popup with "Yes/No" buttons and support for SEO crawlers: Googlebot passes through the gate without delay, indexing doesn't suffer. This is enough for small sites, blogs, and storefronts.

The Pro version adds logo upload, color customization, background image, "remember me" mode, and targeting for specific pages. It supports WooCommerce, the popup displays correctly on cart and checkout pages without breaking the buyer flow.

Pros: 2-minute setup, SEO-friendly out of the box, WooCommerce compatibility, active support (2025-2026 updates).

Cons: free version doesn't allow logo upload; no built-in multilingual support (only through WordPress translations).

💵 Free version and Pro (from $47.88 per year), on WordPress.org.

2. AgeChecker.Net

AgeChecker.Net is the only plugin in this roundup that does not just an age gate, but full identity verification. This is a critical difference for businesses in regulated US industries: vapes, alcohol, tobacco, CBD, firearms.

The mechanics: the plugin connects to one of the largest identity databases and, according to AgeChecker.Net, verifies over 90% of buyers instantly on the checkout side, without redirecting to a third-party site. The remaining 10% are offered to upload a photo ID, verification by live support team takes an average of 10 seconds.

A separate plus is compliance with FDA requirements, federal legislation, and individual state laws. AgeChecker.Net allows you to configure minimum age and block orders depending on buyer location. Integration with WooCommerce and Shopify out of the box.

Pros: real verification (not a checkbox), WooCommerce and Shopify integration, 24/7 support, FDA compliance.

Cons: monthly fee is noticeable for micro-businesses; excessive if you just need a "Are you 18?" popup.

💵 Free age gate and Pro ($25/month + $0.50 per verification), on WordPress.org and service website.

3. Marijuana Age Verify

Marijuana Age Verify is developed by US studio 5 Star Plugins specifically for the cannabis industry. After activation, you choose a preset: 21+ Recreational, 18+ Medical, 18+ Recreational, or 19+ Recreational, and the age gate is ready. No hassle with thresholds and labels.

The popup opens fullscreen, blocks scrolling, and is not suppressed by ad blockers. A session cookie eliminates repeated displays with each page transition.

The Pro version adds "remember me" mode, text customization, logo upload, gradients, background transparency settings, and a combined 18+ Medical + 21+ Recreational preset for dual-profile dispensaries.

Pros: ready configuration for cannabis market, ADA-compliant design, not blocked by popup blockers.

Cons: niche focus; default text only in English (translation in Pro); basic version doesn't allow changing labels.

💵 Free version and Premium ($35 one-time), on WordPress.org and 5 Star Plugins.

4. CPS Age Verification

CPS Age Verification from Hungarian studio CherryPick Studios is one of the few age gate plugins that have survived to current WordPress versions with full support. Version 8.1.0 came out in May 2026, the plugin has been actively updated for eight years running.

The popup is simple: two buttons, "Yes" to close and continue, "No" redirects to a specified URL. The main feature of CPS is Cache Proof technology: the gate works even with server-side caching on managed hosting like WP Engine, Kinsta, and SiteGround. The free version offers a choice of display positions (homepage, categories, individual pages, custom post types), text customization, and compatibility with WPML and Polylang.

Premium unlocks visual popup themes, dark mode, background image, logo, display delay, cookie lifetime settings, and WooCommerce integration.

Pros: reliable Cache Proof, 8 years on the market, dark mode, WPML compatibility.

Cons: visual themes and WooCommerce only in Premium; Pro price not published (request via website).

💵 Free version on WordPress.org. Premium, price on request at cherrypickstudios.com.

🔗 CPS Age Verification on WordPress.org | 🔗 CherryPick Studios

5. Age Gate

Age Gate is the most popular free age restriction plugin in the WordPress repository. Version 3.7.2, compatibility with current WordPress versions, live reviews from January 2026.

Three verification methods: Yes/No, dropdown with year selection, and manual date of birth entry. You can restrict the entire site or selected content, set different minimum ages for different pages, and exclude logged-in users from verification. Search bots pass through the gate without restrictions.

Built-in support for WPML, Polylang, and WP Multilang. For cached sites, a JavaScript mode is provided to bypass server cache, the age gate doesn't break even on aggressively caching hosting.

Pros: completely free, three verification methods, SEO-friendly, JS mode for caching, active development.

Cons: no WooCommerce specifics; customization limited to logo, colors, and background image.

💵 Free.

🔗 Age Gate on WordPress.org

6. Advanced Age Verification Popup

Advanced Age Verification Popup appeared in the repository recently but has already grown to version 1.1.1 (June 2026) with testing up to current WordPress versions. The most visually modern free plugin in the roundup: glassmorphism design, smooth CSS animations, and built-in Color Picker in settings.

Two verification methods: Yes/No buttons and calendar with date of birth selection. Minimum age is dynamically configurable, 18, 21, or any other number. SEO crawlers are automatically bypassed, logged-in users too.

The plugin loads a logo through the standard WordPress Media Uploader, supports redirect for those who fail verification, and saves consent in cookies for 30 days (optionally). Works on all WooCommerce pages without conflicts.

Pros: fresh design (glassmorphism), completely free, custom colors without CSS, WooCommerce compatibility.

Cons: few reviews (new plugin); no multilingual settings; only two verification methods.

💵 Free.

🔗 Advanced Age Verification Popup on WordPress.org

7. Age Verifier for WordPress

Age Verifier for WordPress is sold on CodeCanyon and is aimed at those who need a visual age gate builder. The built-in editor allows you to change colors, background, text, and verification method without a single line of code.

Three verification methods: calendar with date of birth, age slider, and simple checkbox. Appearance animation is customizable, cookie lifetime is adjustable. The plugin can hide the site until age confirmation and detect search crawlers.

There is no free version at all, and the basic functionality is not far from Age Gate. The plugin stands out with its visual editor and set of color scheme presets, 9 options to choose from.

Pros: visual editor, appearance animation, fine cookie tuning, 9 color presets.

Cons: no free version; price plus support renewal; functionally not far from free alternatives.

💵 $22 (one-time, 12 months support), on CodeCanyon.

8. Age Checker for WordPress

Age Checker for WordPress is another CodeCanyon solution. It differs from Age Verifier with three background types: solid color, image, and video. This is the only plugin in the roundup with video background support for age gates.

Three verification methods: date of birth, checkbox, and ID verification. Live preview in admin when editing, convenient when selecting colors and text. Date format is configurable by region: MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY.

There is redirect for minors and search crawler detection. Among the cons, the absence of a free version and a more modest feature set compared to Age Gate: no dropdown, no per-section restriction.

Pros: video background, three verification methods, live preview in admin, regional date format.

Cons: no free version; no restriction of individual pages; no WooCommerce integration.

💵 $22 (one-time, 12 months support), on CodeCanyon.

🎥 Video: installing and configuring Age Gate in 5 minutes

In this hands-on tutorial, WPBeginner shows the complete process: from installing Age Gate to customizing the age gate appearance to match your site brand.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Am I legally required to put an age gate on my site?

Requirements depend on country and industry. In the US, selling alcohol, tobacco, vapes, and CBD products online is regulated by the FDA and state laws, an age gate is mandatory, and for some categories full identity verification is needed. In the EU, GDPR applies, age restriction is often required for 18+ content. Before launching, consult a lawyer: a plugin is a tool, not a guarantee of compliance.

Does an age gate affect SEO?

Quality plugins (all from this roundup) can detect search bots and let them through without verification. Googlebot indexes content as if the age gate wasn't there. Age Gate, CPS, and Advanced Age Verification Popup additionally offer JavaScript mode to bypass server caching, search engines see the page fully.

Can I lock not the entire site, but only part of the pages?

Yes, most plugins support this. Age Gate allows you to select "Selected Content" mode and enable the gate on specific pages and posts. CPS provides flexible position settings: homepage, categories, individual posts, custom types. Marijuana Age Verify in Premium offers page targeting. AgeChecker.Net works at the WooCommerce checkout level and doesn't interfere with storefront browsing.

What's better for WooCommerce: free popup or AgeChecker.Net?

For a store with non-critical products (souvenirs, clothing with adult hints), Easy Age Verify or Advanced Age Verification Popup is enough, both are free and friendly with WooCommerce. If you sell vapes, alcohol, or CBD in the US, AgeChecker.Net with real identity verification reduces the risk of chargebacks and legal problems. The difference: free popup versus paid verification with a monthly rate, but the level of protection is fundamentally different.

The plugin stopped working after a WordPress update. What should I do?

First: check the "Tested up to" version on the plugin page in the repository. Second: disable server caching for the page with the age gate and enable JavaScript mode (available in Age Gate and CPS). Third: if the plugin is closed (like Agy or AgeVerify), don't try to revive it, replace it with a current alternative from this roundup. Fourth: open a support ticket with the plugin, for actively developed solutions the author responds within a few days.

Which age gate plugin to install in 2026?

The choice comes down to three scenarios. If you need a quick free age gate without unnecessary complexity, Age Gate or Advanced Age Verification Popup will close the task in five minutes. If you have WooCommerce and are willing to pay for real verification, AgeChecker.Net is unmatched in verification depth. For the cannabis industry, Marijuana Age Verify with presets saves setup time.

Niche requests, video background, visual editor, CodeCanyon budget are covered by Age Checker and Age Verifier for WordPress. If you want maximum free customization, CPS Age Verification with cache-proof technology and dark mode.

All eight plugins from this review are active, updated, and tested on current WordPress versions. Choose for your task, and may no minor pass through.