Searching for a client login plugin/widget

I am in the process of moving my wife’s photography website over to a WordPress CMS. Most everything is working the way I need it to except for a page needed for client photo proofing.

So far I haven’t found a plug in that would make this easy for me. The only other options I’ve come across are these:

1) Proof Press – go to proof-press.com to read more about it. It would work perfectly but it seems as though it will never be released and it’s expensive.

2) Create a page for the client. Password protect it using the default WordPress page protection. Then send the page link to the client. – What I don’t like about this idea is that clients have to put the address in their browser (or click the link in the email) but I don’t trust some of the older generation to understand how to do this. And I would rather have a “proofing” page they could just click on then input their given password.

3) Build my own – I found this helpful link by Jean Egan (https://jeanegan.com/2010/02/05/how-to-create-a-client-portal-in-wordpress/). I could use his instructions to create my own client login page. The problem I have here is I don’t want to use 9 different plugins and my sketchy PHP skills to do this. I could and I will if it’s my last resort.

What I need to accomplish is this: create a login form inside a page that is on my navigation menu, when the client submits the correct information they are automatically redirected by username to “their” proofing page, and I need the client not to be able to see what or how many other clients there are.

It sounds simple but it’s becoming harder than I thought. If any of you know of something I haven’t thought of or found in my research PLEASE let me know!! Thanks in advance!