The Top 6 WordPress Membership Plugins (Plus An Alternative) | Thinkific

By some accounts, about one-third of the world’s websites are built using WordPress–so it’s easy to understand why there’s a plugin for just about anything, including memberships and subscriptions.

Membership plugins give you the power to control who sees your content, and how– so If you want to monetize your content, a WordPress memberships plugin might be a great option starting out.

But not all WordPress subscription plugins are created equal. It’s important to understand the benefits and drawbacks of each one, to pick a solution with all the features you need right out of the box.

Here are the six best WordPress membership plugins, including free and paid options – plus everything you need to know to make the right choice.

The best WordPress membership plugins currently available

Plugin	Pros	Cons	Best for…
MemberPress	Integrates with Paypal, Amazon, and Stripe Built-in payment gateways Easy setup Large- and small-scale content restrictions Ability to “drip” restricted content Online course setup and management	Limited payment options Limited integrations compared to competitors	Those looking for a good all-round, middle-of-the-road membership plugin to get started with
Restrict Content Pro	Easy setup and day-to-day use Straightforward user experience Integration with forum plugins Extensive documentation Good support services	Fewer integrations than some competitors No integration with affiliate marketing systems	Less tech-savvy individuals who need lots of documentation and possible help from support staff
OptinMonster	Integrates with popular email marketing services Full range of pop-up types and triggers Inexpensive entry-level option	Limited to simple, two-step forms No built-in landing page builder Limited template customization	Those just looking to dabble in email courses, or established course creators who want to expand their email offerings
WooCommerce Memberships	Integrates smoothly with existing WooCommerce stores	Heftier price than comparable plugins Limited feature set	Course creators already using WooCommerce
Paid Membership Pro	Broad range of add-ons  Add-ons are being continually added Alternative  to WooCommerce Memberships	Some features that are part of the core feature set of other products are only included as add-ons	Course creators with medium levels of experience looking for flexibility.
S2 Member	More customizable than other options Competitive pricing Developer-friendly	Setup process is less user-friendly than competitors’ Complicated, non-intuitive interface	Highly experienced, tech-savvy course creators who know what they want.

The challenge with plugins is that they’re more of a footnote than a full-fledged solution, so there are even better plugin alternatives to run your membership site that you won’t grow out of–particularly if you’re in the eLearning space, or looking to sell access to a community.

The best all-around option for course creators just finding their feet, MemberPress is easy to set up and use, and offers basic integrations for payment providers, email marketing tools, and other services. With unlimited membership levels, you have a lot of options for customizing students’ experiences. And you’re able to set up automatic reminder emails, keeping members in the loop when it comes to special events—an option some other plugins do not offer.

Pricing: From $129/year

Best Features

Pros Integration with Paypal, Amazon, and Stripe Built-in payment gateways Easy setup Large- and small-scale content restrictions Ability to “drip” restricted content, releasing it gradually to subscribers Online course setup and management, with the ability to track student progress

Cons Limited payment options—while Paypal, Amazon, and Stripe are popular, they’re also the only ones MemberPress accepts While it works with popular services like MailChimp, MemberPass offers limited integrations compared to competitors

2. Restrict Content Pro

More than a runner up to MemberPass, Restrict Content Pro is an alternative route for course makers who want more flexibility and control. With each pricing level, you get a certain number of add-ons for a certain number of sites—so you can pick and choose only the features you need. Like MemberPress, Restrict Content Pro is short on integrations compared to competitors, but if those integrations aren’t important for your course, its smaller price tag makes this plugin appealing.

Pricing: From $99/month (12 features, one website)

Best Features

Pros Easy setup and day-to-day use Straightforward user experience Integration with forum plugins Extensive documentation Good support services

Cons Fewer integrations than some competitors No integration with affiliate marketing systems

If you’re still settling into your role as a course creator, and don’t have a full course up and running, OptinMonster can help you collect leads and build simple drip campaigns to draw in your first students. It lets you build custom pop-ups inviting website visitors to subscribe to your newsletter or free course. But even if you’ve already got a course on the go with plenty of students, OptinMonster can help you launch a free introductory email course and capture new leads.

Pricing Starting at $9/month, paid annually 

Best Features

Pros Can act as a great addition to existing membership tools, integrating with popular email marketing services Full range of pop-up types and triggers Inexpensive entry-level option for experimenting with drip campaigns

Cons Limited to simple, two-step forms No built-in landing page builder Limited template customization

4. WooCommerce Memberships

If you’re already selling ebooks or other digital products through WooCommerce, WooCommerce Memberships is the natural choice for running your online course. It lets you sell course enrollments either as independent store items, or as tie-ins with other purchases. (For instance: a student who buys a set of guitar tablature could then be enrolled in an online course that teaches them how to play the tunes.) However, an overall lack of features makes this plugin a good pick only if you’re already using WooCommerce, and if eCommerce—rather than online courses—is your main source of revenue.

Pricing $199/year to enable recurring payments

Best Features

Pros Integrates smoothly with existing WooCommerce stores

Cons Heftier price than comparable plugins Limited feature set

 

5. Paid Memberships Pro

For a while, in terms of features, Paid Memberships Pro was lagging behind competitors. But recent improvements have brought it up to speed, and it now boasts a full suite of features that sets it toe-to-toe with other WordPress membership plugins. But, while it offers some unique functionality, Paid Memberships Pro lacks some basic features as part of its core package.

Pricing: Free version available. Paid plans start at $297

Best Features

Pros Broad range of add-ons puts it on par with other membership plugins Add-ons are being continually added Can serve as alternative to WooCommerce Memberships

Cons Some features that are part of the core feature set of other products (eg. the ability for members to hold multiple membership levels) are only included as add-ons in Paid Membership Pro

If you’re looking for a free WordPress membership plugin, then S2 Member is your best option. The basic features offered as part of the free version are enough to get your online course up and running and let you experiment with different options. And when it’s time to get serious, S2 Member Pro offers competitive pricing for single or multiple websites.

Pricing: Free basic version. For Pro, $89/year per site, or $189/year for unlimited sites

Best Features

Pros More customizable than other options, so you can set it up with precisely the features you need for your online course Competitive pricing Developer-friendly

Cons Setup process is less user-friendly than competitors’ Complicated, non-intuitive interface with many options

What to Look for in a WordPress Membership Plugin

When you’re shopping around for WordPress subscription plugins, keep the following in mind.

Problems with using WordPress plugins to manage your membership site

During your earliest days as an online course creator, WordPress membership plugins give you the tools to get up and running. But they come with drawbacks that might make a dedicated membership solution more attractive to you.

First of all, no single plugin is likely to offer all the features you need in one place. For instance, none of the WordPress membership plugins currently available give you the tools you need to set up and work with an online community of students. The best they can do is integrate with bbPress—a separate tool you’ll have to install and manage.

Second, “memberships” is a broad category. While your online course may count as a “membership,” so do stock photo websites and online magazines. At the end of the day, WordPress membership plugins aren’t designed specifically for teaching, so they may not offer the detailed features you need.

Finally, WordPress suffers from security loopholes. If you don’t make sure to keep all of your plugins up to date, you can leave your site open to attack—and your members open to having their information stolen.

The best WordPress membership plugin alternative

There’s an alternative for hosting and managing your membership site: Thinkific

Tens of thousands of entrepreneurs are already using Thinkific to monetize their content. You’ll enjoy the benefits of a system that is continually being improved based on success stories and feedback from businesses just like yours.

Thinkific gives you all the functionality of a WordPress membership plugin, and more—including integration with a huge selection of apps. (Including WordPress, naturally.)

If you thirst for customization, Thinkific’s open API gives you the opportunity to customize it even further to your needs. It’s specifically designed for course creators, membership site owners, and online community creators. Since Thinkific is continually updated, you don’t face the same security vulnerabilities that out-of-date WordPress plugins have.

But it takes a lot more than tools to build a successful business. With Thinkific, you’ll get access to educational resources, and a community of like-minded digital entrepreneurs who face the same challenges as you.

Ready to ditch the plugins and start selling memberships? Try Thinkific for free. It’s easy to set up, and infinitely customizable.