Are you in search of creating a membership site in WordPress? Do you desire to know the best membership plugin in WordPress? Making the right choice of membership plugins is essential for your business in as much that more significant growth opportunity is as a result of a better business platform.
The comparison of the 5 best WordPress membership plugins that enable the setting up of comfortable paying membership websites is discussed in this article.
What are some of the things to look for in a WordPress Membership Plugin?
WordPress membership plugins is in abundance, but only a few have unique attributes that you may require for setting up your membership site. Marketing of subscriptions on a unit level is provided by a few, while others proffer different membership levels and management of subscription characteristics. Many plugins are limited to offering unapparent content only while some are suggesting a drip content attribute that permits you to make new content available to a client at a slow pace.
Figuring out payment gateways that you will be using is also required. Are you going to be accepting only credit cards, PayPal, or both? Your favored payment gateways either via an addon or built-in should have assistance from your membership plugin. However, let’s take a look at what you require to begin a WordPress membership site.
What Do You Need to Run a WordPress Membership Site?
Selecting an unsuitable host can cause damage to your entire execution in as much that Membership website is resource-demanding. This is the reason why choosing affordable, and the best WordPress hosting is your paramount requirement.
You can begin with Web Host Pro if you are already on a budget. Their Pro Plan carries an SSL Certificate which you require to gather payments, a free WordPress auto-installer and auto updater, a conscientious helpline and a dedicated IP is available.
If you desire the best performance and budget is not a problem, high-performance WordPress hosting is available with the Advanced plan at Web Host Pro (also add the super speed option). It is suggested for high-traffic complex websites.
Choosing a domain name for your website is required if you don’t have one previously. At this point, we present to you our guidelines on how to pick the right domain name for your membership website. Ideally, you want a short domain with a .com TLD but nowadays alternative TLDs like .info and .biz are very common. You can search and register a new domain here with free privacy and no hidden fees. Domain Registration
Finally, it is required you choose essential business plugins like OptinMonster which assists you in subscription boost and leads capturing.
Let’s see our utmost WordPress membership plugins since we are through with what you require to set up a membership site in WordPress.
1. MemberPress
One of the high-in-demand WordPress membership plugins is MemberPress. It is the most robust and simplified in usage regarding characteristics.
Pros of MemberPress WordPress Membership Plugin
Easy to set up – setting up a membership website with WordPress is more straightforward with MemberPress. Login, account, pricing and thank you pages for your clients are set up automatically with MemberPress including the simple addition of membership plans.
Content Access Control – Mighty access control permits you to limit access to any content type such as categories, posts pages files, tags, etc.
Content Dripping – Limited content that you display to members after a stated time is permitted by content dripping. It’s a beneficial attribute for learning materials or selling online courses.
Integrations – AWeber, MailChimp, GetResponse, and MadMimi email services are integrated with MemberPress. BluBrry. Podcast hosting and Amazon Web services integrate with MemberPress as well.
Payment Gateways – Stripe payment and built-in assistance for PayPal gateways go with MemberPress. Authorized net support is also added by the developer plan.
Cons of Using MemberPress Pro
Limited Payment Options – There are limitations for owners living in countries that do not support payment gateways because MemberPress only enables the three in-demand payment gateways.
Limited Integrations – Plugins is deficient in integrations with a few other high-demand services, although it contain adequate support for popular services to efficiently operate a membership site. The plugin’s extensibility enables payment to someone to integrate a third-party service that you prefer in usage.
Pricing: Business Edition $99/Year, Developer Edition $199/Year
We think that the most straightforward WordPress membership plugin for a newbie is MemberPress. It has tons of powerful alternatives and setting it up is quick.
2. LearnDash
LearnDash flexibility is superb and extremely simple to use WordPress LMS plugin. LearnDash accompanies tons of integration and enhanced membership modules.
Pros of Using LearnDash
Easy to Setup: content adding and setting up is quite simple with LearnDash. Enhanced tools that make membership content organization easier into groups, levels, etc., come with LearnDash.
Natural Content Restrictions: Hiding of any content and its limitations to different membership groups is granted readily by LearnDash.
Sell of Courses – The creation and selling of online courses are permitted with LearnDash without difficulty. It contains enhanced modules that enable you to better manage your learning materials which other WordPress membership plugins cannot do.
Drip content. – Permission to roll out content to clients constantly or levels completion is a powerful attribute of drip content.
Built-in Community Features: This comes along with tools that are interesting for membership site creation with quizzes, course-specific forums, user badges, user profiles, certificates, etc.
Integration and Payments: LearnDash presents a Surprising set of integration and payment gateways which you join WooCommerce, bbPress, MemberPress, Slack, etc..
Cons of Using LearnDash
Lacks some membership features. – Some LearnDash characteristics may be useless to you if you’re attempting to create a membership website without selling courses.
Pricing: beginning from $159 for a unit site license with 1 year of assistance and updates.
An accurate answer to your problem if you desire to sell online courses on paid membership website is given by LearnDash. Its add-ons‘ extensibility and integrations permit you to create an exciting platform.
3. Teachable
Online courses developer that’s all-inclusive is Teachable. It carries LMS, membership website, email marketing, discussion forum, and analysis beneath one dashboard.
Pros of Using Teachable
Ease of use: Membership content creation is a breeze and confines built-in tools for easy video creation and upload, PDF, text, and so on. Teachable does not demand any technical ability, and it is effortless to set up.
Drip Content: Drip content attribute flexibility permits you to roll out content based on clients’ level of subscription or progress.
Built-in Engagement Features: Teachable proffers contact forms, quizzes, certificates, discussion forums, and other attributes necessary to boost client engagement and create powerful online communities.
Cons of Using Teachable
Not a WordPress Plugin: Availability of Teachable is not as much as WordPress plugin. Alternatively, you can merge it to your WordPress site by adding a sub-domain or links.
More Expensive: WordPress membership plugins are cheaper because Teachable involves everything thus, making it more costly.
Pricing: Basic plan begins at $39 / month, professional $99 / month, and business $499 / month.
4. Restrict Content Pro
The best membership plugin for WordPress with a mighty title contender is Restrict Content Pro. It is developed by the same set of people responsible for the high in-demand Easy Digital Downloads and AffiliateWP plugins.
Pros of Using Restrict Content Pro
Easy to use – Restrict Content Pro excellently merges with the WordPress user interconnection which readily permits you to deduce its usage.
Built-in integrations – Restrict Content Pro arrives with built-in integrations and other plugins ship as paid add-ons different from other membership plugins. It contains PayPal, MailPoet, email manager, CSV export, stripe, MailChimp, and many other characteristics.
Payment Gateways. – PayPal, Stripe, and Braintree arrive as liberal add-ons. Other assistant payment gateways are PayPal Website Payments Pro, Stripe Checkout, 2Checkout, and PayPal Express.
Works with Easy Digital Downloads. – Restrict Content Pro is a precise partner for Easy Digital Downloads you’re managing or selling digital commodity
Excellent Support. – Professional aids are rendered by email with a fast time response and the availability of free documentation is extensive for all users.
Cons of Using Restrict Content Pro
Fewer integrations – Integrations with third-party services like email service providers than other plugins listed is not much.
Pricing: $99 with 12 addons and Unit site license, $149 for 5 sites, and $249 for all addons and free sites. There is also a $ 499-eternity plan.
One of the most straightforward membership plugin usage is Restrict Content Pro. It is developer-approachable and accompanied by a high set of characteristics that are accurate for any membership website.
5. S2Member
S2Member is high in demand free WordPress membership plugin that comes with the pro version. It has a dedicated user base and has been in existence for a moment.
Pros of Using S2Member WordPress Membership Plugin
Free Base Plugin – Anyone can download and attempt the S2Member base plugin because it is free. It gives a good beginning point but it’s restricted regarding characteristics and assistance.
Content Dripping – Content drip characteristics arrive with S2Member Pro.
Payment Gateways – The plugin Pro version supports Authorize.net and Stripe while the free version supports PayPal.
Integrations – It works with bbPress, MailChimp, and BuddyPress.
Documentation & Support – Pro users get support based on email. S2Member gives the availability of extensive knowledgebase to all users.
Cons of Using S2Member WordPress Membership Plugin
Not very user-friendly – usage of S2Member is more burdensome compared to other membership plugins.
Free Version Limitations – it is restricted to 4 membership levels only and lacks drip content characteristics. The free version supports PayPal only.
Pricing:, The Pro version for a unit site license costs USD 89. For free sites, the pro version costs USD 189. The base plugin is free
Conclusion:
Our belief is that the best overall WordPress membership plugin is MemberPress. MemberPress provides all the characteristics that you may require and has fast support and excellent documentation for a reasonable price.
Restrict Content Pro is an excellent alternative for flexibility and simplicity. The track record for making quality products has been proven by the team responsible for it.
LearnDash comes with powerful characteristics to build and sell courses online; we suggest that you use it on your membership website for selling courses online.
If your budget is not a factor, then S2Member has the most features.