Creating a thriving online community or offering exclusive content to your audience can dramatically boost your engagement and revenue. However, for site owners, navigating the vast sea of memberships plugin (WordPress) can be overwhelming, with the risk of selecting one that doesn’t quite mesh with your site’s needs or creates a technologically tangled experience for users.

A wrong choice can lead to frustrated members, reduced sign-ups, and a potential loss in income.

6 Best Free Membership Plugin(s): WordPress

With the right memberships plugin for WordPress, you can seamlessly integrate subscription services into your website, ensuring user-friendly interactions for member management and content control.

Our Top Membership Plugins (WordPress) Features and Pricing

Here, we unveil our top six picks for WordPress membership plugins that will empower you to build and grow your membership-based site with confidence.

Plugin NamePriceAccess ControlContent DrippingLMS IntegrationSupport OptionsThird-Party Integrations
MemberPress$179.50/yearEmail/ChatZapier, Mailchimp
Restrict Content Pro$99/yearEmail/ForumGoogle Analytics
LearnDash$199/yearEmail/ChatStripe, PayPal
WooCommerce Memberships$199/yearEmail/ChatStripe, PayPal
MemberMouse$199.50/yearEmail/ChatLinkedIn, Slack
Paid Memberships Pro$247/yearEmail/ChatMultiple Payment Gateways

MemberPress

MemberPress is a robust plugin that emphasizes ease of use without sacrificing functionality. It features:

  • Advanced access control for all types of content.
  • Drip content and expiration settings to maintain member engagement.
  • Integrations with Stripe and PayPal gateways and numerous third-party apps for expansive functionality.

Price: Plans start at $179.50/year.

Restrict Content Pro

Restrict Content Pro offers powerful content restriction, easy management of unlimited membership plans, and detailed performance reports. Features include:

  • Multi-level access restriction and customized customer communications.
  • Integrations with popular payment gateways and WooCommerce.

Price: Plans start at $99/year.

LearnDash

Ideal for creating professional online courses, LearnDash boasts an intuitive course builder with unique teaching features, such as:

  • Drip-feed content and focus mode for an immersive learning experience.
  • Integration with several payment and marketing platforms.

Price: Plans start at $199/year.

WooCommerce Memberships

This WooCommerce extension lets you manage memberships alongside an eCommerce store, with special features such as:

  • Content drip over time and members-only products viewing and purchasing.
  • Exclusive member discounts and free shipping options.

Price: Plans start at $199/year.

MemberMouse

MemberMouse excels in subscription management with a friendly customer relationship management platform and robust reporting tools. Notable features are:

  • Password protection for premium content and flexible checkout experiences.
  • SmartTags for dynamic content personalization.

Price: Plans start at $199.50/year.

Paid Memberships Pro

This comprehensive plugin allows for extensive customization, including:

  • Member communication pages and personalized navigation menus.
  • Integration with affiliate plugins to transform members into partners.

Price: Free with limited features. Premium plans start at $247/year.

Does WordPress have a membership plugin?

Yes, WordPress offers several membership plugins that integrate directly with your WordPress site, allowing for easy member management, content restriction, and subscription-based monetization.

What is the alternative to MemberPress in WordPress?

Alternatives to MemberPress include Restrict Content Pro, WooCommerce Memberships, LearnDash, MemberMouse, and Paid Memberships Pro, each offering different features and integration capabilities to suit varying needs.

What is ultimate member plugin in WordPress?

Ultimate Member is a user profile and membership plugin for WordPress, which allows you to create advanced online communities and membership sites with customizable user roles and capabilities.

How do I use membership plugin? (for WordPress)

To use a WordPress membership plugin, you simply install and activate the plugin on your WordPress site, set up membership levels, define content restrictions, and configure payment methods for subscribers.

How does WordPress membership work?

A WordPress membership plugin works by allowing site owners to restrict content access to only those users with the appropriate membership level usually managed through a subscription-based system.

WordPress Membership Plugin Free: Do We Recommend It?

While free membership plugins offer a good start, premium versions provide more features, better support, and enhanced security, which can be essential for a growing membership site.

Choosing the right WordPress membership plugin hinges on understanding your unique community needs, technological capabilities, and growth objectives. Consider the detailed features, integration options, support, and pricing to select the best tool to power your membership site into a thriving hub for engaging content and member interaction.

Read next: Paid Memberships Pro vs Ultimate Member: Which Is Best For Memberships?