The 12 Best WordPress Membership Plugins

Membership plugins unlock the potential of creating exclusive online communities, offering specialized content, courses, and products. From controlling user access to managing subscriptions and payments, membership plugins offer an array of features to enhance both user and admin experiences.

What to Look For

  • Membership Levels: Check if the plugin supports unlimited or varied membership levels to cater to diverse audience needs.
  • Content Customization: Determine if the plugin allows custom post types or content structuring to deliver a seamless member experience.
  • Engagement Features: Look for tools like drip content and email notifications that keep members engaged and returning.
  • Discount and Promotion Management: A plugin that supports discount codes can be invaluable for promotional campaigns or member upgrades.
  • User Role Management: Ensure the plugin lets you manage user permissions and access levels to control who sees what.
  • Payment Integration: Seamless integration with popular payment gateways is crucial for a hassle-free member subscription experience.

ARMember

ARMember is a comprehensive WordPress membership plugin. It supports unlimited membership levels, which is ideal for offering varied content tiers. With ARMember, you can create exclusive content for members, utilize discount codes for promotions, and manage user roles and permissions. It’s a great pick if you’re aiming to deliver exclusive content, courses, or digital products.

bbPress

bbPress adds a feature-rich forum to your WordPress website. It fosters community engagement by enabling discussions, Q&As, and interactions among users. Additionally, it supports user profiles, login forms, and even private messaging. Its compatibility with popular payment gateways also makes monetizing your forum a breeze.

LearnDash

LearnDash stands out as a top-tier WordPress membership plugin, especially for online courses. It supports unlimited membership tiers, custom post types for lessons or quizzes, and discount codes. LearnDash’s integration with payment giants like PayPal and Stripe ensures smooth payment processes, whether for one-time or recurring subscriptions.

Magic Members

Magic Members offers an enriched WordPress membership experience. With its unlimited membership tiers, you can cater to diverse membership needs. The plugin also supports custom content types, discount codes, drip content, and email notifications. It’s tailored to keep members continuously engaged with gradual content releases and exclusive access.

MemberMouse

MemberMouse boasts a broad spectrum of features, from unlimited membership levels to custom content types. It emphasizes member engagement with its drip content feature and offers discount codes for promotions. Moreover, its user role management ensures a controlled content-viewing experience for members.

MemberPress

MemberPress is a versatile WordPress membership tool. It offers unlimited membership tiers, custom content creation, and discount codes. User role management, drip content, and integration with major payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe further enhance its utility. Essentially, MemberPress ensures both a personalized experience for members and a streamlined management process for site owners.

OptinMonster

OptinMonster is a lead generation tool for WordPress, known for its expansive features and easy-to-use interface. It allows website owners to convert visitors into subscribers and customers by creating captivating pop-ups, slide-ins, and utilizing exit-intent technology. With detailed analytics and A/B testing capabilities, it is an essential tool for optimizing lead capture.

Paid Memberships Pro offers a free basic version for setting up membership sites, user profiles, and content restrictions. It comes with features like discount offers and email notifications. The premium version, priced at $297 annually, extends its capabilities to unlimited membership levels, drip content, and integration with leading payment gateways. Whether catering to small or large membership platforms, this plugin delivers reliability and versatility.

S2Member

S2Member is a comprehensive WordPress membership plugin. It caters to creators of online courses, digital products, and premium content, offering unlimited membership levels, custom post types, and content restrictions based on user roles. It also supports popular payment methods and boasts features like content dripping and coupon code offerings.

Thrive Apprentice

Thrive Apprentice simplifies online course creation with its drag-and-drop builder. It supports varied subscription levels and integrates with major payment gateways. Features like content dripping keep members engaged, while private messaging enhances the community experience. Its focus on premium content ensures that members always have exclusive access.

WishList Member

WishList Member stands out for its unlimited membership levels and customized registration forms. It allows easy content restriction based on membership tiers and integrates with top payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe. At its core, it’s designed to give website owners flexibility in membership management.

WooCommerce Memberships

WooCommerce Memberships offers a streamlined solution for establishing membership plans on WordPress. With customizable access levels, it ensures exclusive content remains so. Its integration with multiple payment gateways, including PayPal and Stripe, provides flexibility to members during the payment process, making it a top choice for membership site management.

Conclusion

Choosing the right membership plugin for your website requires a keen understanding of both your needs and the plugin’s offerings. By focusing on features like content customization, user engagement, and payment options, you can ensure a beneficial and enduring experience for both you and your members.

Kevin Long
Kevin has been working in the WordPress ecosystem for over a decade. In his last role, he designed WordPress websites for clients. As well as running Wordporium, he’s also working on WordPress-related projects, which he’ll announce here once they’re ready.