Best free and paid WordPress Membership Plugins

Picking a WordPress membership plugin depends on the site’s goals. A gated content library needs different features than an online course platform or a community hub. Stores that bundle products with member discounts add more requirements.

This guide lists a top 5 with clear reasons for each pick. No filler. Readers get straightforward pros, trade-offs, and where to download safely. Free versions come from wordpress.org, and pro licenses come from the developers.

Reviews focus on must-haves: recurring payments, proration, content protection, checkout flow, and integrations with email tools, CRMs, and learning systems. Pricing matters, as does long-term support. A plugin needs to work well now and stay dependable over time.

Our top 5 membership plugins ranked for real‑world use

1. MemberPress is the top all-around pick for content memberships. Its rules engine gives site owners precise control over who sees each page or video. It also includes coupons and drip content to keep members active month after month. Payments work with Stripe and PayPal out of the box, but for course-heavy sites, it feels basic unless extra plugins are added.
2. Paid Memberships Pro is the best free-to-start choice. It offers many official add-ons that expand features in multiple directions, so it becomes very flexible after setup. Recurring billing is reliable, but getting everything configured takes more effort than some rivals. It suits teams ready to spend time upfront to get deep customization later.
3. WooCommerce Memberships fits well when a site already runs WooCommerce. It works with WooCommerce Subscriptions for recurring payments and links member perks to products and purchases inside the store. It’s a good pick for shops that want tight product-to-member connections without extra systems.
4. LearnDash with a membership plugin is strong for course-first sites that need advanced learning tools. LearnDash handles course delivery, and a membership layer such as MemberPress, Paid Memberships Pro, or Restrict Content Pro then covers billing and tiered access. This pairing gives educators an LMS plus flexible member controls.
5. Restrict Content Pro offers a lightweight setup with a clean interface. Small teams can run simple paywalls or subscriptions without bloat. It misses some native e-commerce features seen with WooCommerce-based stacks, but the straightforward approach works when complexity isn’t needed.

Consider long-term reliability, update frequency, third-party extension support, and total two-year cost when comparing these options. Shortlists often look similar on features on day one, but these factors help pick a tool that holds up over time.

Where to download each plugin and how pricing works

MemberPress is sold only on memberpress.com. There’s no free core plugin, so buyers need a license to use it. Plans renew each year for updates and support, and higher tiers bundle more add-ons.

Paid Memberships Pro offers a free core plugin here. Pro add-ons and support are sold on paidmembershipspro.com. This lets a site launch at no cost, then upgrade for advanced features.

WooCommerce Memberships is available at woocommerce.com/products/woocommerce-memberships. It often pairs with WooCommerce Subscriptions for recurring payments, sold at woocommerce.com/products/woocommerce-subscriptions. Both use annual licenses with updates and customer service included.

LearnDash is sold on learndash.com. It doesn’t include membership features, so sites that need access rules or billing pair it with a membership plugin such as MemberPress or Paid Memberships Pro, each purchased from its own site.

Restrict Content Pro is sold on restrictcontentpro.com. Originally from Sandhills, it’s now under iThemes/StellarWP. Pricing bundles add-ons with support and updates for the length of the subscription.

How to match the right plugin to your membership model

• Sites with paywalls or content libraries fit well with MemberPress or Restrict Content Pro. Both handle simple access rules, drip schedules, and coupons. Paid Memberships Pro works for teams that need a free start, since the core plugin costs nothing and add-ons extend features.
• Course-first sites often pick LearnDash for lessons, quizzes, and certificates. Pair it with MemberPress or PMPro to set billing tiers and coupons. Educators keep tight control over access while payments run smoothly.
• Shops that bundle memberships with products do well with WooCommerce Memberships plus Woo Subscriptions. Recurring bundles and member-only pricing live in one checkout. Renewals stay in the same flow, so you don’t need to juggle separate systems.
• Community or coaching groups usually start with a membership base like MemberPress or PMPro, then add a community layer such as BuddyBoss, Circle through SSO, or bbPress. Confirm SSO support or a Zapier integration before launch to avoid unnecessary complications later.
• Selling across borders means verifying tax setup for VAT and GST, plus multi-currency support and gateways like Stripe, PayPal, or Apple Pay. Paid Memberships Pro and WooCommerce offer strong gateway coverage through extensions for global sales.

Key comparisons for billing, rules, speed, and integrations

• Billing setups work differently across these tools. WooCommerce Memberships pairs with Woo Subscriptions for trials, proration, upgrades, and other subscription tasks inside the store. Paid Memberships Pro includes recurring billing by default and adds more complex options through add-ons. MemberPress covers upgrades and downgrades in core, so membership changes don’t need extra plugins.
• Access rules take different paths. MemberPress offers tight control, with rules by tags, categories, and custom post types. Nuanced content gating fits well here. PMPro leans on add-ons for flexible rule sets beyond basics, so customization depends on which extensions get installed. WooCommerce Memberships ties access to products and the memberships users buy. Product-centric sites benefit most from this model.
• Performance deserves attention before choosing. The WooCommerce stack increases database load because several components run together. Content-heavy sites may feel slower. MemberPress and Restrict Content Pro stay lighter with code aimed at membership tasks only. Object caching helps across the board. Avoid running access checks on uncached endpoints to reduce server strain when traffic jumps.
• Integrations vary for email and CRM tools. MemberPress connects with Mailchimp and ConvertKit out of the gate. PMPro supports Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and Drip through official add-ons, which suits different marketing setups. WooCommerce offers a huge extension library covering most integrations, from niche CRMs to automation platforms. It’s flexible, though setup can feel overwhelming.
• Reporting and dunning differ by plugin. Paid Memberships Pro ships detailed membership reports and optional dunning add-ons that retry failed payments on a schedule. MemberPress includes clear dashboards for sales trends and member activity with no extra tools. For subscription payment retries, Woo Subscriptions handles scheduled attempts when charges fail, which helps reduce churn in stores that rely on subscriptions.

What to pick next and how to test before you launch

Choose a WordPress membership plugin based on real needs, not hype. MemberPress stands out for reliable access rules and clean billing. Paid Memberships Pro works well for teams that want to start free and grow with add-ons. Stores get the most from WooCommerce Memberships with Subscriptions, since it pairs memberships with physical or digital products in one checkout. Course creators do well with LearnDash tied to MemberPress or PMPro for solid LMS features plus flexible member control. When speed and simplicity are the priority, Restrict Content Pro keeps setup light.

Selling digital products isn’t a problem. WooCommerce supports digital goods out of the box. MemberPress and PMPro lock downloads and gated content without extra fuss. For licensed files or complex delivery rules, add WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads for more control.

Set up a staging site before launch. Install the free or core plugin and run full tests: checkout flow, access rules, emails, renewals, and refunds. Move existing members with CSV importers or APIs, and run payment gateway webhook tests so renewals keep working after the switch.

Compliance needs attention. Use gateways with SCA/3DS support for EU payments. Configure VAT or sales tax with the right rules and test with Stripe or PayPal sandbox cards.

Next, pick the plugin that matches the membership model. Download from official sources only. Run sandbox purchases end to end – new signups, renewals, failed payments, dunning emails, and third-party integrations – until the system runs smoothly. Then open the site to customers.