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Are you looking to generate more income through your website? One simple way to do that is by adding the right WordPress membership plugin. With the best WordPress membership plugin, you’ll be able to manage your revenue stream more efficiently for your passive income business ideas.

What is a WordPress Membership Site?

A WordPress membership site lets users access premium content and features by paying a fee. This membership fee could be a recurring subscription or a one-time fee for lifetime access. Some successful membership sites include The Curve, Food Blogger Pro, and Scott’s Cheap Flights.

Many successful membership site owners offer a free trial for a limited period of time. This helps new website visitors sample the type of content they can access if they pay the fee. Some website owners have different membership levels, and some content is available for free. However, to access advanced levels, users must pay a fee. Membership-based incomes are great ideas for side hustles or a full-time venture.

What are WordPress Membership Plugins?

WordPress membership plugins effectively converts your WordPress website into a membership site. With a membership plugin, you can create email distribution lists to update users from time to time, easily share free and gated content and charge users for premium content.

How to Choose the Best Membership Plugin for WordPress?

With several membership plugins easily available today, it can be tricky to select the best one for your website. Here’s what you need to look for in a plugin:

• Features: Begin by considering the specific features you need for your website. Are you interested in selling paid content and subscriptions, or do you simply require user registration? By identifying the features that suit your website best, you can find the most suitable options.
• Ease of Use: Selecting a user-friendly plugin is crucial for quickly getting your site operational. While some advanced plugins come with numerous features, many of these may be unnecessary for your needs. Thus, it’s advisable to opt for basic plugins that effectively meet your requirements.
• Payment Gateways Integration: You must figure out which payment options work for you. Do you want to accept credit cards only or can you also accept PayPal? Once you decide how you accept payments, it’s important to ensure the plugin you choose supports your preferred payment gateways.
• Compatibility: One crucial factor to consider when choosing a plugin is its compatibility with your current WordPress theme. You can evaluate this by testing it on a staging site before installing it on your live site.

Best Membership Plugins for Your WordPress Membership Site

Wondering which WordPress plugins are best for your site? Here’s a list of the best WordPress membership plugin options for your WordPress website.

Paid Memberships Pro

A free membership plugin, Paid Membership Pro, provides a range of features for your membership website. It is easy to set up, allowing you to start offering paid member subscriptions in just a few steps.

Pros:

• Unlimited support tickets
• Unlimited membership levels
• Built-in payment integration
• Restrict access to members only
• One-click add-on on updates and installation

Cons:

• User interface can be improved
• Doesn’t support video hosting
• Add-ons cannot be purchased individually

Pricing:

Basic is free. Premium plans start at $297 per year.

WooCommerce Memberships

WooCommerce Memberships is an add-on for WooCommerce that allows you to restrict content so it’s available only to registered users.

Pros:

• Straightforward and easy to use
• Stable and reliable
• Invite-only members area
• Content dripping
• Local navigation and layout

Cons:

• Limited email integration
• Problematic updates for existing installations
• Requires WooCommerce subscriptions

Pricing:

Plan starts at $199 per year.

LearnDash

LearnDash is one of the most trusted and popular WordPress plugins. It comes with a host of features to create membership sites and offer online courses.

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Community features
• Advanced course selling
• Content dripping
• Easy payment structure

Cons:

• Takes time to learn how to use the plugin
• Lacks membership features
• Limited payment options

Pricing:

Plan starts at $159 for use on a single site.

MemberPress

Thanks to its ease of use and robust features, MemberPress is one of the most popular plugins.

Pros:

• Easy to setup
• Content dripping
• Integrations
• LMS features to sell courses
• Customizable checkout

Cons:

• Limited payment options
• Expensive with no lifetime option
• Interface

Pricing:

Plan starts at $149 per year.

Restrict Content Pro

The best thing about Restrict Content Pro is the abundance of features it has to offer. Created by the same team that developed Easy Digital Downloads, Restrict Content Pro is especially preferred by site owners who do not have an in-depth knowledge of plugins.

Pros:

• Ease of use
• Unlimited subscription plans
• Content dripping
• Membership emails
• Different membership levels

Cons:

• Limited integrations
• Expensive
• Limited layout of sign-up forms

Pricing:

Plan starts at $99 per year for a single license.

Teachable

Teachable is a comprehensive online course builder. It combines LMS, membership website, email marketing, and discussion forums under one dashboard.

Pros:

• Ease of use
• Engagement tools
• Content dripping
• Site customization
• Ease of monetization

Cons:

• Transaction fees on all plans
• Not a WordPress plugin
• Expensive

Pricing:

Basic plan starts at $39 per month.

aMember

aMember is a comprehensive membership plugin that allows for seamless integration with your WordPress site. It includes features that simplify the process of building a fully operational membership website.

Pros:

• Content dripping
• Flexible member levels
• Membership rewards
• Translated into six languages
• Longstanding plugin

Cons:

• Dated interface
• Lacks advanced features

Pricing:

Plan starts at $149.36 for a lifetime license.

S2Member

S2Member is a preferred option if you are looking for a free WordPress membership plugin. Its Pro version offers a number of features to set up a comprehensive membership site.

Pros:

• Basic free version
• Payment gateway support
• Documentation and support
• Third-party integration
• Content dripping

Cons:

• Complex setup process
• UI design
• Limited base version

Pricing:

The Pro version starts at $89 per year.

MemberMouse

MemberMouse comes with a host of advanced features. But it’s also popular with the not-so tech-savvy membership site owners. It allows you to create multiple membership levels, which makes it easy to purchase one-off items.

Pros:

• All-in-one package
• Shortcode library
• Advanced reporting suite
• Content protection
• Member management

Cons:

• Limited features
• Lack of shipping options
• Limited payment options

Pricing:

Plan starts at $29 per month.

WishList Member

One of the first membership plugins, WishList Member, provides a variety of valuable features. Additionally, it includes documentation support to assist you in maximizing its potential.

Pros:

• Shopping cart integration
• Ease of setup
• Unlimited membership levels
• Content dripping
• Membership per post

Cons:

• Partial affiliate WordPress integration
• Subscription management
• Lack of customization

Pricing:

Pricing starts at $147 per year for a single-site license.

What is the best membership plugin for WordPress?

LearnDash is the best membership plugin for WordPress. It’s designed to help membership site owners manage and sell online courses with different plan options.

What is the best free membership plugin for WordPress?

The best free membership plugin for WordPress is Paid Memberships Pro. In addition to the several helpful features, this plugin is popular because of its ease of use.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, “Best WordPress Membership Plugin Options” was first published on Small Business Trends