The 10 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (My Honest Review)

W hen I first started monetizing my WordPress blog, I leaned pretty heavily on ads and affiliate links. That worked for a while, but I quickly realized how unpredictable those earnings can be. That's when I started exploring membership sites—and everything changed.

Memberships let you offer things like premium content, courses, downloads, or even a private community for your biggest fans. It’s a great way to deliver more value while building steady, reliable income from the content you’re already creating.

And once I decided to go the membership route, I realized something else: choosing the right plugin matters a lot. I’ve tried a lot of membership plugins over the years, and plenty of them are either confusing or missing key features.

So, I narrowed things down to the ones that actually work well. Here are the 10 best WordPress membership plugins to help you turn your blog into a successful membership site.

Overview: Best WordPress Membership Plugins for Bloggers

No time to read? No problem! Check out this comparison table of my top membership plugins to quickly make your choice:

#	Plugin	Best For	Pricing
1	MemberPress	All-in-one membership + courses solution	$199.50/year
2	Thrive Apprentice	Selling online course memberships	$149/year
3	MemberMouse	Larger sites with hundreds of members	$149.50/year
4	Wishlist Member	Sites needing detailed content access control	$149.50/year
5	LearnDash	Educators selling course-based memberships	$199/year
6	Teachable	Creators who want a hosted, hands-off platform	$69/month
7	Restrict Content Pro	Simple premium content protection	$99/year + Free
8	WooCommerce Memberships	Store owners already using WooCommerce	$274/year
9	Simple Membership	Small blogs needing basic content protection	Free
10	S2Member	Advanced users needing deep customization	$89 + Free

Why Bloggers Should Create a Membership Site in WordPress

If you’re a blogger, a membership site is one of the easiest ways to turn your existing audience into reliable, recurring income—without feeling salesy or adding a ton of extra work.

Instead of crossing your fingers for ad clicks or hoping a one-time product sells, memberships give you a predictable monthly revenue stream.

You can offer things your most loyal readers already want: bonus posts, behind-the-scenes content, private community access, templates, downloads, or even online courses. It’s a simple way to deepen the connection with the people who love your content most.

And WordPress makes the whole thing way more flexible than hosted platforms because:

• You fully own your site and your content. No renting space on someone else’s platform or risking sudden rule changes.
• You choose how to get paid. Stripe, PayPal, or both—use whatever works best for you and your audience.
• You can build exactly what you need. Want a simple paywall? A full course library? Members-only products? There’s a plugin for every style of membership.
• Getting started is quick. Most plugins walk you through setup, so you can launch without needing to be super technical.
• It grows with you. Add email marketing, analytics, community tools, or anything else as your membership takes off.

That’s where membership plugins really shine—they handle all the hard stuff like protecting content, managing payments, and keeping members happy, so you can focus on creating great content.

How I Test and Review Membership Plugins for WordPress

Choosing the right membership plugin isn’t about reading marketing pages. It’s about installing each one and seeing how it actually works.

I’ve personally tested each plugin in this list on real WordPress sites. My goal is to see which tools make it easy to set up memberships, protect content, and manage payments without frustration.

Here’s how I test and compare each plugin:

• Ease of Setup: How fast can I go from install to a working membership site?
• Content Protection: Can I easily restrict posts, pages, or course materials?
• Payment Handling: Does it support recurring billing and multiple payment gateways?
• Member Management: How simple is it to add members, adjust access, and track activity?
• Extra Features: Does it include course builders, drip content, or retention tools?

This approach gives me a clear picture of which plugins are genuinely beginner-friendly and which are better for advanced membership sites.

But now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of each!

1. MemberPress: The Overall Best Membership Plugin For Bloggers

My Experience with MemberPress

When I first started using MemberPress on my blog, I immediately understood why so many people recommend it. It was genuinely easy to set up—no confusing steps, no technical hoops to jump through. The plugin even auto-generated all the important pages (login, account, pricing, thank-you, etc.), which saved me a ton of time.

One thing I really appreciated was how flexible the access controls were. I could restrict individual posts, pages, categories, tags, and even files. It made it simple to decide exactly what each membership level should see.

Payments were also super smooth. I connected PayPal and Stripe without any fuss and set up both one-time payments and recurring subscriptions in just a few clicks.

The built-in course builder was a pleasant surprise. I could organize lessons, add quizzes, and even track student progress with the gradebook.

When I tested out CoachKit, it added a whole new layer—it’s designed for coaching programs, so it handled scheduling, client management, and structured content really nicely. There’s so much that MemberPress can do, I even found out you can run a paid email newsletter right inside MemberPress.

Content dripping worked exactly how I hoped too. I scheduled lessons and resources to unlock on certain days, which helped me deliver content at a steady pace.

MemberPress also connects with popular email marketing tools. New members were automatically added to my list, and I could send targeted emails based on what they purchased or which level they joined.

And if you’re interested, here’s a quick video walkthrough on how to build a WordPress membership site with MemberPress:

2. Thrive Apprentice: Best WordPress Membership Plugin for Course Creators

My Experience with Thrive Apprentice

I got started with Thrive Apprentice by going through the step-by-step setup wizard, which made the whole process super simple. It walked me through the basics and had everything ready to go in just a few minutes.

Once I was in, I used the drag-and-drop course builder to organize my lessons. Rearranging sections felt really natural, and I never had to touch any code. I also liked having access to more than 55 customizable course templates. I picked one that matched my blog’s style and quickly tweaked the colors and fonts so it looked on-brand.

The advanced lesson management tools gave me a lot of control over how everything was structured. I could organize lessons, modules, and categories exactly the way I wanted.

I also added quizzes and completion certificates, which made the courses feel more polished and helped members feel like they were actually accomplishing something.

Then I tested out the content-dripping templates. They let me release lessons gradually on a schedule—perfect if you want to keep students engaged over time instead of giving them everything upfront.

The built-in membership dashboard was another big win. It showed me who was enrolled and how far along they were, all at a glance, without digging into complicated reports.

One standout feature for me was the personalized content display. I could show different messages to non-members and paying students, which made it much easier to turn casual readers into enrolled members.

3. MemberMouse: Best for Serious Membership Sites

My Experience with MemberMouse

Setting up MemberMouse was straightforward. I connected Stripe and created my first membership level in just a few minutes.

Content protection was easy to set up. I could lock posts, pages, and downloads by membership level with just a few clicks. Plus, I love that the SmartTags feature let me personalize content for each member.

The billing and payment options are flexible. I could offer one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, or even a mix of both on the same site. MemberMouse also handles overdue payments automatically—if a payment fails, it retries and sends reminder emails without me having to do anything.

I discovered that the ‘Save the Sale’ feature was especially useful. If a member wanted to cancel, I could give them the option to pause or downgrade instead, which helps keep members around longer.

Finally, the member management dashboard gave me clear visibility into who was active, who had canceled, and which plans were bringing in the most revenue. That kind of reporting is hard to find in simpler plugins.

4. Wishlist Member: Best WordPress Membership Plugin for Advanced Content Control

My Experience with Wishlist Member

With Wishlist Member, I started my testing by setting up membership levels using the dashboard. It took less than five minutes to create three different tiers.

Once the levels were ready, I used the one-click content protection feature. I just selected a post, chose which membership level could access it, and saved—it was that simple.

What I found really clever was the Private Tags feature. It lets you lock just part of a public post—like a bonus download, extra tips, or a special video—so non-members can still read most of the blog post while paying members get the premium content.

Next, I explored the drip content feature. I scheduled lessons to release weekly, which kept members engaged over time instead of overwhelming them with everything at once.

Wishlist Member also comes with a built-in course builder. I added modules, organized lessons, and linked them to specific membership levels, all without needing a separate plugin.

Finally, I appreciated the membership automation tools. I set up email notifications for new sign-ups, payment failures, and membership renewals, which saved me a lot of time managing members manually.

5. LearnDash: Best for Educators and Course-Based Memberships

My Experience with LearnDash

LearnDash offers one of the most powerful course-building experiences available for WordPress. The advanced course builder let me organize lessons with drag-and-drop simplicity. I could structure courses into sections, add prerequisites, and control the order students moved through material.

Quizzes and assessments were easy to add. I created multiple question types, set passing scores, and gave instant feedback. The quiz builder supported timed quizzes, random question banks, and detailed result tracking.

Content dripping and scheduling let me release lessons automatically. I could unlock content based on time, completion status, or specific dates. This kept students engaged and moving through the course at the right pace.

I also think that the certificates of completion added a professional touch. I customized certificate designs and set up automatic delivery when students finished courses. This worked great for training programs or professional development courses.

Payment flexibility was strong as well. I could sell courses through subscriptions, one-time purchases, bundles, or free trials. Integration with major payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe worked without issues.

6. Teachable: Best All-in-One Hosted Course Platform

My Experience with Teachable

When I first tried Teachable, I was surprised by how fast I could get started. The drag-and-drop builder made it easy to organize lessons without any confusion.

Plus, the AI Assistant helped me build course outlines even faster. I just described what I wanted to teach, and it suggested a structure I could customize.

From there, I could upload videos, PDFs, audio files, and presentations into my lessons. Everything played smoothly within the course player.

I also like how Teachable automatically generated a professional sales page for my course, which saved me design time.

During my testing, I explored the analytics dashboard as well. It showed me which lessons students watched and where they dropped off. These metrics are super helpful for understanding how to improve your content.

In addition, Teachable includes discussion forums, which is great for starting conversations and building a small community around your blog.

One big downside I noticed was the cost. At $69 per month, it’s more expensive than most membership plugins, especially if you’re just starting out.

7. Restrict Content Pro: Best Membership Plugin for Simple Content Protection

My Experience with Restrict Content Pro

When I tested Restrict Content Pro, I was impressed by how powerful yet straightforward it is. Setup was quick, and I could start restricting premium posts and pages within minutes.

Restricting content was simple. I just selected posts or pages and assigned them to specific membership levels, and the system locked them down immediately. I could also customize access based on user progress or actions, giving me more control over what members could see.

Content previews were a nice touch. I could show the first few paragraphs or a teaser to non-members, then prompt them to subscribe for full access.

Setting up payments with Stripe and PayPal was smooth. I could offer both one-time payments and recurring subscriptions without any technical issues.

Plus, if a member upgraded or downgraded mid-cycle, the system automatically adjusted their billing, keeping everything accurate and seamless.

It’s nice that Restrict Content Pro has a free version, which lets you accept Stripe payments, but there’s an extra 2% fee on all transactions. The free version also doesn’t include detailed reporting or some other key features. Upgrading to the paid version gives you access to all the main features, but it still lacks advanced tools that large membership sites might need.

8. WooCommerce Memberships: Best Membership Plugin for WooCommerce Stores

My Experience with WooCommerce Memberships

The first thing I noticed was how smoothly WooCommerce Memberships connects with an existing WooCommerce setup. Everything stays in the same dashboard, which makes managing products and memberships much easier.

Creating members-only products was simple. I selected the products I wanted to restrict and made them visible only to specific membership levels. This setup works well for offering exclusive items or giving members early access to new releases.

Members-only discounts and free shipping also make it easy to create appealing membership perks. You can set automatic discounts that apply at checkout for members, which helps encourage upgrades.

The access rules are flexible, too. You can restrict posts, pages, products, or entire categories based on membership status.

In addition, the built-in members area gives subscribers a central place to check their membership status, access exclusive content, and manage their account.

9. Simple Membership: Best Free Membership Plugin for Blogs on a Budget

My Experience with Simple Member

When I tried out Simple Membership, I began by creating my first membership level and getting familiar with the main settings. From there, I moved on to setting up content protection and testing how the plugin handled different membership tiers.

I liked that I could create unlimited membership levels right from the start. This gave me flexibility to offer different tiers without upgrading to a paid plan.

Restricting content was straightforward. I applied protection to individual posts and pages, and I also used the bulk protection tool to lock down entire categories at once.

Simple Membership connects with both PayPal and Stripe for accepting payments. Unlike many other free membership plugins, it doesn’t charge any additional transaction fees, which is an added bonus.

Lastly, the membership payment log was useful for tracking who paid and when. It’s not fancy, but it gave me the basic financial overview I needed.

10. S2Member: Secure Portions of Pages, Posts with Pro Version

My Experience with S2Member

When I first installed S2Member, I noticed right away how many settings were available. The interface felt overwhelming at first, especially compared to newer membership plugins I’d tried.

I started with the access rule customization. S2Member lets you control who sees what with incredible detail, from posts and pages to specific file downloads and media content.

The member permission controls impressed me. I could set up different levels with very specific restrictions, which is perfect for sites that need layered access.

I also liked the coupon code system. Being able to offer gift codes and redemption codes added a nice marketing option for attracting new members.

The plugin works especially well for audio and video membership sites. The file protection features are strong, which matters if you’re selling premium media content.

The biggest downside is the learning curve. The interface isn’t intuitive, and finding the right setting often meant digging through multiple menus and documentation pages.

Bonus: Extra WordPress Plugins To Help You Create a Membership Site That Lasts

Wait! We aren’t leaving you here.

What should you do after creating the membership site? The next step is to grow your website with the right tools and plugins, so you can make the most of it.

Here are the top 3 WordPress plugins to grow your membership site and take it to the next level.

1. TrustPulse

TrustPulse is the best WordPress plugin for social proof notifications. It’s a useful plugin to track and display your members’ activity in real-time. This plugin shows new sign-ups on your website to encourage visitors to become a member.

Why Do You Need This?

It’s the best social proof app to get more new members. TrustPulse develops a trust in new visitors to take action and register on your website, using the psychology principle called “FOMO” or fear of missing out. When your visitors see that other people are signing up right now, they’ll be more likely to join in.

You can fully customize it to match your website colors and fonts without writing any code.

2. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is the best lead generation and conversion optimization software. You can use this plugin to convert your abandoning visitors into subscribers and members. It allows you to increase the member count effectively.

See how Expats.com grows its community by 30,000 members every month using OptinMonster.

Why You Need This?

It’s very common that you notice the bounce rate on your site which means visitors are leaving without taking any action. OptinMonster enforces users to sign up with attractive popup campaigns. It has the best exit-intent® technology to grow your members exponentially.

3. MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. It allows you to connect, customize, and view all analytics reports within your WordPress dashboard. All features are available in one-click without writing any code.

Why You Need This?

You can track the behavior of your members with MonsterInsights. It shows complete reports on file downloads, registration forms, and more. You can also integrate MonsterInsights with MemberPress plugin to grow your membership site by understanding your members and their needs.

Closing Out On The Best WordPress Membership Plugin

Now that you know the best membership plugins for WordPress, it’ll be so much easier for you to choose the best one for your website!

If you’re looking for a one-stop solution with all the features and functionalities, then we recommend using MemberPress. It’s a truly modern WordPress membership plugin that helps you do basically all the others offer, just more easily.

For step-by-step instructions, check out our tutorial on how to create a profitable membership site with MemberPress.

WordPress Membership Plugin FAQs

What is a WordPress membership plugin?

A WordPress membership plugin lets you restrict content, charge for access, and manage subscribers. It handles registrations, payments, and content protection so you can build a membership site.

Do I need coding skills to use a membership plugin?

No. Plugins like MemberPress and Thrive Apprentice handle everything visually, so you don’t need to write any code.

Can I sell courses with a membership plugin?

Yes. Plugins like MemberPress, Thrive Apprentice, MemberMouse, and LearnDash include course builders that let you organize lessons, add quizzes, and issue certificates.

Which membership plugin is best for beginners?

MemberPress is best for beginners because it’s easy to set up and handles all the key features in one plugin without extra complexity. However, if you’re looking for a free membership plugin for beginners, then I recommend Simple Membership.

Can I offer free and paid memberships together?

Yes. Most membership plugins, including MemberPress and Restrict Content Pro, let you create unlimited membership levels with both free and paid options.

I hope this article helped you find the best membership plugin for WordPress. I’m confident that you have the info you need to choose the best tool to start a successful WordPress membership site.

If you liked this post, you may also want to check out our guide on how to create an email course, or our picks of the best SEO tools to explode your blog traffic.

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