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Jazz Up Your WordPress Site with Membership Plugins

on May 14, 2018

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If you’re looking to add a Membership plugin on your WordPress site, you’ve got several options. We’ve got a review of each, along with the general fundamentals of WP membership plugins. If you are considering using WordPress for an ecommerece website, check out this post!

General WordPress Membership Plugins 

General WordPress Membership Plugins 

Different plugins have different features, and not all of them are optimal for creating a membership site. It’s a good idea to ask yourself some questions at the outset:

Do I only need one level of subscriptions or multiple levels?

Do I need a drip content feature to slowly release new content to a user, or will I only be offering hidden content?

What type of payment gateway do I want to use?

Now that you have a general idea of how you want your site to be structured, let’s move on to what else you need to run a successful WP membership site?

Security

A dedicated IP and support line

Plugins like Optinmonster that will make building your membership list much easier

If money isn’t an issue, we suggest WP engine, but if you’re on a budget, Bluehost works great.

We’ve picked 5 WP Membership Plugins, and listed their pros and cons, to help you make an informed choice.

MemberPress

Pros Cons
Ease of use

A large variety of features

Easy Setup

Payment Gateways

Level of Access/Control

Integrations

Content Dripping

Integrations and Payment Options are fairly limited.

Price Points: Plans range from $99 to $199 per year.

Bottom Line: If you can save up the funds to do it, this plugin is great for beginners (particularly with its user-friendliness and versatility).

Paid Memberships Pro

Pros Cons
Free version available

More Payment Gateways and Integrations

Variety of add-ons available

Free version features are very limited

Not as user-friendly for beginners

You have to buy the pro plan to use most of the add-ons

Pricing: Plans range from $97 to $197 a month.

Bottom Line: If you can afford the Pro Version, you’ll love the features available on this WordPress Membership Plugin.

Restrict Content Pro

Pros Cons
Ease of Use

Integrations that aren’t paid add-ons

Significant Payment Gateway options

Good companion for Easy Digital Downloads

Great tech support

Fewer integration options outside of the ones built in

Pricing: $99 for one site, $149 for five, $249 for unlimited sites

Bottom Line: This is a great choice if you’re planning on scaling up your business, especially if the built-in integrations are a good fit for your needs.

LearnDash

Pros Cons
Easy setup

You can sell courses

Easy content restrictions

Allows drip content

Solid integration and payment options

Built-in community features

May not be the best choice if you’re not going to be selling courses

Pricing: Starts at $159 for a single-site license.

Bottom line: Flexibility and ease-of-use make it a good investment, particularly if you’re selling courses.

S2Member

Pros Cons
Freebase plugin

Content drip

PayPal supported

Integrates with MailChimp, bbpress, and BuddyPress

Knowledgebase and support

Free Version features (payment gateways, membership levels, no drip content)

Not as user-friendly as other options

Pricing: Freebase plugin, $89 single site, unlimited (pro) $189

Bottom line: Maybe a good choice if you’re just starting out, on a budget, and requiring extra support.

Everything we’ve recommended here for WordPress Membership Plugin has some great features, scalability, and integrations. The right choice for you may be a free version, or you may be ready to invest in a Pro package. Whatever you decide, make sure you choose something that meets your goals for what you plan to offer site members, and how you expect your business to grow. We know there are many options. Let us help you make the right choice for your business.

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