Membership plugins transform WordPress into a powerful subscription platform, enabling you to sell access to exclusive content, courses, communities, and services. With the creator economy booming in 2026, membership sites have become one of the most sustainable business models for content creators, coaches, and businesses.
The right membership plugin handles everything from content restriction to payment processing, email automation, and member management. This guide covers the best WordPress membership plugins to help you build recurring revenue.
Why Membership Sites Work in 2026
Membership sites provide predictable monthly recurring revenue (MRR), deeper customer relationships, and higher lifetime value compared to one-time sales. The subscription economy has grown 435% in the past decade, and WordPress makes it accessible to anyone.
Best WordPress Membership Plugins
1. Paid Memberships Pro – Best Free Membership Plugin
Paid Memberships Pro offers the most generous free membership plugin for WordPress. It includes unlimited members, membership levels, and core functionality without cost.
- Unlimited membership levels
- Content restriction by level, category, or post
- Stripe and PayPal integration included
- Subscription and one-time payment support
- Member dashboard and account pages
- Discount codes and trials
- 150+ add-ons available
- Excellent documentation and support
2. MemberPress – Most Feature-Rich
MemberPress is the most powerful all-in-one membership plugin, combining content protection, course creation, and affiliate management in one package.
- Course builder included (no LMS needed)
- Advanced content dripping
- Powerful access rules
- Built-in affiliate program
- Integrates with major email services
- Corporate accounts feature
- Detailed reporting
- Developer-friendly
3. BuddyBoss – Community Membership Platform
BuddyBoss creates membership communities with social networking features. It’s perfect for course creators and coaches who want engaged member communities.
- Social community features
- Groups and forums
- LearnDash integration
- Mobile app builder
- Activity feeds and messaging
- Gamification options
- Video conferencing integration
4. Restrict Content Pro – Clean and Simple
Restrict Content Pro provides a straightforward approach to membership sites without bloat. It’s developer-friendly and integrates well with other plugins.
- Unlimited subscription levels
- Content restriction shortcodes
- Discount codes
- Member emails
- Payment reports
- Integrations available
- Clean, simple interface
5. WooCommerce Memberships
WooCommerce Memberships integrates membership functionality directly with WooCommerce, perfect for stores wanting to add member benefits or subscription products.
- Ties memberships to products
- Member discounts on products
- Content dripping
- Works with WooCommerce Subscriptions
- Purchase-based or manual membership
- Member import/export
6. ARMember – All-in-One Solution
ARMember provides comprehensive membership features including content protection, drip content, social login, and built-in form builder.
- Unlimited membership plans
- Built-in form builder
- Social login support
- Content dripping
- Coupon system
- Multiple payment gateways
- One-time purchase license
7. Memberium – Infusionsoft/Keap Integration
Memberium is the go-to membership plugin for businesses using Infusionsoft or Keap CRM. It syncs everything automatically with your CRM.
- Deep Keap/Infusionsoft integration
- Tag-based access control
- Automated member management
- Custom member dashboards
- Advanced drip sequences
- ActiveCampaign support
8. myCred – Points-Based Membership
myCred adds gamification to membership sites with points, badges, and ranks. Perfect for engagement-focused communities and loyalty programs.
- Points management system
- Multiple point types
- Reward store functionality
- Badge and rank systems
- WooCommerce integration
- BuddyPress compatibility
9. Ultimate Member
Ultimate Member creates user profiles and member directories with content restriction. The free version is quite capable for basic membership needs.
- Custom user profiles
- Member directories
- Content restriction
- Custom registration forms
- Social activity (premium)
- WooCommerce integration
10. LearnDash + Membership
Combine LearnDash with membership plugins for powerful course-based membership sites. Works excellently with Paid Memberships Pro.
Best Themes for Membership Sites
Reign Theme is the best choice for membership and community sites, with built-in support for BuddyPress, BuddyBoss, and major membership plugins. BuddyX Pro offers another excellent option with modern design and full membership plugin compatibility.
Email Marketing for Memberships
Connect your membership plugin to FluentCRM for automated onboarding sequences, renewal reminders, and member engagement campaigns.
Membership Plugin Comparison
| Plugin | Best For | Free Plan | Courses | Community | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid Memberships Pro | All-around | ✓ Full | Add-on | Add-on | Free/$247+ |
| MemberPress | Features | – | ✓ | Add-on | $179+/yr |
| BuddyBoss | Community | – | ✓ | ✓ | $228+ |
| ARMember | Value | Limited | – | – | $59 |
| myCred | Gamification | ✓ | – | ✓ | Free/$149+ |
Conclusion
Paid Memberships Pro offers the best starting point with its generous free version. For community-focused memberships, pair BuddyBoss with Reign Theme for the ultimate member experience. Add myCred for gamification and FluentCRM for email automation to create a membership site that keeps members engaged and paying.