The landscape of blogging, marketing, and content creation has radically changed over the past several years. It’s caused many content creators to rethink and reimagine monetizing their content.
One of the more popular means is restricting content to a membership-based model—offering their full content to paid members. There are also many approaches to this. Content drips, semester access, and instructional access are just a few ways content creators have found success with membership.
Of course, this is just one of the many ways the membership model is being used. Let’s take a closer look at 15 of the best WordPress membership plugins on Envato Market.
1. WP Private Content Pro
Membership plugins are often used to restrict content or used in situations whereby a content restriction solution makes more sense than more robust membership solutions.
This is where you’ll find something like WP Private Content Pro to be far more helpful.
Restrict content by:
- post, page, or custom post type
- multiple meta values
- Guests or Members
- User Role level
- User Groups
- User Roles
- and more
With back-end private pages for admins, private front-end pages with dynamic content, and private discussions with Admins, you’ll find a toolbox full of great content restriction tools to build a membership-based website.
WP Private Content Pro is powerful, and built so that you can customize it in a way that fits your needs.
2. Ultimate Membership Pro WordPress Plugin
The Ultimate Membership Pro WordPress Plugin is the #1 selling membership plugin on Envato Market for a reason.
“Ultimate Membership Pro is the well known and the best Membership WordPress Plugin that allow you to create and work with multi-level exclusive access for your Users based on simple Free packages or Payed packages.”
Protect your:
- URL
- pages
- menus
- images
- products
- categories
- content sections
- redirects and more
This robust membership plugin integrates with the top payment and checkout systems, membership management tools, email marketing tools, and so much more.
Ultimate Membership Pro WordPress Plugin doesn’t hold anything back as it delivers one of the most robust WordPress membership plugins you’ll find, boasting a whopping 35 included addons.
3. WooCommerce Membership
If you like WooCommerce and content drips, look no further than the WooCommerce Membership plugin for adding members to your WordPress site.
Easily restrict access to posts and pages on your website and start selling memberships with WooCommerce, today.
Features include:
- create an unlimited number of membership plans
- manage members with the easy-to-use admin
- full access restriction control
- build content drip feeds
- custom expiration date
- and more
Manage your memberships with WooCommerce and reap all the benefits of using the most popular eCommerce platform for WordPress.
WooCommerce Membership is one of the best ways to transform WooCommerce into your very own membership website.
4. ARMember – WordPress Membership Plugin
Introduce unique user profiles and integrate BuddyPress into your membership WordPress site with the ARMember – WordPress Membership Plugin.
With one-click social member signup and a handy membership setup wizard, you’ll be up and running with your membership WordPress site quickly.
Some features include:
- set up custom grace periods for late or failed membership payments
- upgrade/downgrade membership levels
- invite-only membership signup
- major payment gateways
- major email marketing
- create drip content
- and much more
You can also integrate with BuddyPress, bbPress, WooCommerce, Visual Composer, AfiiliateWP, and more
ARMember – WordPress Membership Plugin is more than just about restricting content, it’s about adding members to your WordPress site.
5. Youzer – WordPress Community & User Profiles New Era
Of all the membership plugins on this list, Youzer – WordPress Community & User Profiles New Era focuses on community and user profiles the most.
In the simplest terms, it’s like Facebook.
Features include:
- social media features for members to interact
- customizable membership profiles
- interactive membership “wall”
- multiple pre-built layouts
- 20+ profile widgets
- and much more
The features and options included with this plugin easily outweigh others.
If you want to start adding members to your WordPress site with a Facebook, social media type experience, you need to check out the Youzer – WordPress Community & User Profiles New Era plugin.
6. Ultimate Private Member Portal
The Ultimate Private Member Portal offers a nice mix of private content restriction, along with the ability for interaction between users and the administrator.
“Administrators can share various kind of private data with users and get instant feedback all in one place.”
Features include:
- private file sharing with admin
- back-end private portals
- private front-end portal
- and more
Customize the private portal with custom tabs, creating an easy-to-use interface for members.
Members cannot communicate with one another, but members can freely—and privately—interact with the Admin. The Ultimate Private Member Portal is the perfect solution for the student/instructor type of siloed interactions.
7. WPDigiPro WordPress Membership Plugin for Selling Digital Products
Selling digital products online and memberships?
Take a closer look at the WPDigiPro WordPress Membership Plugin for Selling Digital Products plugin.
A great plugin for:
- membership sites
- web agencies
- theme shops
- plugin shops
- hybrid shops
- and more
Restrict any WordPress page based on membership, set up recurring payments, add license keys, and take advantage of other useful features for mixing both digital downloads and membership-based services.
The WPDigiPro WordPress Membership Plugin for Selling Digital Products is a great solution for selling digital products along with offering members access to your WordPress site content.
8. WP Membership
A list of membership plugins for your WordPress site would not be complete without WP Membership. When it comes to adding members to your WordPress site, this plugin provides all the right tools in all the right ways.
Some of the more useful features include:
- the ability for members to upgrade, downgrade, and cancel their own subscription
- PayPal and Stripe gateways with one-time and recurring payments
- both free and paid trial memberships
- public and private user profiles
- MailChimp support
- and much more
Fully responsive, including templates, and translation ready, this is ready to be customized to fit your needs.
WP Membership is a stellar membership plugin.
9. UserPro – User Profiles with Social Login
Adding members to your WordPress site to build a community is what UserPro – User Profiles with Social Login lets you do.
“Create beautiful front-end user profiles and community sites in WordPress using UserPro.”
Features include:
- integrates with WooCommerce, BuddyPress, and others
- custom login and registration forms
- multiple member list displays
- newsletter integration
- content restriction
- verified accounts
- user badges
- and more
While most membership community plugins try to be like Facebook, this membership plugin feels far more unique in its approach.
UserPro – User Profiles with Social Login provides everything you need to set up a community website.
10. User Profiles Made Easy – WordPress Plugin
User Profiles Made Easy – WordPress Plugin makes user profiles easy!
This is a full-featured front-end profile, login, and registration plugin for your membership-based WordPress site.
Features include:
- fully searchable membership directory
- beautiful custom profile pages
- unlimited custom fields
- 21 free add-ons
- and more
Of all the membership plugins adding members to your WordPress site, this provides the best directory experience.
User Profiles Made Easy – WordPress Plugin is one of the best ways to build an online membership directory.
11. AR hive Membership Autoresponder Integration WordPress Plugin
Connect your favorite membership WordPress plugin with your favorite email marketing solution with AR hive Membership Autoresponder Integration WordPress Plugin.
This is easily my favorite “membership plugin that’s not actually a membership plugin” plugin.
Some of the top features include:
- supports 15 of the most popular email marketing solutions
- easily integrate with your membership plugin
- easy to set up
- and more
With the AR hive Membership Autoresponder Integration WordPress Plugin, easily add your new members to your autoresponders for a series of welcome messages, a strategic content drip, or whatever you like.
12. Frontend User Pro
Frontend User Pro is easy to use, packed full of useful features, and provides you with the tools to build a solid membership WordPress site.
“Frontend User Pro is complete Membership and Frontend User Management Plugin, which comes with tons of features…”
Features include:
- autoresponder
- API, hooks, and filter
- unlimited membership levels
- one-time and recurring payments
- bbPress and BuddyPress support
- conditional logic and conditional menu
- content restrictions and redirect content page
- drag-and-drop registration form with many features
- and much more
If you’re looking to customize and level up your membership login and registration, you need to give Frontend User Pro a closer look.
13. SUMO Memberships – WooCommerce Membership System
SUMO Memberships – WooCommerce Membership System is a comprehensive WooCommerce membership plugin that allows you to easily sell memberships with WooCommerce.
“…Sell Memberships from your existing WooCommerce Shop and give access to members to view pages, view posts, content blocks, buy certain products etc.”
Features include:
- default membership plan during account signup
- members can pause or cancel their own plan
- full site admin membership management
- transferable membership plans
- and much, much more
The ability to give access to particular products based on membership level is one of the more curious features I’ve seen.
The SUMO Memberships – WooCommerce Membership System is an impressive WooCommerce membership plugin.
14. PrivateContent – Multilevel Content Plugin
Control and restrict almost every aspect of your website content with PrivateContent – Multilevel Content Plugin. Quickly and easily transform your WordPress membership site into a multilevel membership platform.
Some of the great features you’ll find:
- developer API and hooks
- user management and tracking
- unlimited forms and unlimited user levels
- restrict menu items, comments, widgets, posts, pages, and more
You can even lock down your entire website with a single click.
With its native Google Analytics integration, the PrivateContent – Multilevel Content Plugin is a serious contender.
15. WP Ultimo – Easily Create a Premium Network of Sites
Finally, the WP Ultimo – Easily Create a Premium Network of Sites is one of the most powerful membership plugins. This is a WordPress membership plugin that gives you the ability to create a network of membership sites built on a WordPress Multisite.
“WP Ultimo is the ultimate tool to create a premium network of websites – like WordPress.com – on your WordPress Multisite install.”
Features include:
- easy-to-use signup workflow
- one-click refunds
- site templates
- analytics
- and more
Create unlimited plans, easily create trials and coupons, and connect it with PayPal and Stripe.
Build your own membership website network with WP Ultimo – Easily Create a Premium Network of Sites.
Conclusion
When you look through these membership plugins, there are a few things you need to ask:
- Are you looking for simple content restriction?
- Are you also selling digital products?
- Do you need email marketing or do you plan on using drip content?
- Do you want to create a community or build a directory?
If you can clearly answer these questions—or at the very least prioritize these—you’ll be well on your way to finding the right membership plugin for adding members to your WordPress site.
Envato Market also offers a variety of solutions, so if you’re considering coding your own solution, you can use one of the many helpful WordPress Code Tutorials, Code Courses, or eBooks available on Envato Tuts+.
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