Choosing the right membership plugin is crucial for WordPress site owners looking to manage memberships effectively. MemberPress and WooCommerce Memberships are two popular options, each catering to different needs.
MemberPress excels as a standalone membership solution, while WooCommerce Memberships integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce for e-commerce sites.
This article compares their features, usability, pricing, and more to help you determine which plugin best suits your needs.
MemberPress
MemberPress is a leading WordPress membership plugin designed for building fully-featured membership sites. It offers robust tools to manage members, restrict access to content, and sell digital products or subscriptions with ease.
Key Features:
- Membership Management: Create unlimited membership levels and assign access rules to specific pages, posts, or custom content.
- Content Protection: Restrict access to any type of content, including files and videos.
- Payment Gateways: Supports popular options like PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net.
- Drip Content: Deliver content over time to keep members engaged.
- Reports and Analytics: Gain insights into your site’s performance with detailed reports.
- Integrations: Works with email marketing tools, learning management systems, and third-party plugins.
Best For:
MemberPress is ideal for businesses, creators, and educators looking to build standalone membership sites or sell digital content without relying on an e-commerce platform.
WooCommerce Memberships
WooCommerce Memberships is an extension of WooCommerce, designed to add membership functionality to your online store. Unlike standalone plugins, it integrates directly into WooCommerce, making it perfect for e-commerce sites looking to offer membership perks.
Key Features:
- Product-Linked Memberships: Sell memberships as standalone products or include them as perks with purchases.
- Content Restriction: Limit access to posts, pages, or specific products based on membership levels.
- Integration with WooCommerce: Seamlessly ties into WooCommerce’s extensive ecosystem, including subscriptions and payment gateways.
- Membership Perks: Offer discounts, free shipping, or exclusive product access to members.
- Automated Membership Management: Schedule expirations, renewals, and notifications.
Best For:
WooCommerce Memberships is best suited for WooCommerce store owners who want to add a membership layer, offering perks or exclusive content to customers alongside their e-commerce operations.
Top Features: MemberPress vs WooCommerce Memberships
Membership Levels
| Aspect | MemberPress | WooCommerce Memberships |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Levels | ✅ Unlimited membership levels. Create as many tiers as needed for your site. | ⚠️ Tied to WooCommerce products. Each membership corresponds to a product. |
| Custom Membership Plans | ✅ Fully customizable. Define unique rules and access for each membership level. | ⚠️ Limited customization. Rules are based on WooCommerce’s product framework. |
| Standalone Memberships | ✅ Works independently of any other plugin or platform. | ⚠️ Requires WooCommerce to function, as memberships are tied to its products. |
| Membership Bundling | ⚠️ No direct bundling of memberships with physical products. | ✅ Easily bundle memberships with physical or digital products. |
| Membership Hierarchy | ✅ Supports hierarchical rules where higher tiers inherit access from lower tiers. | ⚠️ No direct hierarchical structure; rules must be manually configured. |
| Upgrade/Downgrade | ✅ Seamless upgrades and downgrades between membership levels. | ✅ Supports upgrades and downgrades but relies on WooCommerce products. |
| Time-Limited Access | ✅ Allows for time-limited memberships with expiration dates. | ✅ Supports time-limited access, often linked to WooCommerce subscriptions. |
MemberPress has the upper hand when it comes to managing membership levels.
Content Protection
| Aspect | MemberPress | WooCommerce Memberships |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Content | ✅ Protects any WordPress content: posts, pages, files, videos, and custom post types. | ⚠️ Primarily protects posts, pages, and WooCommerce products. |
| Granular Access Rules | ✅ Highly granular. Apply rules to individual pieces of content or entire categories. | ⚠️ Less granular. Access is typically tied to product or membership status. |
| Hierarchical Protection | ✅ Supports automatic access inheritance for higher membership levels. | ⚠️ No built-in hierarchy; requires manual configuration for similar results. |
| Dynamic Content Rules | ✅ Apply rules dynamically based on user roles, dates, or other criteria. | ⚠️ Limited to WooCommerce’s framework for content access rules. |
| File and Media Protection | ✅ Restricts direct access to media files and downloadable resources. | ⚠️ Does not natively protect media or files; requires additional plugins. |
MemberPress offers more complex content protection in comparison to WooCommerce Memberships.
E-commerce Integration
| Aspect | MemberPress | WooCommerce Memberships |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Focus | ⚠️ Limited. Primarily designed for membership site management. | ✅ Fully integrated with WooCommerce for managing products and memberships. |
| Product Linking | ⚠️ No direct linking of memberships to product purchases. | ✅ Easily link memberships to products, offering perks for buyers. |
| Physical Products | ⚠️ Limited to selling digital memberships or content access. | ✅ Supports bundling physical and digital products with memberships. |
| Payment Gateway Support | ✅ Includes popular gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net. | ✅ Inherits WooCommerce’s gateway ecosystem, supporting a wide range. |
| Discounts and Perks | ⚠️ Basic options for member-exclusive discounts. | ✅ Rich features for offering discounts, free shipping, or special pricing. |
WooCommerce Memberships is the clear winner when it comes to eCommerce integration.
Automation and Drip Content
| Aspect | MemberPress | WooCommerce Memberships |
|---|---|---|
| Drip Content Scheduling | ✅ Advanced scheduling tools for gradual content delivery. | ⚠️ Basic drip content functionality; less flexible. |
| Content Expiry | ✅ Set expiration dates for specific content or membership tiers. | ✅ Supports expiry dates, usually tied to WooCommerce subscriptions. |
| Automated Emails | ✅ Built-in email notifications for membership actions and renewals. | ⚠️ Limited email features; relies on WooCommerce or external plugins. |
| Custom Triggers | ✅ Define triggers for releasing content based on dates, actions, or events. | ⚠️ Fewer options for custom triggers or event-based content release. |
MemberPress comes with more options for automation and drip content in memberships websites.
Reporting and Analytics
| Aspect | MemberPress | WooCommerce Memberships |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Tracking | ✅ Comprehensive reports for revenue and subscription performance. | ⚠️ Basic revenue reports, mostly product-focused. |
| Membership Stats | ✅ Detailed insights into active, canceled, and lapsed memberships. | ⚠️ Limited stats; relies on WooCommerce’s product-focused reporting. |
| Custom Reports | ✅ Generate tailored reports based on membership or time period. | ⚠️ No custom reporting; standard WooCommerce reports only. |
| Analytics Integrations | ✅ Works with external tools like Google Analytics or custom dashboards. | ⚠️ Limited integration options for advanced analytics. |
If you need detailed reporting and analytics, we recommend MemberPress.
Integrations
| Aspect | MemberPress | WooCommerce Memberships |
|---|---|---|
| Third-Party Tools | ✅ Integrates with email marketing (Mailchimp), CRMs, and LMS plugins. | ✅ Works well within the WooCommerce ecosystem but limited for non-e-commerce tools. |
| Learning Management Systems (LMS) | ✅ Supports popular LMS platforms like LearnDash and LifterLMS. | ⚠️ No direct LMS support; relies on WooCommerce extensions. |
| Marketing Automation | ✅ Compatible with Zapier, ActiveCampaign, and more for automation workflows. | ⚠️ Requires additional plugins or extensions for advanced automation. |
| WooCommerce Integration | ⚠️ Limited; not designed to work directly with WooCommerce. | ✅ Native integration with WooCommerce for seamless product and membership management. |
Although both plugins comes with seamless integrations with third-party tools, MemberPress still has the upper hand.
Usability and Setup
The usability and setup of a membership plugin are critical factors for anyone looking to create a membership site. A user-friendly interface and smooth setup process can save you time and frustration.
Here’s a breakdown of MemberPress and WooCommerce Memberships in terms of usability and setup.
| Aspect | MemberPress | WooCommerce Memberships |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Setup | ✅ | ❌ |
| Intuitive User Interface | ✅ | ❌ |
| Rich Customization Options | ✅ | ❌ |
| Advanced Features | ✅ | ❌ |
If you prioritize simplicity and ease of setup, MemberPress is the better option.
Pricing and Value for Money
When choosing between MemberPress and WooCommerce Memberships, the cost of the plugin and its overall value for money are essential considerations. Pricing often depends on your specific needs, the size of your website, and the features you require.
Here’s a breakdown of the pricing for both plugins and how they compare in terms of value for money.
MemberPress Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $179/year | Includes one site license, core features like membership levels, content protection, and basic integrations. |
| Plus | $299/year | Includes everything in the Basic plan plus access to advanced reporting, additional integrations, and support for 2 sites. |
| Pro | $399/year | Includes everything in the Plus plan plus support for up to 5 sites, affiliate management, and priority support. |
| Lifetime License | $1,499 (one-time payment) | Includes everything in the Pro plan with lifetime updates and support. |
WooCommerce Memberships Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce Memberships | $199/year | Includes one site license, basic membership management, and content protection features. |
| WooCommerce Subscriptions (Required for recurring payments) | $199/year | Allows for recurring billing and subscription management integration with Memberships. |
| Total Cost (Essential) | $398/year (for full functionality) | Includes Memberships and Subscriptions for recurring memberships and payment features. |
In conclusion, MemberPress provides better value for businesses solely focused on membership sites, while WooCommerce Memberships is ideal for WooCommerce users who want to incorporate membership features into their existing e-commerce platform.
Support
Support is crucial when selecting a membership plugin, as it can significantly impact the ease of setup and troubleshooting.
Here’s a breakdown of their support options.
| Aspect | MemberPress | WooCommerce Memberships |
|---|---|---|
| Support Availability | ✅ 24/7 email support for all users, with higher-tier plans offering priority support. | ⚠️ WooCommerce Memberships is supported through WooCommerce’s general support channels. Priority support is available for paid WooCommerce plans. |
| Live Chat | ✅ Available for higher-tier plans (Pro and Lifetime). Offers instant assistance for technical issues. | ⚠️ No live chat support; users must rely on email or community forums for troubleshooting. |
| Phone Support | ⚠️ No phone support, but email and live chat (for Pro plans) provide adequate alternatives. | ⚠️ No phone support; email support only through WooCommerce’s customer service. |
| Response Times | ✅ Generally quick response times, especially for users on higher plans. Expect replies within 24-48 hours for most inquiries. | ⚠️ Response times can vary. WooCommerce Memberships-specific issues may take longer to resolve. |
| Support for Customization | ✅ Support is available for customizing core features, and they offer detailed guidance through email and documentation. | ⚠️ Support for customizations is limited, with more extensive help available through third-party developers or community forums. |
In terms of support, MemberPress offers a more accessible and robust solution, especially for users who are new to memberships or need quick help.
Before You Make a Decision
Choosing the right membership plugin for your site ultimately depends on your specific needs, business model, and existing infrastructure. Both MemberPress and WooCommerce Memberships offer powerful membership solutions, but they cater to different types of users and scenarios.
So, which one’s better? Well, the clear winner here is MemberPress in terms of features, usability, support, and pricing.
But did you know there’s a better alternative to both MemberPress and WooCommerce Memberships?
It’s the User Registration plugin, much more affordable while still offering almost identical features.
Here’s a brief comparison to show you how User Registration compares to the other two plugins:
| Features | MemberPress | WooCommerce Memberships | User Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 5⭐ | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Content Protection | 5⭐ | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Membership Levels | 5⭐ | 4.5⭐ | 4.5⭐ |
| Reporting & Analytics | 5⭐ | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Integrations | 5⭐ | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| eCommerce Integration | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Support | 4.5⭐ | 4⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Pricing | 4⭐ | 4⭐ | 5⭐ |
Try it for yourself—User Registration will be your recommendation as well once you’ve explored the plugin.