All the features. One plugin. No add-on juggling.
Paid Memberships Pro relies on multiple add-ons for advanced features. URM combines memberships, registration forms, content restriction, and payments in one plugin – free to start, $99/yr complete.
Three reasons membership site owners move from PMPro to URM.
Paid Memberships Pro is a long-standing and widely used membership plugin with a
solid feature set. However, there are a few key considerations to
keep in mind before getting started.
No Form Builder
PMPro does not include a native visual form builder, so creating advanced registration forms typically requires third-party plugins. This can add extra cost and setup complexity.
Add-on Dependency
While the core plugin is free, many essential features require choosing from over 60 add-ons. URM also has add-ons but includes more functionality natively.
Dated User Experience
The plugin remains reliable, but its interface and workflows feel less aligned with today’s UX standards, which can result in a longer learning curve for new users.
URM vs Paid Memberships Pro, feature by feature.
Membership features first. PMPro pricing: Free ($0), Standard ($499/yr, 1-site license, all premium add-ons), Max ($999/yr with managed hosting).
| Feature | User Registration & Membership | Paid Memberships Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & Free Plan | ||
| Free plan on WordPress.org | ✔ Yes — forms + PayPal | ✔ Yes — robust core with Stripe + PayPal |
| Entry paid plan (1 site) | ✔ $99/yr Personal | ◐ $499/yr Standard (5× more expensive) |
| Lifetime licence option | ✔ Yes — Personal from $299 | ✘ Not available |
| Money-back guarantee | ✔ 14 days | ✔ 100 days (industry-leading) |
| Core Membership Features | ||
| Unlimited paid membership plans | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ✔ Free + all plans |
| Recurring subscriptions | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ✔ Free + all plans |
| Free trial periods | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ✔ Free + all plans |
| Coupon / discount codes | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ✔ All plans |
| Team / group memberships | ✔ Plus ($199/yr) | ◐ Via add-on (Standard plan needed) |
| Members directory | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ◐ Via add-on |
| Customizable member dashboard | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ◐ Limited — requires custom templates |
| Content Restriction | ||
| Restrict by user role | ✔ Free plan | ✔ Free plan |
| Restrict by membership plan | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ✔ Free + all plans |
| Content drip (scheduled release) | ✔ Plus ($199/yr) | ◐ Via add-on (Standard needed) |
| Partial content teaser | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ✔ All plans |
| Payment Gateways | ||
| PayPal | ✔ Free plan | ✔ Free + all plans |
| Stripe | ✔ Free Plan | ✔ Free + all plans (PMPro edge on free) |
| Mollie | ✔ Plus ($199/yr) | ✘ Not available |
| Authorize.Net | ✔ Plus ($199/yr) | ◐ Via add-on (Standard needed) |
| No platform transaction fees | ✔ All plans | ✔ All plans |
| Registration Forms | ||
| Drag-and-drop form builder | ✔ Free plan | ✘ Not available |
| 60+ custom form fields | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ◐ Via User Fields (basic, no visual builder) |
| 50+ pre-built form templates | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ✘ Not available |
| Visual style customizer (no CSS) | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ✘ Requires custom CSS or themes |
| Social login (Google, Facebook) | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ✘ Not built in |
| Two-factor authentication | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ✘ Not built in |
| Integrations | ||
| Mailchimp / Brevo / ActiveCampaign | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ◐ Via add-ons (Standard needed) |
| WooCommerce integration | ✔ Personal ($99/yr) | ◐ Via add-on |
| Extensive developer hooks & filters | ◐ Available, less extensive | ✔ Very extensive — fully open source |
URM plan features from wpuserregistration.com/pricing. PMPro pricing from paidmembershipspro.com. Verified May 2026.
THE REAL COST OVER 3 YEARS
What you actually pay for comparable features.
PMPro’s free core is real — Stripe and PayPal are included. But the Standard plan at $499/yr is what you need to unlock team memberships, content drip, email integrations, and premium add-ons that URM includes on the Personal plan at $99/yr.
Plugin licence over 3 years (single site) — with content drip and email integrations
For equivalent features including content drip and email integrations, PMPro requires the Standard plan at $499/yr. URM Plus is $199 year 1, $249/yr after.
URM Personal: $99 × 3 = $297. URM Plus: $199 + $249 + $249 = $697. PMPro Standard: $499 × 3 = $1,497.
Lifetime licence — URM offers it, PMPro does not
Pay once, use forever. No annual renewal.
PMPro is genuinely impressive. Here’s where it still wins.
If any of these matter more to you than a simpler setup and lower cost, PMPro might be the right choice.
100-day money-back guarantee
PMPro offers one of the longest money-back windows in the industry: 100 days, no questions asked. URM offers 14 days. If you need an extended evaluation window before committing, PMPro’s guarantee removes more purchase risk upfront.
Open source with extensive tools
PMPro is fully open source with a rich library of hooks, filters, and code recipes. For developers building complex or highly customised membership systems, the ability to inspect and modify every part of the plugin is a significant advantage. The community Slack and documentation are genuinely excellent.
Stripe on the free plan
PMPro’s free plan includes Stripe and PayPal alongside basic membership and content restriction — a genuinely strong free tier. URM’s free plan includes PayPal only (Stripe requires the Personal plan at $99/yr). If Stripe at zero cost is important to you, PMPro’s free tier has a real edge.
Common questions about switching from PMPro.
Membership-specific questions from people evaluating both plugins.
Yes. URM is free on WordPress.org and includes the drag-and-drop form builder, basic content restriction by user role, and PayPal payments — no time limit, no credit card required. PMPro’s free plan is stronger on payments: it includes Stripe and PayPal on the free tier while URM doesn’t add Stripe until the $99/yr Personal plan. Both are genuine free options; the right choice depends on whether Stripe at zero cost matters to you.
Email integrations (Mailchimp, Brevo, ActiveCampaign, MailerLite) and the full membership feature set are included in the Personal plan at $99/yr. Content drip, team memberships, file downloads, and Mollie/Authorize.Net payments are on the Plus plan ($199/yr, renews at $249/yr). On PMPro, these features require the Standard plan at $499/yr and are delivered via separate add-ons you install and manage individually.
Honestly, not at the same depth. PMPro is fully open source with a decade of developer hooks, filters, and a large community of code recipes. If you need to build something highly customized at the PHP level, PMPro gives you more flexibility. URM is a better fit if you want a polished, visual setup experience without writing code. Most membership site needs are well covered without customization.
Yes — this is one of URM’s core strengths over PMPro. The drag-and-drop form builder is available from the free plan. The Personal plan ($99/yr) adds 60+ field types, 50+ ready-made templates, and a visual Style Customizer so you can style your forms without touching CSS. PMPro has User Fields for collecting extra data during checkout, but it’s not a visual form builder and requires code or third-party plugins for custom styling.
Your membership site keeps running. All plans, content restriction rules, and member accounts stay intact — existing members can still log in and access their content. You lose plugin updates and support access, but nothing breaks. URM also offers a lifetime licence ($299 for 1 site) so you can avoid annual renewals entirely. PMPro’s free core remains available indefinitely since it’s open source, but paid add-ons stop receiving updates when your Standard licence lapses.
Ready to Build Your Membership Site the Smart Way?
Join thousands of creators who chose simplicity, transparency,
and modern features over add-on complexity.