{"id":6701,"date":"2020-04-28T15:00:57","date_gmt":"2020-04-28T13:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/?p=6701"},"modified":"2020-09-04T00:37:18","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T22:37:18","slug":"membership-plugins-for-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/membership-plugins-for-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Best Membership Plugins for WordPress"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Are you familiar with the concept of membership websites? Chances are, you\u2019ve probably stumbled upon them while surfing the web. Maybe you\u2019ve joined one or two. Or perhaps you\u2019ve heard stories of people who earn their income by running a membership website. Of course, it\u2019s also possible you don\u2019t even know what they are. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Whatever the case may be, you\u2019ve come to the right place. We\u2019ll tell you all about membership websites and we\u2019ll share with you the list of 5 best membership plugins for WordPress.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]We\u2019ll tackle the following questions:[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;22px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#what-is-membership-site\">What Are Membership Websites?<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#why-build-membership-site\">Why Should You Build a Membership Website?<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#best-membership-plugins\">What Are the Best Membership Plugins for WordPress? <\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;31px&#8221;][vc_column_text]If you know what membership websites are and you understand how they work, skip straight to the section where we discuss the 5 best plugins and get your membership website up and running ASAP. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;70px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"what-is-membership-site\"><\/a>What Are Membership Websites?<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<strong>A membership website features content that users don\u2019t have access to unless they create an account<\/strong>. Webmasters can place the entire content or certain parts of it behind the \u2018\u2019login gate\u2019\u2019.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Some membership websites are free, others paid, but they can also be a mix of both. Most people who run this sort of sites usually start by offering free content so they can gather a solid membership base. And users won\u2019t mind paying for the premium content once they realize you\u2019re credible and you constantly deliver value to your audience.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>Most websites that require a paid subscription offer several plans with varying benefits users can choose from, depending on their needs and the budget. <\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]When you login to a membership website, you can view and purchase the exclusive content, offers, and resources, as well as join other members and become a part of the community.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>Some of the most common types of content that membership websites feature are tutorials, courses, podcasts, videos, case studies, quizzes, eBooks, surveys, webinars, bits of advice, etc.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"why-build-membership-site\"><\/a>Why Should You Build a Membership Website?<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Why-Should-You-Build-a-Membership-Website.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Why Should You Build a Membership Website\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Why-Should-You-Build-a-Membership-Website.png 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Why-Should-You-Build-a-Membership-Website-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Why-Should-You-Build-a-Membership-Website-620x350.png 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]When you educate yourself on a particular subject and gain a bunch of practical knowledge along the way, there\u2019s a lot you can pass on to others. And having a membership website is an excellent way of showcasing your expertise. <strong>You get to leverage your skills and grow your business<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]By sharing your knowledge and top-notch content with customers, <strong>you\u2019ll create a loyal following that\u2019ll further spread the word about you, and more people will want to connect with you<\/strong>. What matters is to continuously deliver valuable content, to remind your users that you\u2019re the bee\u2019s knees.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>A membership website can be a great source of reliable, steady income<\/strong>. Even if you don\u2019t immediately set price tags on your memberships, free content is likely to attract more people in. And when the time\u2019s right (when you convince your audience you\u2019re a true connoisseur of a specific niche with a lot of knowledge to share), you can start monetizing your website.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"best-membership-plugins\"><\/a>What Are the 5 Best Membership Plugins for WordPress?<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]When you decide to make a membership website, you need to set up a virtual barrier between your content and users. And that doesn\u2019t have to be an arduous task at all. All you need is a good membership plugin. We wanted to test as many of them as possible to discover which plugins work best and pack only the finest of options. We\u2019ve narrowed the choice down to these 5 impressive membership plugins that\u2019ll unquestionably make your life a whole lotta easier.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">MemberPress<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;24px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Memberpress-Plugin.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Memberpress Plugin\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Memberpress-Plugin.jpg 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Memberpress-Plugin-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Memberpress-Plugin-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MemberPress<\/a> is <strong>one of the best plugins you can use to create a membership website<\/strong>. It doesn\u2019t come at no cost, though \u2013 you need to select one of the three available <a href=\"https:\/\/memberpress.com\/plans\/pricing\/#features\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pricing plans<\/a>. The setup is a proper cakewalk and the plugin is really easy to use.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]As soon as you activate the plugin on your WordPress website, you can access the MemberPress dashboard. It contains various stats concerning transactions and your income. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]To modify the settings, head over to <em><strong>MemberPress &gt; Options<\/strong><\/em>. This is the section where you can:[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;23px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">set slugs<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">choose what\u2019s going to happen in case of unauthorized access<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">enable or disable various options regarding members\u2019 accounts &#8211; permissions, registration, login, and logout<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">insert custom user information fields<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">set payment gateways &#8211; you can <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-add-wordpress-paypal-button\/\">add PayPal<\/a>, Authorize.net, and <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/stripe-wordpress-plugins\/\">Stripe payments<\/a>, and then adjust settings for each selected payment method,<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_column_text]and much more.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>MemberPress can easily integrate with a vast number of useful services and tools<\/strong>, such as MailChimp, Constant Contact, BuddyPress, HelpScout, and many others. Not all are integrated into every pricing plan, so pay attention to this if you care about using a particular service. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>You can create as many pricing tiers as you want<\/strong>, and then set the price, billing type, and access for each tier.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Another cool feature is <strong>content dripping<\/strong> a.k.a. the gated content that \u201cdrips out\u201d and becomes visible to users on a specific date or after a predefined timeframe.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>Securing the content is easy by setting up an array of rules<\/strong>. You get to choose the sections of your website where those rules will apply (be it the whole content, a single post, groups, etc.) and then link those sections to a specific membership plan.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]There\u2019s also the option to <strong>create coupons, as well as set up reminders<\/strong> for your users (for instance, you can remind them that their payment is due).[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>The MemberPress plugin is a rock-solid solution for your website<\/strong>, and you can use it to restrict access to any type of content you like.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>The only cons to using this plugin could be its price and not that many payment gateways<\/strong>. The basic plan currently sells for $149, but normally its price is $249. However, considering how much value you get for your money, this is possibly the best plugin you canuse for your membership WordPress website.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">Ultimate Membership Pro<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;24px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ultimate-Membership-Pro.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Ultimate Membership Pro\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ultimate-Membership-Pro.jpg 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ultimate-Membership-Pro-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ultimate-Membership-Pro-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a href=\"https:\/\/codecanyon.net\/item\/ultimate-membership-pro-wordpress-plugin\/12159253\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ultimate Membership Pro<\/a> is the <strong>top-selling membership plugin on Envato<\/strong>, and for a good reason. It\u2019s been sold more than 21k times and it has an average rating of 4.52 stars. And it costs only $29.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Upon activating the plugin, you\u2019ll have access to the dashboard where you can:[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;23px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">create new users<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">set up payment plans <\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">set lock rules,<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">manage payment services<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">set inside lockers<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">manage showcases \u2013 here you can design the way different sections of your website will look, for instance, the register form, login form, subscription plan, etc.<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">manage social media logins<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">create coupons and generate codes for your users<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_column_text]etc.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]When it comes to payment tiers, this plugin includes several predefined plans you can modify to your liking. <strong>You can change the tier name, access, billing type, price, recurrences, edit slugs, etc<\/strong>. There\u2019s also a really cool option called <em><strong>Subscription Plan Showcase<\/strong><\/em> that lets you preview your plans before they go live. <strong>You can create an unlimited number of membership plans and every user can have multiple plans assigned to their account simultaneously<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Ultimate Membership Pro <strong>supports all the popular payment gateways<\/strong> such as PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.net, Baintree, 2Checkout, Payza, as well as bank transfer.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>This plugin lets you fully or partially block your content on pages, posts, custom posts, taxonomies, etc<\/strong>. For example, if you\u2019d like to hide a section on a page, you can do that by using the <em><strong>Inside Locker<\/strong><\/em> option.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Just like MemberPress, <strong>Ultimate Membership Pro features the drip content functionality<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]This plugin comes with a wide array of features that make it somewhat complex and maybe a bit tricky to use. Should you get stuck at any point, contact their support team, browse the knowledge base, or watch video tutorials on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLmOiaKgLhsFlhpkMb_fHKV45u4qZ1IZHd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ultimate Membership Pro official YouTube channel<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;81px&#8221;][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; accent_color=&#8221;#f0f0f0&#8243;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;50px&#8221;][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=&#8221;top-picks-banner&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; accent_color=&#8221;#f0f0f0&#8243;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;84px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">MemberMouse<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;24px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/MemberMouse.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"MemberMouse\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/MemberMouse.jpg 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/MemberMouse-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/MemberMouse-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a href=\"https:\/\/membermouse.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MemberMouse<\/a> is a <strong>remarkable premium plugin that can help you manage your membership website, especially if you\u2019re running an eCommerce business<\/strong>. It comes with three pricing plans available, but you can try them out free of charge for 14 days and decide which one meets your needs.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The setup is simple and the plugin is easy to use. No matter what option you select from the menu, there\u2019s a <em><strong>Need Help<\/strong><strong>?<\/strong><\/em> option at the upper right corner of the screen. Hover over it to access related videos and articles. You can also email the support team whenever you can\u2019t resolve an issue on your own.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The MemberMouse menu comes with multiple settings you can easily modify, including:[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;23px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">members<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">products<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">checkout<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">payments<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">email integration \u2013 choose the email provider such as MailChimp, iContact, AWeber, or GetResponse<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">affiliate \u2013 you can integrate with iDevAffiliate <\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">webforms \u2013 create sign-up forms and include them on your website<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_column_text]etc.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The <em><strong>Manage Members<\/strong><\/em> option includes a wealth of options for each user. You can <strong>modify access rights, view subscriptions, and monitor transactions as well as the activity log<\/strong>. There\u2019s also an option to <strong>issue refunds<\/strong> straight from the dashboard.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>To control what content your users have access to, use membership levels and bundles<\/strong>. Every member can have just one membership plan active at a time, but there can be an unlimited number of bundles per account. <strong>Bundles are like add-ons and act as an additional content protection tool<\/strong>. For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re offering educational courses online. A user can purchase a plan that would grant them access to 5 courses. But you could offer them 3 more courses for an additional cost, and you\u2019d protect those courses with a bundle.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]MemberMouse packs some nifty features such as <strong>the drip content scheduler, prorated upgrades, group functionality, social media integration, and SmartTags<\/strong>. SmartTags are shortcodes that allow you to dynamically display content, member details, offers, upsells and downsells, billing info, and more. You can also use them on confirmation or thank you pages, and then display relevant products when a user purchases something from your site.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>The plugin integrates with all the popular billing providers<\/strong>, including PayPal, Stripe, Braintree, Authorize.net, LimeLight CRM, ClickBank, and Coinbase.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The possibilities of this plugin appear to be endless, and <strong>its only disadvantage could be the price<\/strong>. The most basic plan costs $19.95 per month, but it allows only for up to 1000 members. However, if you wish to build a serious online business, then investing in more expensive pricing plans will definitely pay off.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">Restrict Content Pro<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;24px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Restrict-Content-Pro.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Restrict Content Pro\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Restrict-Content-Pro.png 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Restrict-Content-Pro-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Restrict-Content-Pro-620x331.png 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The <a href=\"https:\/\/restrictcontentpro.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Restrict Content Pro<\/a> is a high-quality premium plugin that comes with <a href=\"https:\/\/restrictcontentpro.com\/pricing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">four pricing plans available<\/a>, with the prices going from $99 per year to $499 (a one-time payment).[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The plugin packs numerous customizable options and it gives you full control over:[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;23px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">Members \u2013 you can track active, pending, expired, canceled, and free users<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">subscription levels<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">payments<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">reports \u2013 keep an eye on them to better understand how well your website is performing<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">logs<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">and exports \u2013 this option allows you to generate CSV files of all active members of a particular tier, of every member, or of every payment that\u2019s been made.<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_column_text]You can <strong>create an unlimited number of membership packages, including free, trial, and premium subscriptions<\/strong>. Each tier comes with several customizable parameters including access level, duration, and price. There\u2019s also an option that allows you to assign different WordPress user roles to your members. <strong>Users can easily upgrade or downgrade to one of your membership plans<\/strong>. In that case, the amount they\u2019ve already paid gets prorated to the new plan.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]As for payment integrations, <strong>this plugin supports Stripe, Braintree, 2Checkout, PayPal, and Authorize.net<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Whenever someone subscribes to your plan, you can send them a welcome email. Or a reminder, in case they\u2019re late with a payment.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Overall, Restrict Content Pro is easy to use and jam-packed with impressive features. However, <strong>its downside is the fact that you need to activate add-ons to add more functionality to it<\/strong>. For example, if you want to enable drip content, you need an add-on that\u2019s available only with the two most expensive plans. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">Paid Memberships Pro<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;24px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Paid-Memberships-Pro.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Paid Memberships Pro\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Paid-Memberships-Pro.jpg 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Paid-Memberships-Pro-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Paid-Memberships-Pro-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paidmembershipspro.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paid Memberships Pro<\/a> plugin is another excellent solution for membership websites. If you don\u2019t feel like paying for two premium plans,<strong> you can opt for the free version<\/strong> that currently boasts over 90k active installations and an average rating of 4.3 stars on the official WordPress plugin directory.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The dashboard offers a detailed view of several metrics such as:[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;23px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">sales and revenue<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">recent members<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">membership stats<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">recent orders<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item \">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\">visits, views, and logins \u2013 this is where you can track how many users have visited and viewed your content, and how of them have logged into their account.<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_column_text]You can access all of these features separately and tweak them to your liking. They\u2019re placed in separate tabs at the top of the page, but you can also find them in the dashboard menu, under <em><strong>Memberships<\/strong>. <\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>Paid Memberships Pro allows you to create unlimited membership levels<\/strong>, including free, paid, subscriptions (daily, weekly, monthly, annual), and custom trial periods. You can <strong>set membership tiers for individual pages, posts, videos, downloads, forums, etc., and also accept recurring payments for the gated content<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]As for payment gateways, <strong>this plugin integrates with Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Braintree, 2Checkouts, and CyberSource<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]You can also generate discount codes for your users, as well as set custom messages for logged-in non-members, logged-out users, and RSS feeds.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The plugin also <strong>integrates with more than 70 third-party add-ons<\/strong> such as MailChimp, bbPress, BuddyPress, WooCommerce, Slack, AffiliateWP, and many others.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The free version of Paid Memberships Pro comes with an extensive set of options, but in order to have far more options at your fingertips, consider purchasing one of the premium plans. In fact, just like with Restrict Content Pro, <strong>possibly the biggest con of using this plugin is that you have to install various add-ons to enable some pretty basic features<\/strong>, such as to allow members to purchase access to specific pages or enable the drip content feature.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\">In Conclusion\u2026<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Before you start your own membership website, it\u2019s important to be certain of a couple of things. One, you need to be an expert in a specific field. And two, you have to be willing to share your knowledge and some top-notch content. The rest is not that hard. With the right <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/themes-list\/\">premium WordPress theme<\/a> and <strong>one of these membership plugins, you\u2019ll definitely set yourself up for success<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]And of all the plugins we\u2019ve tested, <strong>MemberPress and MemberMouse have turned out to be probably the best solutions on the market<\/strong>. They\u2019re both extremely versatile and stacked-full with impressive and practical features. But you can\u2019t go wrong regardless of which plugin you choose. It all comes down to finding the one that works well with your budget and your business requirements.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The easiest way to create a members-only website is by using a membership plugin. Discover the top membership plugins on the market that suit your every need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[15,39,13],"class_list":["post-6701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-resources","tag-plugins","tag-tools","tag-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6701\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}