The global subscription economy is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2025 — and membership sites are a great way to get people to sign up for content that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to. But one of the challenges of membership sites is keeping track of all the different members, and their content preferences, as well as nurturing them into becoming paying members of your site. That’s where membership site plugins come in — unfortunately, though, with so many options on the market, choosing one can be quite difficult.
So, what are the best membership site plugins for your WordPress — and why are they so popular?
We’ve compiled a list of the best of the best — so read on to find out more.
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What Are Some Types of Membership Site Plugins to Be Aware Of?
Membership site plugins can help you in a number of ways. In essence, they can automate some of the most tedious and difficult membership tasks — from nurturing to member management, so you can focus on providing your community members the best content there is.
The best part about it all? Installing membership site plugins is very easy — and they usually come at a cost that far outweighs the ROI you will get from your membership site.
Here are some of the most popular types of membership site plugins on the market today:
Content Management Systems
A content management system, or CMS for short, is a membership site plug-in that helps you keep track of your membership site’s content. A good CMS will offer features such as scheduling posts, managing comments, and even integrating with social media platforms.
Member Management Systems
Member management systems, or MMS for short, are membership site plugins that help you keep track of your membership site’s members. A good MMS will offer features such as managing membership levels, keeping track of member activity, and even sending out automated emails to members.
Payment Gateways
Payment gateways are a membership site plugins that help you accept payments from members. A good payment gateway will offer features such as support for multiple currencies, the ability to do recurring billing, and even fraud protection.
Analytics
Analytics plugins are membership site plugins that help you track the performance of your membership site. A good analytics membership site plug-in will offer features such as the ability to track page views, unique visitors, and even conversion rates.
Website Builders
A website builders are membership site plugins that help you build a membership site. A good website builder will offer features such as the ability to create custom pages, the ability to add membership levels, and even eCommerce integration — all just by dragging and dropping elements onto the page.
Security Plugins
Security plugins are a membership site plugins that help you secure your membership site from hackers. A good security membership site plug-in will offer features such as two-factor authentication, the ability to block malicious IP addresses, and even malware scanning.
SEO Plugins
SEO plugins are membership site plugins that helps you optimize your membership site for the search engines. A good SEO membership site plug-in will offer features such as the ability to add meta tags, the ability to create custom permalinks, and even integration with Google Analytics. With an ROI of 275%, SEO is one of the least expensive ways to distribute your content and make sure your membership site reaches your target audience.
Top 10 Most Popular WordPress Membership Site Plugins
Now that we’ve gone over some of the different types of membership site plugins, let’s take a look at some of the best WordPress membership site plugins out there.
Elementor
Elementor is a membership site plug-in that helps you build website without having to know how to code. It offers features such as the ability to create custom pages, the ability to add membership levels, and even eCommerce integration — all just by dragging and dropping elements onto the page.
Elementor pricing starts at $49/ year for their page builder and goes as high as $999 per year.
Pros:
– Easy to use
– No coding required
– Affordable membership price
Cons:
– Lacks some features that more advanced users might need, but can work very well
Oxygen
Oxygen is another page builder for WordPress websites. Its main goal is that of helping users build membership sites without having to touch a line of code.
Oxygen starts at $129 (as a one-time fee) for a Basic plan and their highest-tier pricing is $149 (for a package that includes Oxygen and Breakdance, a website page builder created by the same company, but geared at beginners.)
Pros:
– No coding required
– Extensive control over membership site design
Cons:
– Depending on your needs, Oxygen might be more limited than other page builders out there.
Tutor LMS
Tutor LMS is one of those membership site plugins that help you manage membership levels, keep track of member activity, and even send out automated emails to members.
Tutor LMS starts at $0 for a basic plan and their first paid pricing plan costs $149/ year. Their highest-tier pricing plan costs $299/ year.
Pros:
– Easy to use
– Affordable membership price
– Lots of features for membership management
Cons:
– Some features might be too much for a simple membership site, if you are just starting out
WordFence
WordFence is a membership site plug-in that helps you secure your membership site from hackers. It offers features such as two-factor authentication, the ability to block malicious IP addresses, and even malware scanning.
WordFence has a free plan and their first paid membership plan starts at $99/ year. Their highest-tier pricing plan is $950/ year. However, considering their starting plan is quite good, the plug-in ranks as one of the best membership plugin WordPress free.
Pros:
– Lots of features for membership security
– Free plan available
Cons:
– Some features might be overkill for a simple membership site
– Higher membership price compared to other membership site plugins
NitroPack
NitroPack is a membership site plug-in that helps you optimize your membership site for the search engines (especially in terms of speed.) A good SEO membership site plug-in will offer features such as the ability to add meta tags, the ability to create custom permalinks, and even integration with Google Analytics.
NitroPack starts at $17.50/ month (for 50,000 pageviews) and goes as high as $146.67/month (for 1,000,000 pageviews.)
Pros:
– Lots of features for membership site optimization
– Affordable membership price
Cons:
– Some features might be overkill for a simple membership site
– Requires some technical knowledge to set up
Yoast
Yoast is one of the most popular SEO plugins for WordPress (and it ranks quite well even among the membership site plugins niche). It allows you to keep your content in check in terms of meeting the Search Engine Optimization best practices and it also offers features such as the ability to create custom permalinks and even integration with Google Analytics.
Yoast pricing starts at $99/ year for a single site membership, but they also have a free version that is quite generous in features too.
Pros:
– Lots of features for membership site optimization
– Free membership plan available
Cons:
– Some features might be overkill for a simple membership site
– Requires some technical knowledge to set up
RankMath
RankMath is another membership site plug-in that is popular for its SEO features. It allows you to keep your content in check in terms of meeting the Search Engine Optimization best practices and it also offers features such as the ability to create custom permalinks and even integration with Google Analytics.
RankMath starts at $59/ year for the most basic package (which includes 25 Content AI credits you can use to further optimize your content, beyond meeting the basic best practices.) The highest-tier pricing plan on RankMath is $499/ year and it includes 750 Content AI credits.
Pros:
– Lots of features for membership site optimization
– Affordable membership price
Cons:
– Some features might be overkill for a simple membership site
– Requires some technical knowledge to set up
JetPack Stats
JetPack Stats is a membership site plug-in that allows you to collect detailed statistics about your membership site traffic. It also offers features such as the ability to connect with Google Analytics and even see detailed information about each individual visitor (such as their location, what browser they are using, etc.)
JetPack Stats is free to use if you have any other plug-in in the Jetpack line (which includes AntiSpam, VideoPress, CRM Entrepreneur, and more.)
Pros:
– Lots of features for membership site analytics
– Free membership plan available (if you have another Jetpack plug-in)
Cons:
– Some features might be overkill for a simple membership site
– Requires some technical knowledge to set up
OptinMonster
OptinMonster is one of the most well-known WordPress plugins for membership sites. It helps you to create beautiful membership forms and also allows you to track membership sign-ups and conversions. OptinMonster also offers a wide range of features such as the ability to create popups, A/B testing, and even detailed analytics — all of which will help you boost your conversion rate and attract more people to your website.
OptinMonster starts at $9/ month and goes as high as $49/ month.
Pros:
– Lots of membership site features
– Affordable membership price
Cons:
– Some features might be overkill for a simple membership site
– Requires some technical knowledge to set up and use all the features
Ultimate Membership Pro
OK, we might be biased here, but if you’re looking for a membership site plug-in to help you build the entire membership side of your site (like paid member subscriptions, nurturing, WooCommerce integration for e-commerce monetization options, restricting content, and so on.), try Ultimate Membership Site. More than 34,000 websites already trust us, so that must mean something :).
Of course, there are others, like WP-Members Membership plugin, Restrict Content Pro, and other paid member subscriptions plugins. But if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution with all the membership site features you need and which comes at an affordable price, this is it for you.
Ultimate Membership Pro starts at $59/ month (as a one-time fee) and goes up to 149/ year (for advanced features and more than 37 extra-integrations.)
Pros:
– Lots of membership site features
– One-time membership fee (no recurring charges for the basic pricing plan)
Cons:
– Some features might be overkill for a simple membership site (but that’s why we offer 3 different membership plans!)
Top Membership Site Plugins: Conclusion
As you can see, there are lots of membership site plugins available depending on your needs — and they are not even by far the only good ones out there! If you want to monetize your membership site and/or grow your revenue from it, WordPress plugins like these are very important.
Of course, your pricing strategy, how you create and distribute content, and many other elements come into play when it comes to the success of a membership site. Even so, good plugins can go a long way when it comes to making sure the technical side is fully optimized and as automated as possible — and even a simple membership plugin can go a long way in optimizing your members’ experience (and growing your revenue.)
Membership Site Plugins: FAQs
Which membership plugin is best?
If you are looking for an all-in-one membership plugin for WordPress, give Ultimate Membership Pro a chance. It comes with every feature you need to gate content, nurture leads, and connect your site to an e-commerce platform. Plus, the pricing for this tool is very good — and more than 34,000 people have used it already, ranking it among the best membership plugin options WordPress.
What Is a Membership plug in?
A membership plugin for WordPress is a tool that allows you to create and manage membership areas on your website. This includes everything from creating membership forms to gating content and restricting access to certain areas of your site.
What plugin would you use to build a membership site on WordPress?
There are lots of membership site plugins available depending on your needs — Ultimate Membership Pro is one of them! If you want to monetize your membership site and/or grow your revenue from it, WordPress plugins like these are very important. When looking for the right membership site plug-in, keep in mind your needs and the features you are looking for. Regardless of whether you want a membership WordPress plugin free or a paid membership plugin WordPress, do your research, read reviews, and ask around: the best options will eventually come to surface.
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