The Best Membership Level Names You Can Use
The best membership level names are short, easy to remember and tied to your site’s theme, such as Rookie, MVP and All-Star or Supporter, Patron and Benefactor. Good names make the difference between levels clear and fit your brand. You can name levels by access, by audience, by support level, by content or by skill, like White, Green and Black belt.
When you have multiple options for membership, it will ultimately be up to the customer to decide what works best for them. However, a company can have some influence over its customers’ decisions. It’s in your interest to move as many people as possible into the level that fits them best, and choosing creative membership level names can do a lot to reach that goal.
When a person chooses a membership level, the membership-level names will be the first thing they see. A community manager should have the goal of creating membership-level names that correspond to what each level has to offer; in that way, a prospective member is drawn in and motivated to sign up.
This guide will help you come up with creative membership level names, gives you a table of 45+ membership tier names grouped by theme, and shows how real organizations name their membership levels.
How to Come Up With Creative Membership Tier Names
Most membership offers today use tier names such as:
- Free
- Basic
- Business
- Exclusive
- Platinum
However, most people are used to seeing these kinds of membership-level names, so they aren’t really drawn in. Potential members are usually enticed by creativity. That’s one reason why creating unique membership-level names is important. Using membership-level names that people haven’t seen a thousand times before will help you to attract and keep new users.
Ideally, prospective members should be able to look at your membership site or sales page and know exactly what is going to work best for them.
One good way to come up with creative tier names is to relate them to the theme of your site.
A membership site for music education, for example, could use membership-level names like
- New Musician
- Concert Ready
- Virtuoso
Once new members decide which level is appropriate for them, they can read more about prices and benefits in the pricing boxes.
45+ Membership Level Names by Theme
Use this table as a starting point. Each row is a three-tier set (entry, middle, top), which is the most common structure for membership tiers and pricing pages. Pick a theme that matches your topic, then rename or add levels as needed.
| Theme | Entry level | Middle level | Top level | Works well for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | Basic | Plus | Premium | Any site that wants instantly clear tiers |
| Metals | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Loyalty and rewards programs |
| Gems | Pearl | Sapphire | Diamond | Premium or luxury brands |
| Sports | Rookie | MVP | All-Star | Sports clubs and fitness sites |
| Music | New Musician | Concert Ready | Virtuoso | Music lessons and education |
| Skill level | Beginner | Intermediate | Expert | Online courses and training |
| Martial arts | White Belt | Green Belt | Black Belt | Dojos and skill-progression programs |
| Craft | Apprentice | Journeyman | Master | Trades, crafts, and creative skills |
| Supporters | Supporter | Patron | Benefactor | Nonprofits, museums, and creators |
| Buffet | Sampler | A la Carte | All-You-Can-Eat | Content libraries with partial and full access |
| Ice cream | One Spoonful | One Scoop | Sundae | Playful, consumer-facing brands |
| Travel | Explorer | Voyager | Globetrotter | Travel and outdoor communities |
| Growth | Seed | Sprout | Evergreen | Gardening, wellness, and personal growth |
| Space | Launch | Orbit | Galaxy | Tech, science, and startup communities |
| Access | Free | Insider | All Access | Publishers and newsletters |
Whichever set you choose, test the names on a few people from your audience: if they can’t guess which tier is higher, the names need work.
Membership Levels for Different Types of Membership Sites
When you are ready to name your membership levels, try to come up with something that fits with the topic and the audience you are trying to attract. Keep in mind that levels are not the same as types of membership such as free, recurring, or lifetime: a level is a rung within your offer, so its name should signal where it sits. Consider which of the following approaches and examples suit your business best.
Tiered/Content-Access Membership Levels
Of course, the services you offer and the kind of membership club you have will affect the structure of your subscription tiers.
The tier structure works really well for memberships that offer different levels of access. The membership experience will be different depending on how much customers pay. The more they are willing to pay, the more access they have or the better service they receive. This kind of system works great if your membership offers entertainment, music, content or something similar.
To illustrate, a sports club might offer membership plans with names like Rookie, MVP, and, the highest membership level, All-Star or something similar.
Book Riot offers a good example from publishing. When it launched its Insiders membership, the book site named its tiers after story lengths: Short Story, Novel, and Epic. The names fit the audience perfectly, and readers can tell at a glance which tier is the biggest.
Audience-Based Membership Level Names
Another thing to think about is whether to name your levels after what members can access or after who the level is for. Audience-based names are about who gets access, not what they can access.
Spotify is a well-known example. Its Premium plans are called Individual, Duo, Family, and Student, so each person can tell immediately which plan is meant for them, and each name also hints at a different price.
Patrons or Different Supporter Levels
What’s known as the patronage model is a membership program designed so that members can support you and your work.
This kind of membership program is popular with creators, nonprofits, and museums. It gives you a lot of flexibility regarding the names you choose for your membership levels.
Creators on platforms like Patreon often use playful supporter names tied to their content, which makes backing them feel like joining an inside group.
Museums use a more formal version of the same idea. Smithsonian Associates, which runs educational programs for the Smithsonian, splits its membership levels into an Introductory group (Explorer, Champion, Promoter) and a Circle of Support (Advocate, Contributor, Patron, Sponsor, Partner, Benefactor, and Director’s Circle). The names make the purpose of each level clear without overcomplicating things.
Following this example, you could name your membership levels something like
- Supporter
- Patron
- Benefactor
The names should reflect the value of each membership level and give people an idea of what they can expect in return for supporting you.
Membership Level Names Based on Content Delivery
If you offer different levels of access for each membership level, it could be useful to choose a naming structure based on content delivery. Structuring your memberships in such a way is an effective way to inform subscribers of what they will have access to in each plan.
You can always stick with a basic naming structure, such as
- Free
- Paid
- Full-Access
News publishers often use this kind of naming structure, with plan names such as Digital, Print + Digital, and All Access that tell readers exactly what each subscription includes.
Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to traditional membership-level names. You can even borrow ideas from other markets. If you got inspiration from an ice cream shop, your membership plans might look like
- One spoonful (free option)
- One scoop (first tier paid plan)
- Ice Cream Sundae (all access)
Another idea could be to name your membership levels after a buffet:
- Sampler (free option)
- A la carte (access to specific content)
- All-you-can-eat (full access)
In the end, it will come down to the kind of content you offer and your target audience.
Category-Specific Levels
You could also base your membership levels on a “services-offered” naming convention. That means you organize each membership level based on the services you offer to specific people. Each subscription offers different services, products, etc to certain member demographics. For example, an advertising agency might tailor each of its membership levels to the client. Then they adjust the content depending on if they are dealing with an agency, an educator, a student, a freelancer, or an established vendor.
For example, subscription plans directed toward business people might categorize member type levels by Executive, Affiliate, Strategic Partner, and Supporter.
Professional associations often use this naming convention. An association that supports teachers, for example, might organize its membership levels like this:
- Primary School Membership
- Secondary School Membership
- Corporate Membership, where one organization pays for a team through group memberships
- Consultant Membership
Although each membership level offers similar support and services, it is also tailored to specific members in each group.
Skill-Based Membership Level Names
Lots of membership plans are designed for people who want to learn or improve new skills. Some examples of this kind of membership are professional development, language learning, music, writing, coding, gardening, and sports. To start the naming process, try organizing your services by proficiency levels or topic.
For instance, a membership program for martial arts might use the following tiered structure:
- White belt
- Green belt
- Black belt
- Black belt master
This is a fun idea for membership-level names, and using this method conveys to the subscribers the skill level for each tier.
Another idea might be to use a system from apprentice to master, or beginner to expert.
How to Set Up Membership Levels in WordPress
Before you name anything, decide whether several levels are right for you at all. This overview of tiered membership pros and cons helps you check whether the extra work pays off.
If you run your site on WordPress, Ultimate Membership Pro calls each level a Membership. You give every Membership its name, price, billing cycle, and optional trial, and you can create as many as you need. Members can move between levels with upgrades and downgrades that use prorated billing, and they only see the plans that fit their current Membership. You’ll find all the billing options on the subscriptions and payments page.
Next, restrict content by Membership so each level unlocks exactly what its name promises. Ultimate Membership Pro is sold as annual plans; see the pricing page for what each plan includes.
Conclusion
When you are creating a membership level names strategy, there are a few things to keep in mind.
- You need to keep your membership names consistent with the membership club.
- When naming your membership levels, you need to have clearly in mind the differences between each subscription level.
- The names you choose should nudge members in a certain direction.
- When you set up different membership levels, choose names that identify the different membership tiers and draw people in.
- Keep things simple. Although you want to choose creative membership tier names, long or complicated names will deter people. Choose names that are simple and easy to remember.
Remember that the naming process should be fun for you too. Play around with different ideas that fit your membership site and see what jumps out at you.
Choosing membership level names is a powerful part of your marketing strategy. With a little time and thought, the right membership tier names will not only draw in new members but also make current members feel appreciated and valued.
Frequently asked questions
How many membership levels should a membership site have?
There is no fixed number. Start with a small set of levels so visitors can compare them quickly and pick one without confusion. Add a new level only when it offers a clear difference in access, audience or price, and make that difference obvious in its name.
What are common names for membership tiers?
Common tier names include Free, Basic, Premium and Exclusive, or Bronze, Silver and Gold. These names are familiar, so visitors understand the order right away. The downside is that they don’t stand out, so many sites use names tied to their topic, such as New Musician, Concert Ready and Virtuoso for a music site.
Should membership level names describe access or the audience?
Either works, as long as it matches how your levels differ. If higher levels give more content or service, use names that show progress, such as Rookie, MVP and All-Star. If levels serve different groups of people, name them after the group, like Individual, Student or Family plans.
How do you name membership levels for supporters or donors?
Use names that show appreciation and rise in status with the amount given, such as Supporter, Patron and Benefactor. Museums, nonprofits and creators often use this approach because members join mainly to support the work. Keep each name short and list what supporters receive at each level.
How do I set up membership levels in WordPress?
Install a membership plugin, create one level for each tier, and set its name, payment type and the content it gives access to. In Ultimate Membership Pro these levels are called Memberships, and each can be sold as a one-time payment or a recurring subscription, with free and trial options. Then restrict pages, posts or parts of a page to the right Memberships.
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