A paid private community on your own WordPress site

Ultimate Membership Pro runs the membership side of a private community on WordPress: who can join, what they pay, and which pages, profiles and discussions only members see. Pair it with the forum or community plugin you prefer.

Your community, members only

DirectoryJoiningPosting limits

Members Directory · every planMembers

Search by name or company

ARAna RuizProduct designer

JOJames OkaforFounder

SKSara KleinMarketing lead

TBTom BeckerEngineer

How the directory works

ShowsThe profile fields you choose

Search and filtersOn the fields you tick

ListedMembers who opt in, if you ask

The pageLocked to members

Invitation Codes · every planWho gets in

Invitation code FOUNDERS2612 of 50 sign-ups usedActive

New accountWaiting for your approvalPending

Approved by youCan log in and join a MembershipMember

The settings behind it

CodesSingle or bulk, with a use limit

ApprovalNew accounts wait as Pending

SpamreCAPTCHA on the form

ThenMembers join free or pay

WP Workflow Restrictions · every planPosting limits per Membership

FreeComments in 30 days5

MemberComments in 30 days50

Founding memberComments in 30 daysNo limit

Posts over the limit wait for your review.

How limits work

Comments over the limitDeleted

Posts over the limitSaved as Pending Review

PeriodDays you choose

AdministratorsNever limited

Sound familiar?

Free groups grow noisy, and nobody pays

Anyone can joinInvitation codes and manual approval keep the community to the people you want.

Members can't find each otherGive members a searchable directory with a profile page for each of them.

A platform owns your membersKeep your members, their payments and your content on your own WordPress site.

How communities use it

Everything around your community, in one plugin

Each job below maps to a feature you can switch on today.

Invitation codesEvery planInvite-only joiningThe registration form asks for a valid code. Create one shared code or a batch of personal ones.How it works

Registration and approvalEvery planApprove every memberHold new accounts as Pending, check who they are, then approve them from the Members list.How it works

Member directoryEvery planA searchable members-only directoryShow members as cards with search and filters, on a page only members can open.How it works

Member profilesEvery planA profile page for each memberEach card opens a profile with the details you choose, such as company, role or interests.How it works

Content restrictionEvery planLock the community pagesLock pages, posts and categories, or every item of a post type with one Access Rule.How it works

Recurring subscriptionsEvery planMonthly or yearly duesCharge members automatically with Stripe Connect, PayPal and the other online gateways, with a free trial where your gateway supports it.How it works

WP Workflow RestrictionsEvery planPosting limits by planCap how many posts and comments each Membership can create in a period.How it works

Menu restrictionEvery planMembers-only menu linksShow menu items only to members, or only to some Memberships.How it works

BuddyPressEvery planMembership inside BuddyPress profilesAdd a tab to each member's own BuddyPress profile that opens the Member Portal.How it works

Member profiles

Profiles that help members find each other

Ask for the details your community cares about at sign-up, such as company, role or interests, and show them on each member’s profile and in the directory.

Custom fields on the registration formChoose which fields the directory and profiles showMembers can opt in to the directoryLock the directory page so only members see it

Member profileFounding member

JOJames OkaforFounder · Member since 2025

CompanyOkafor Studio

InterestsPricing, hiring, product

Websiteokafor.example

Your setup

Launch your private community in four steps

A starting point you can change later. Names and prices are yours to choose.

1Pick your community toolA forum, BuddyPress or a members-only blog, anything that lives in WordPress pages or post types.

2Create your MembershipsFor example Member at $15 a month and Founding member at $150 a year.

3Control who joinsSwitch on Invitation Codes, or hold new accounts for your approval.

4Add the directory and lock itPlace the Members Directory on a page and lock that page and your community pages to members.

Good to know

The plugin runs the membership, your community tool runs the conversation

Here’s where Ultimate Membership Pro stops and your forum or community plugin takes over.

What it does and doesn't do for communities

It has no forum, chat or activity feed. Use a forum or community plugin, and lock its pages or post types by Membership.It locks what lives on your WordPress site. A chat app or a social media group outside your site isn't something it can lock.The directory lists every member except administrators unless you filter it by Membership or ask members to opt in. Untick the email field if addresses shouldn't show.With BuddyPress, the integration adds the Member Portal to each member's own profile. It doesn't change who can see BuddyPress pages.Everything on this page works on every plan.

FAQ

Questions about private communities

Not sure your setup is covered? Search the documentation or try the live demo before you buy.

How do I make a private community on WordPress?

Build the community with a forum or community plugin, then use Ultimate Membership Pro to control who joins, charge for access and lock the community pages to active members.

Can I make joining invite-only?

Yes. With Invitation Codes, the registration form asks for a valid code. You can also hold every new account as Pending until you approve it.

Can members see each other's profiles?

Yes. The Members Directory lists members with search and filters, and each card can open a profile page. Lock both pages so only members see them.

Does Ultimate Membership Pro include a forum?

No. It handles sign-up, payments, profiles and access. Use a forum or community plugin for discussions and lock its pages by Membership.

Can I charge a monthly fee for access?

Yes. Create a recurring Membership, monthly or yearly, and members are charged automatically through Stripe Connect, PayPal or another online gateway.

What happens when a member stops paying?

Only active Memberships unlock content, so the community pages lock again for that member. A directory filtered by Membership stops listing them too.

More use cases

Associations and clubsDues, member cards and a directory CreatorsMemberships for creators and their fans All use casesWhat you can build with Ultimate Membership Pro

Unlimited members on every plan

Start your private community

Invite-only joining, a members directory and recurring dues, in one plugin.

14-day money-back guarantee Unlimited members