13 Best WordPress Membership Themes for Your Membership Site
The best WordPress membership themes in this list are KICKCUBE, Aardvark, Seeko, REAL, LaunchPad, Gazek, Gwangi, Woffice, Aztec, Vayvo, CorpTrain, KALLYAS and Beehive. Pick the one that fits your site type, such as a community, an online course or a video streaming site. Any theme can run a membership site once you add a membership plugin like Ultimate Membership Pro.
A membership website can do many things. It gives users the possibility to access exclusive content and follow online courses. Furthermore, it lets them buy limited services, or simply be part of a private community.
Membership sites offer an array of services for a monthly or yearly subscription fee. Some of them even work with multiple tiers, tying each subscription plan to a specific content section.
The best WordPress membership themes
Does a membership website sound promising for your business? Then it’s time to learn from the best, so check these 13 WordPress membership themes. You can turn any WordPress theme into a membership website, as long as you have the right plugin to do it. A theme designed for membership sites, however, gives you ready-made layouts for member profiles, dashboards, courses or video libraries.
The themes below were selected for their membership-friendly features and their flexibility, so you can build the kind of membership site you have in mind. A comparison table after the list sums up what each one is best for.
KICKCUBE
Kickcube stands out for its login process. Next to the usual login on the site, there is social login as well, so users already registered on a social network don’t have to go through the sign-up process again. This is something a modern membership site can’t go without.
Social login helps you turn more casual visitors into registered members. If you are not a savvy page designer, don’t worry: there are six demos to help you build a membership site quickly.
Kickcube is also a solid option when it comes to flexibility. The page layout of your membership site will remind you of grid-based designs such as Pinterest. You can create front-end articles on your own, and you don’t need the ‘heavy machinery’ such as BuddyPress or similar tools.
Aardvark
Aardvark is built for professional membership and community sites. Its versatile blogging system lets you configure your community and present different plans clearly.
You can tweak it in any way you need. Some users, for instance, create an eLearning space or even a shop for their paid users. As with Kickcube, there is no need for advanced coding skills. Prepare the content, and you will be good to go.
Aardvark also supports magazine-style layouts, and with a membership plugin you can restrict access to each page based on the selected plan.
You can even enable rankings and reviews from users to make your membership site more engaging.
Seeko
Seeko is dedicated to social and dating websites, which makes it a strong choice if you want to build an online community.
You can create any website you want, but keep in mind that you will need some web design skills. Importing existing demos is not possible, and you need to start from scratch.
Seeko’s distinctive advantage is its integration with BuddyPress and Paid Memberships Pro. Both tools can help you create an exclusive community.
Another integration to appreciate is the Elementor page builder. Thanks to it, you can customize the design of the pages without coding experience.
As expected, you can also limit content based on the selected subscription plans and offer special conditions to users who’ve joined your community.
REAL
Real is a responsive blog theme that works well for content-driven membership sites. Its goal is to bring the features a publication-style membership site needs under one roof.
For starters, there are over 20 modules for building pages. They all use drag-and-drop functionality and let you modify content the way you want it.
Next to your regular posts, you can add images, videos, or even entire galleries. Some of the content can be limited to paid users only. At the same time, newsletter subscribers can receive more benefits and tangible bonuses.
You can install Real on any WordPress site you are using, and make full use of its multiple benefits.
LaunchPad
If you plan to build an LMS membership site, LaunchPad is worth a look. The theme uses LifterLMS to enable the creation and selling of online courses.
Consider this theme if you offer business courses, language courses, marketing seminars, or any other type of training. The theme is often used by health and wellness users, as it is very customizable.
The theme pays serious attention to colors, images and typography, so your course pages look polished without extra design work.
Gazek
Gazek is a review theme and one of the most modern-looking options on this list. You can use it to review and promote any product or service.
There is plenty to appreciate about Gazek. It has a clean design and is easy to use for people without design experience, while still looking refined.
If you use the WordPress theme customizer, you get even more control over the look of your membership site.
Gazek is also a good fit for beginners. Its review features involve subscribers by asking them to rate and review your content, which keeps them engaged.
Gwangi
Gwangi is an all-in-one dating and community theme for membership sites of all sizes. It focuses on building communities and maintaining relationships between members.
It is customizable and can be used for anything from a dating site to a professional learning platform.
Gwangi also puts the member experience first. Each member can create a profile and interact with other members based on interests and location, and content can be split into free and paid areas through its commerce integrations.
Last but not least, Gwangi enables you to organize and promote events.
Woffice
Woffice is a more professional theme that caters to large membership-based organizations, such as associations and companies that need an intranet or extranet. It gives members a personalized experience, for instance with a flexible dashboard where they can manage content and directories.
Woffice integrates with Paid Memberships Pro and BuddyPress, which make all of this possible. Thanks to them, you can even set up online forums and lead discussions.
A potential downside is that there are no public demos available. You are expected to build your pages from beginning to end before you publish them, although support is available.
Experienced web designers, on the other hand, often see this as an advantage. They use its shortcodes and AJAX filtering to sort content and build the membership site exactly as they want it, including whole intranet spaces and wikis.
If you are setting up a site for an association or club, see how membership sites for associations and clubs are usually organized.
Aztec
Aztec is a WordPress membership theme designed for audio and video streaming. The theme is flexible and works with a drag-and-drop page builder, and support is available if you get stuck. To put your videos behind a paid Membership, pair it with a WordPress video membership plugin.
There are also some useful built-in features and integrations:
- Video player for your streaming content
- eCommerce, so you can accept and process payments directly on the membership website
- Boosted Elements add-on for maps, sliders, pop-ups and more
- Demo content importer, so you can import premade demos and get the website running quickly
- Restricted content, so you decide which pages subscribers can see based on their plan
- Pay per post, so you can sell individual posts to people who don’t want a full subscription
Vayvo
Vayvo is built for the media streaming niche. The premium WordPress membership theme offers plenty of features that are useful for a video membership site:
- Free membership trials for new users
- Advanced membership plans
- Restrictions for premium content
- Premium sliders
- A rating system for each video
As expected, this WordPress membership theme uses a drag-and-drop builder to create and customize the content. It lets you create membership sites that work with your brand.
Vayvo also comes with demos you can import to get started faster.
CorpTrain
CorpTrain, by ThimPress, is now listed on ThemeForest as Course Builder. It is an LMS theme for corporate learning. Whether you run a small, medium or large business, it is designed to organize your employees’ learning experience.
This WordPress membership theme brings together features from popular eLearning plugins. It also integrates with WooCommerce and supports multiple payment processors and membership plugins.
The interface is friendly and easy to navigate, and you can customize most aspects. Prepare content the way you want it, and categorize and format courses based on your audience’s needs.
Affiliate marketing and cross-selling are also possible, and the theme supports ads and social media integration.
Building a community and organizing forums is also an option. The theme keeps users connected with messaging and public posting.
Members also can personalize the membership site with individual profiles.
The theme also handles varied content: you can add video lessons, organize quizzes, allow comments and issue certificates. An email notification system and a newsletter help keep learners engaged.
KALLYAS
Kallyas is a multipurpose theme, so the quickest way to judge it is to browse its live demos.
Because it is multipurpose, it can adapt to most types of WordPress membership sites.
Why not choose a free WordPress theme instead? Kallyas focuses on marketing your membership site, not just displaying content to subscribers. Its design elements help you build trust and drive interest towards your offer.
Kallyas has strong page builder support, with features such as animated statistics and parallax effects that many free themes don’t include. To win new subscribers, use its testimonial slider and custom page templates.
Beehive
Beehive will seem familiar right away, and for a good reason: it is a social network theme. Yet it does a great job of bringing people together around any common interest.
If you plan to build the community first and add subscription tiers later, Beehive is a good fit. A membership plugin, such as Paid Memberships Pro or another WordPress membership plugin, can be added at any point.
The theme offers other engagement features, such as forums and news feeds, and the Elementor page builder lets you customize the experience by dragging and dropping items.
Beehive also integrates with BuddyPress and several eCommerce providers, so you can combine a store with member-only areas.
WordPress Membership Themes Compared
| Theme | Best for | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| KICKCUBE | User-generated content sites | Social login, six demos, front-end posting |
| Aardvark | Professional communities | BuddyPress community features, magazine-style layouts, user reviews |
| Seeko | Social and dating communities | BuddyPress, Paid Memberships Pro and Elementor integrations |
| REAL | Content and blog memberships | Over 20 drag-and-drop page modules, galleries |
| LaunchPad | Online courses | Built for LifterLMS |
| Gazek | Review sites | Clean design, member reviews and ratings |
| Gwangi | Dating and community sites | Member profiles, interest and location matching, events |
| Woffice | Associations and company intranets | Member dashboards, directories, forums |
| Aztec | Audio and video streaming | Video player, demo importer, pay per post |
| Vayvo | Video streaming memberships | Free trials, video ratings, sliders |
| CorpTrain | Corporate training | Quizzes, certificates, WooCommerce support |
| KALLYAS | Marketing-focused membership sites | Page builder support, testimonial sliders, templates |
| Beehive | Social networks | Forums, news feeds, BuddyPress and Elementor |
Free vs. Premium WordPress Membership Themes
All the themes above are premium themes. A free theme can work just as well for a membership site, because the membership features come from the plugin, not the theme. Lightweight multipurpose themes such as Astra, Kadence or GeneratePress all have free versions on WordPress.org and pair well with page builders.
A premium membership theme makes sense when you want ready-made layouts for a specific type of site, such as a community with member profiles, a course catalog or a video library, and you’d rather not design those pages yourself. Whichever route you take, check that the theme is updated regularly and works with your page builder and membership plugin.
How to Turn Any WordPress Theme into a Membership Site
A theme controls how your site looks; a membership plugin controls who can see what and how they pay. With Ultimate Membership Pro, for example, you can:
- Add sign-up and login forms with custom fields, social login and email verification, using the registration and login features
- Lock pages, posts, categories, files and menu links by Membership, and release content over time with drip content
- Give every member an account page with their subscriptions and orders through the Member Portal
- Show a searchable member directory with a public profile page for each member
- Charge one-time or recurring payments through Stripe, PayPal and other gateways
Sign-up, login and account pages are placed with shortcodes, so they take on your theme’s design. If you build with a page builder, Ultimate Membership Pro also works with Elementor and Divi.
Summary
Finding the perfect WordPress membership theme is not an easy task, but it’s not an impossible one either. Start with the type of site you want to run, then pick the theme whose layouts fit it best.
A good membership theme helps you make the most of the visitors you already have and turn more of them into members.
The more polished and user-friendly your membership site is, the easier it gets to bring new audiences on board. Choose WordPress membership themes that work with your brand, and half of the job is done.
Whichever theme you choose, the membership plugin does the work behind it. See how the setup changes for online courses and other kinds of membership sites.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a special theme to build a membership site in WordPress?
No. Any WordPress theme can power a membership site once you add a membership plugin that handles registration, payments and content restriction. A dedicated membership theme can still help, because it comes with ready layouts for member profiles, dashboards or community pages.
What is the difference between a membership theme and a membership plugin?
A theme controls how your site looks, including layouts, colors and page templates. A membership plugin controls who can see what, how people register and log in, and how they pay. Most membership sites use both, so you can change the design later and keep your membership setup.
How do I choose a WordPress membership theme?
Start with the type of site you plan to run, such as a community, an online course or a video streaming site. Then check that the theme works with the page builder and membership plugin you want to use. Look at the demos, the member profile and dashboard layouts, and how easy the theme is to customize.
Can I switch themes after launching a membership site?
Yes. Your members, membership levels and access rules live in the membership plugin, so they stay in place when you change themes. You may need to rebuild some page layouts and check that your registration, login and account pages still look right on the new design.
Which membership plugin works with these themes?
Most membership plugins work with any well-coded WordPress theme. Ultimate Membership Pro, for example, adds registration and login forms, a Member Portal for each member, and content restriction for pages, posts and parts of a page. It also integrates with Elementor and Divi, so you can design member pages with the builder you already use.
Ready when you are
Turn visitors into paying members with Ultimate Membership Pro
Launch your membership website, protect exclusive content and automate subscription payments, all in one WordPress plugin.
- 14-day money-back guarantee
- Unlimited members
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