AccessAlly vs MemberPress (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, AccessAlly and MemberPress share a 1.8 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about features, where AccessAlly grades higher, or ease of use, where MemberPress does.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MemberPress
WordPress plugin for paid memberships, courses and communities
Which one is for you
Pick AccessAlly if
- Fits if you already run a WordPress site and want courses and members on it
- Works for coaches who want their sales and CRM tool to share one list
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to host WordPress yourself, because it only runs there
- Watch out: the pricing page's figures conflict with other text on it, so check the price before you buy
- Not for you if you want a free start: the only safety net is a 14-day refund
- Tight if you want a community: it is a separate, dearer plan
Pick MemberPress if
- Fits if you want a membership business on a WordPress site you control
- Works for owners who want posts, courses and coaching under one login, with member data on their own host
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try before you pay, as there's no trial or free version
- Skip it if you don't want to look after WordPress and hosting
- Pricey if you budget on year one, since every plan renews at double the first-year price
- Watch out: each plan covers one site, and up to 15 more are separate yearly subscriptions
- Watch out: Launch takes 4.9% a payment, and Zapier, the API, webhooks and affiliates need Scale at $999 a year
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAAccessAllyWeak | 1.8GPAMemberPressWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe pricing page lists Essentials, Pro and Community at yearly prices, but the figures conflict with other text on the page, so the cost can't be checked and sits in the middle by default. | CLaunch is $399 a year at renewal plus 4.9% of every payment, about $131 a month at $2,000 of sales. Growth drops the fee: $699 a year at renewal, about $58 a month ($349.50 in the first year). The middle of this category, with hosting on top. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free. There is a 14-day money-back guarantee, which is not a trial. | FNothing free: no free version and no trial in the listing. You buy a yearly license to see it. |
| Features | BCourses, memberships, payments, CRM connections, a community plan, gamification and affiliates. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. | CPaywall rules, memberships, a course builder, quizzes and certificates on Growth, ClubSuite forums and a member directory, and CoachKit coaching. It needs a WordPress site to be useful, and Zapier and the API wait for Scale. |
| Ease of use | DIt runs only inside a self-managed WordPress site, so you host, update and connect it yourself. | CNo rating on record. You need WordPress on a host before anything else, then content rules and memberships to set up, so it takes some learning. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it connects to ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, Keap, Ontraport, Stripe and PayPal. | BRuns in the browser inside WordPress, with Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, Zapier, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign and Kit. The REST API and webhooks are on Scale. |
| Best for | courses and memberships on your own WordPress site | paid memberships on your own WordPress site |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AccessAlly and MemberPress. How we grade
Where they differ
- AccessAlly also covers templates, marketing automation and affiliate tracking.
At a glance
| AccessAlly | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | $399 per year at renewal, after a first year for $199.50 |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | AccessAlly, Inc. | Caseproof, LLC |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | memberpress.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AccessAlly
- It runs only inside a self-managed WordPress site.
- The pricing page lists Essentials, Pro and Community at yearly prices, but the figures conflict with other text on the page, so pricing is unverified.
- The page offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.
MemberPress
- MemberPress needs a WordPress site. Each plan covers one site activation, staging sites included; up to 15 more are sold as separate yearly subscriptions.
- Launch takes 4.9% of every payment and accepts Stripe only; Growth and Scale drop the fee, though Stripe or PayPal charges still apply.
- First-year prices are half the list price, and every plan renews at full price: $399, $699 or $999 a year.
- Forums, coaching and quizzes start on Growth; Zapier, the REST API and webhooks, and affiliates need Scale.
Key features
AccessAlly
- Courses and memberships
- Build courses, memberships, downloads and coaching programs, with progress tracking on member dashboards.
- Built-in payments
- Takes payments through Stripe or PayPal, so buyers get a login right after purchase; other carts work if they tag the CRM.
- CRM connections
- Version 4.0 connects directly to ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, Keap and Ontraport, or manages contacts without a CRM.
- Community plan
- The Community plan lists unlimited community groups and discussion threads, with email or web notifications.
- Gamification and affiliates
- Pages list LMS gamification, quizzes, and affiliate management among the features.
- Translations
- Ships in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Hebrew, Portuguese and Bulgarian.
MemberPress
- Paywall and content rules
- Smart Rules protect pages, posts, custom post types, categories, tags, files or parts of a page by membership; dripping content on a schedule needs Growth.
- Memberships and checkout
- Unlimited one-time and recurring memberships with upgrades, downgrades and pausing, coupons, a multi-item cart and a self-serve member dashboard.
- Courses and quizzes
- A drag-and-drop curriculum builder for unlimited courses and lessons; quizzes, assignments and certificates come with Growth.
- AI Course Generator
- Describe a course and AI drafts the sections, lessons and quiz questions, using a yearly allowance of AI credits that grows with the plan.
- ClubSuite community
- Forums and private groups called Circles, member profiles and a searchable directory on Growth, with direct messaging added on Scale.
- CoachKit coaching
- Run coaching programs with unlimited coaches, clients and cohorts, milestone and habit tracking, and dashboards for coaches and clients.
Plans
AccessAlly
Pricing could not be confirmed. See accessally.com.
MemberPress
Launch$399
per year at renewal, after a first year for $199.50
$199.50 the first year. One site, unlimited members and courses, Stripe only, 25,000 AI credits. MemberPress takes a 4.9% fee on each payment.
Growth$699
per year at renewal, after a first year for $349.50
$349.50 the first year. No transaction fee, PayPal and Square, forums and member directory, CoachKit, quizzes, certificates, dripping, 50,000 AI credits.
Scale$999
per year at renewal, after a first year for $499.50
$499.50 the first year. REST API and webhooks, Zapier, Easy Affiliate, direct messaging, gradebook, corporate accounts, Authorize.net, 100,000 AI credits.
Ways to pay less
AccessAlly
No public discounts listed.
MemberPress
- Other savings
Half price for the first year
The pricing page sells the first year of Launch at $199.50, Growth at $349.50 and Scale at $499.50; renewals are at the full $399, $699 and $999.
- Nonprofit
Introductory price for life for nonprofits
Qualifying nonprofits keep the introductory price at every renewal, which MemberPress describes as up to 50% off all plan levels.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AccessAlly or MemberPress?
As of Nov 12, 2026, AccessAlly has no price we could confirm, and MemberPress starts at $399 per year at renewal, after a first year for $199.50.
Which has a free plan, AccessAlly or MemberPress?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither AccessAlly nor MemberPress has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.