Join It vs Paid Memberships Pro (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Paid Memberships Pro grades higher than Join It: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Join It grades higher on ease of use. Paid Memberships Pro grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Join It
Membership management with digital cards and recurring dues
Paid Memberships Pro
Open-source WordPress membership plugin with managed hosting
Which one is for you
Pick Join It if
- Fits if you run a club with dues and renewals
- Works for groups that already take payments through Stripe
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you take many payments, as the fee is 1.5% to 3.0% and Stripe's fees come on top
- Tight if you want cards, a directory or API, as they start at Total ($89.10)
- Watch out: Starter has 3 admin seats, Total 5 and Extra 10
- Skip it if you run several chapters, as multi-chapter support is custom Enterprise only
Pick Paid Memberships Pro if
- Fits if you run WordPress and want paid membership with free software
- Works for developers who will add the add-ons they need
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want WordPress, because it only runs there
- Tight if you stay free: no license key, no support and no premium add-ons
- Pricey if you want managed hosting: that starts on Max at $99 a month
- Watch out: Max plans are billed per server, and Standard covers one site with no hosting
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAJoin ItFair | 2.4GPAPaid Memberships ProFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$26.10 a month billed annually ($29 monthly) sits between the cheaper quarter ($20) and the middle ($37) of the category, plus a 3.0% fee on Starter. | CThe core is free but needs your own WordPress hosting, so it counts as a middle price. Standard is $49 a month and Max $99. |
| Free plan and trial | CA trial with no card, length not stated. No free plan. | BSelf-host the core plugin with 25 free add-ons and payment gateways at no cost. There is no support and no premium add-ons. |
| Features | CMembers, dues, renewals, events and donations, but digital cards, the directory, check-in and API are missing from Starter. | BRestricting content, payment gateways and many add-ons, with managed hosting on Max. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up membership types, fields and payments. | DIt runs only on WordPress, which you host, unless you pay for Max managed hosting. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Eventbrite, Mailchimp, Slack, Zapier, SurveyMonkey and Stripe listed. | BWeb only, with Stripe, PayPal, Paystack and CCBill gateways. |
| Best for | membership sign-up and dues for clubs | a free membership plugin for WordPress |
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: Join It and Paid Memberships Pro. How we grade
Price against what you get
Join It starts at $26.10 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Paid Memberships Pro starts at $49 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Join It starts $22.90 a month lower. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, 7 score higher than Join It for less, and 13 score higher than Paid Memberships Pro for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Paid Memberships Pro is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Join It also covers forms and email campaigns.
- Paid Memberships Pro also covers templates, paid newsletters and community.
At a glance
| Join It | Paid Memberships Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $26.10 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly) | $49 per month for Standard (self-hosted), or a free self-hosted core |
| Free plan | None | Self-host the open-source PMPro platform with the core plugin, 25 free add-ons and payment gateways; no support or premium add-ons. |
| Free trial | Free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Join It | Paid Memberships Pro |
| Price read from | joinit.com | paidmembershipspro.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Join It
- Online payments carry a Join It service fee of 1.5% to 3.0% by plan, and Stripe fees apply separately.
- Digital cards, the directory and API access are not on the Starter package.
- Starter includes 3 admin seats; Total 5 and Extra 10.
- Multi-chapter support is only on the custom Enterprise package.
Paid Memberships Pro
- It runs only on WordPress; Free has no license key or support.
- Standard covers one site and does not include hosting.
- Max plans are billed per server, with the vendor saying a 100-day money-back guarantee applies.
Key features
Join It
- Membership database
- Unlimited membership types with custom fields, plus admin-only fields on the Total and Extra packages.
- Recurring dues and renewals
- Automated emails, recurring payments and renewal reminders. Online payments carry a Join It service fee, with Stripe processing fees on top.
- Digital membership cards
- Cards integrate with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Available from the Total package.
- Member directory and check-in
- A member directory and check-in tools for attendance and benefit redemption, from the Total package.
- Event registration and donations
- Accepts event registrations and donations alongside membership payments.
- Embeddable purchase widget
- A widget lets people join without leaving your own website. Total package and above.
Paid Memberships Pro
- Restrict content
- Limit pages and posts to members by level, with registration, subscriptions and member emails built in.
- Payment gateways
- Gateways listed include Stripe, PayPal, Paystack, CCBill and manual payment.
- Add-ons
- 25 free add-ons come with the free plugin and 54 premium add-ons come with paid plans.
- Managed hosting on Max
- Max plans run on a dedicated server with caching, daily backups, a CDN and free migration from other platforms.
- Do It For Me credits
- Max includes 25 credits every month for custom code, add-on setup and design changes, which the vendor quotes per request.
- Use cases
- Pages cover courses, paid newsletters, private video, podcasts, member directories and communities.
Plans
Join It
Starter Package$26.10
per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
3 admin seats, unlimited membership types, custom fields, automations and renewal reminders. 3.0% service fee on online payments.
Total Package$89.10
per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Adds digital cards, check-in, member directory, widget and API access; 5 admin seats. 2.0% service fee.
Extra Package$179.10
per month, billed annually ($199 billed monthly)
Adds custom domains, removal of Join It branding, push notifications and an account manager; 10 admin seats. 1.5% service fee.
Enterprise PackageCustom
Unlimited members, multi-chapter support, custom card templates and development, with a negotiated service fee.
Paid Memberships Pro
Free$0
Open-source core plugin and 25 free add-ons that you host yourself, without support.
Standard$49
per month, billed monthly ($499 billed yearly)
1-site license with all 54 premium add-ons and support; you host the site.
Max$99
per month, billed monthly ($999 billed yearly)
Managed hosting, free migration and 25 credits a month; the page crosses out a normal price of $149.
Max 2x$299
per month, billed monthly ($2,999 billed yearly)
Twice the server and 50 credits a month, for busier sites.
Ways to pay less
Join It
- Annual discount
10% off with yearly billing
Join It's pricing page shows a 10% discount on annual plans compared with monthly billing.
- Nonprofit
Extra 10% for nonprofits
The pricing page says nonprofit organizations qualify for an additional 10% discount.
Paid Memberships Pro
- Annual discount
Pay annually, save about 2 months
The pricing page lists yearly totals of $499 for Standard, $999 for Max and $2,999 for Max 2x against monthly plans of $49, $99 and $299.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Join It or Paid Memberships Pro?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Join It is cheaper to start with: $26.10 a month, against $49 a month for Paid Memberships Pro. Join It starts at $26.10 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly), and Paid Memberships Pro starts at $49 per month for Standard (self-hosted), or a free self-hosted core.
Which has a free plan, Join It or Paid Memberships Pro?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Paid Memberships Pro has a free plan. Join It does not, though it has a free trial.
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.