LifterLMS vs MemberPress (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, LifterLMS grades higher than MemberPress: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
LifterLMS grades higher on the free plan. MemberPress grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
LifterLMS
WordPress LMS plugin with a free core and paid bundles
MemberPress
WordPress plugin for paid memberships, courses and communities
Which one is for you
Pick LifterLMS if
- Fits if you already have a WordPress site and want courses on it for free to start
- Works for developers who will add paid extensions as needed
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run WordPress yourself
- Pricey if you want the add-ons: bundles start at $398 a year and renew at full price
- Tight if you run several sites: the Earth bundle covers 1 site and the Universe covers 5
- Watch out: advanced quizzes and assignments need the $1,598 Infinity bundle
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
| 2.2GPALifterLMSFair | 1.8GPAMemberPressWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe core plugin is free but needs your own WordPress hosting, so it counts as a middle price. Bundles run $398, $598 and $1,598 a year. | 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 | BThe free core gives unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers with quizzes and certificates. You pay for hosting yourself. | FNothing free: no free version and no trial in the listing. You buy a yearly license to see it. |
| Features | CCourses, memberships, ecommerce and reporting add-ons. The listing's gap: advanced quizzes, assignments and continuing education tracking need the Infinity bundle. | 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 on a WordPress site you host and update 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, with Stripe, PayPal and WooCommerce connections. | 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 | a free WordPress course plugin you host yourself | 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: LifterLMS and MemberPress. How we grade
Price against what you get
LifterLMS starts at $33.17 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. MemberPress starts at $33.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
MemberPress scores higher, and starts $0.08 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, 10 score higher than LifterLMS for less, and 3 score higher than MemberPress 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
- LifterLMS also covers templates, marketing automation and reports.
At a glance
| LifterLMS | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $398 per year for 1 site (Earth bundle), or a free core plugin | $399 per year at renewal, after a first year for $199.50 |
| Free plan | Core plugin: unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers, with quizzes, certificates and achievement badges. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | LifterLMS | Caseproof, LLC |
| Price read from | lifterlms.com | memberpress.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
LifterLMS
- It runs only on a WordPress site you host yourself.
- Bundles renew at the full price, and the number of active sites is capped by tier.
- Advanced quizzes, assignments and continuing education tracking need the Infinity bundle.
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
LifterLMS
- Courses and memberships
- The free core plugin has unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers, plus quizzes, certificates and badges.
- Ecommerce add-ons
- Paid bundles add checkout through Stripe, PayPal or WooCommerce, cart abandonment recovery and name-your-price.
- Advanced add-ons
- Advanced Quizzes, Assignments and continuing education tracking are included only in the Infinity bundle.
- Reporting
- Every plan exports student, course and quiz reports to CSV, including enrollment and completion dates.
- Email and forms add-ons
- Universe and Infinity add email marketing, CRM and forms integration add-ons.
- Lifetime license
- A lifetime Infinity Bundle license is sold separately, with no later renewal payments.
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
LifterLMS
Core Plugin$0
Free LMS plugin for WordPress with unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers; you host it yourself.
Earth Bundle$398
per year for 1 site, renews at full price
Core plugin plus ecommerce add-ons for Stripe, PayPal and WooCommerce, cart recovery and name-your-price.
Universe Bundle$598
per year for 5 sites, renews at full price
Adds the Sky Pilot theme, email marketing and CRM add-ons, forms add-ons and a weekly mastermind.
Infinity Bundle$1598
per year for unlimited sites, renews at full price
Everything in Universe plus 15 advanced add-ons and support for 3 users.
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
LifterLMS
- Other savings
First year at 50% off
The pricing page says first-year bundle purchases are discounted by 50%, and an upgrade to a larger bundle gets the discount again.
- Lifetime license
Infinity Bundle lifetime license
The pricing page offers a lifetime Infinity Bundle license with updates, support and future products and no renewal payments.
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, LifterLMS or MemberPress?
As of Nov 12, 2026, LifterLMS is cheaper to start with: $33.17 a month when paid by the year, against $33.25 a month when paid by the year for MemberPress. LifterLMS starts at $398 per year for 1 site (Earth bundle), or a free core plugin, and MemberPress starts at $399 per year at renewal, after a first year for $199.50.
Which has a free plan, LifterLMS or MemberPress?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only LifterLMS has a free plan. MemberPress does not.
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.