MemberSpace vs Paid Memberships Pro (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Paid Memberships Pro grades higher than MemberSpace: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
MemberSpace 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.
MemberSpace
Add memberships and gated content to a site you already have
Paid Memberships Pro
Open-source WordPress membership plugin with managed hosting
Which one is for you
Pick MemberSpace if
- Fits if you have a site on Squarespace, Wix or Webflow and want a members area on it
- Works for a creator selling one or two paid tiers
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you have steady sales: Starter takes 5% of every sale
- Tight if you want an API or the AI connection, which are on the $99 Growth plan
- Watch out: Starter allows one website connection
- Watch out: the site builder is a separate cost, since it runs on top of another site
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
| 2.0GPAMemberSpaceFair | 2.4GPAPaid Memberships ProFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$39 a month billed yearly plus a 5% fee on sales, against a $49 middle for courses and communities tools. Growth is $99. | 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 | DA 7-day free trial on any plan, but the page doesn't say whether a card is needed. A 30-day money-back guarantee follows. | 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 | CMembership on any site, free and paid tiers, member spaces, migration and automations. The listing's gap: Starter allows one website connection and API access is on Growth. | 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 add a snippet to your site and set up plans and gated pages. | DIt runs only on WordPress, which you host, unless you pay for Max managed hosting. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Stripe, Zapier, Squarespace, WordPress, Webflow and Wix connections and an admin API on Growth. | BWeb only, with Stripe, PayPal, Paystack and CCBill gateways. |
| Best for | adding memberships to a site you already have | 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: MemberSpace and Paid Memberships Pro. How we grade
Price against what you get
MemberSpace starts at $39 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 MemberSpace starts $10 a month lower. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, 4 score higher than MemberSpace for less, and 7 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.
- MemberSpace also covers online courses.
- Paid Memberships Pro also covers templates.
At a glance
| MemberSpace | Paid Memberships Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $39 per month, billed annually, plus a 5% fee on sales | $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 | 7-day free trial | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | MemberSpace | Paid Memberships Pro |
| Price read from | memberspace.com | paidmembershipspro.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
MemberSpace
- The Starter plan takes a 5% fee on every sale and allows one website connection.
- API access and the AI connection are on the $99 Growth plan only.
- The pricing page shows annual rates; a monthly option is offered but its price was not shown in the page text.
- It runs on top of another site, so the site builder is a separate cost.
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
MemberSpace
- Membership on any site
- Installs on an existing site and locks pages, files or videos behind a member login.
- Free and paid tiers
- Sells one-time, payment-plan and recurring access, with free trials of any length.
- Spaces for members
- Offers community forums, content libraries, courses, newsletters, coaching areas and directories to members.
- Member migration
- Imports members from another platform at no charge.
- Analytics and automations
- Reports revenue and activity and sends automatic emails.
- Admin API and AI connection
- Growth adds API access and a way to connect a ChatGPT or Claude account to analyze member data.
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
MemberSpace
Starter$39
per month, billed annually
5% MemberSpace fee on each sale on top of Stripe's fees; unlimited members and tiers, 5 member spaces, 1 website connection.
Growth$99
per month, billed annually
2% fee on each sale; unlimited spaces, 3 website connections, admin API access and ChatGPT or Claude connection.
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
MemberSpace
No public discounts listed.
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, MemberSpace or Paid Memberships Pro?
As of Nov 12, 2026, MemberSpace is cheaper to start with: $39 a month, against $49 a month for Paid Memberships Pro. MemberSpace starts at $39 per month, billed annually, plus a 5% fee on sales, and Paid Memberships Pro starts at $49 per month for Standard (self-hosted), or a free self-hosted core.
Which has a free plan, MemberSpace or Paid Memberships Pro?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Paid Memberships Pro has a free plan. MemberSpace 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.