The MemberPress Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about MemberPress in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
MemberPress
The Insider’s Guide
WordPress plugin for paid memberships, courses and communities
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from MemberPress’s own pages.
Made by Caseproof, LLC · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from MemberPress’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on MemberPress’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 0 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade
MemberPress is a WordPress plugin that turns your own site into a membership business. It puts pages, posts and files behind a paywall, sells one-time and recurring memberships, and adds a course builder, quizzes, coaching programs, forums and a member directory. It is sold as a yearly license for one site, and the cheapest plan takes a fee on each payment.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about MemberPress, taken from its own pages and our grades.
But it needs WordPress and hosting, and there's no free version or trial.
- 1
Best for paid memberships on your own WordPress site
MemberPress puts a paywall, memberships, courses, coaching and forums on your own WordPress site, and the member data stays with you.
- 2
Paid plans start at $33.25 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $399 per year at renewal, after a first year for $199.50.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
Courses and quizzes
A drag-and-drop curriculum builder for unlimited courses and lessons; quizzes, assignments and certificates come with Growth.
- 7
A 1.8 GPA, above 0 of 18
That is against the other course and community platforms we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
The plain part of MemberPress you could make: online courses. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
MemberPress at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $399 per year at renewal, after a first year for $199.50
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Caseproof, LLC
- Category
- Courses & Communities
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for paid memberships on your own WordPress site
MemberPress puts a paywall, memberships, courses, coaching and forums on your own WordPress site, and the member data stays with you. Growth is the plan to buy: $699 a year at renewal with no fee on sales, half that in year one. But it needs WordPress and hosting, and there's no free version or trial.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Launch 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 | F | Nothing free: no free version and no trial in the listing. You buy a yearly license to see it. |
| Features | C | Paywall rules, memberships, a course builder, quizzes and certificates on Growth, ClubSuite forums and a member directory, and CoachKit coaching. A broad kit, but it needs a WordPress site to be useful, and Zapier and the API wait for Scale. |
| Ease of use | C | No 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 | B | Runs in the browser inside WordPress, with Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, Zapier, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign and Kit. The REST API and webhooks are on Scale. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who MemberPress is for
- Great if you want a membership business on a WordPress site you control
- Handy when paywalled posts, courses and coaching should share one login
- Good for owners who want their member data on their own host
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you want to try before you pay, as there's no trial
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Site owners who want to sell memberships on their own WordPress site
- Paywalled content, courses and coaching under one login
- Builders who want to own their member data and pick their own host
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$33.25
A month to start, paid by the year
MemberPress is a paid product, starting at $399 per year at renewal, after a first year for $199.50.
The middle of this category, with hosting on top.
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.
Read from memberpress.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on memberpress.comNonprofit
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.
Stated on memberpress.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
WordPress plugin for paid memberships, courses and communities. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, online courses, community.
A broad kit, but it needs a WordPress site to be useful, and Zapier and the API wait for Scale.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Square
- Authorize.net
- Zapier
- Mailchimp
- ActiveCampaign
- Kit
MemberPress is made by Caseproof, LLC.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/18
Other course and community platforms it is graded above
MemberPress's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 0 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 0 of 18) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $33.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $41 for the category: 5 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 19 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. MemberPress’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 18
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 18
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 18
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 18
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 18
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 19 course and community platforms. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. MemberPress is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of MemberPress you could make: online courses. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 18 of the 18 other course and community platforms grade higher. It costs $399 a year.
What you could make
- Online courses: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
- It plugs into other products, Stripe, PayPal and Square among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- People on the other end: coaches. No app builder makes those.
What this rests on. MemberPress’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
LearnDash, Podia, Kajabi, Circle and Teachable
The 5 tools MemberPress is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
LearnDash
Free trial · from $399/yr
WordPress plugin for building and selling online courses.
- MemberPress also covers community.
- 2.4GPA
Podia
Free trial · from $42/mo
Website, store, courses, community and email for creators in one place.
- Podia also covers marketing automation and email campaigns.
- 2.0GPA
Kajabi
Free trial · from $143/mo
All-in-one platform for selling courses, coaching and communities.
- Only Kajabi lists iOS and Android apps.
- Kajabi also covers marketing automation, email campaigns and paid newsletters.
- 2.8GPA
Circle
Free trial · from $89/mo
Community platform with courses, events, payments and branded apps.
- Only Circle lists iOS and Android apps.
- Circle also covers workflow automation and email campaigns.
- 2.4GPA
Teachable
Free trial · from $29/mo
Online course, coaching and membership platform with its own checkout.
- Only Teachable lists iOS and Android apps.
- MemberPress also covers community.
- Teachable also covers email campaigns.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is MemberPress free?
No. MemberPress is a paid product, starting at $399 per year at renewal, after a first year for $199.50.
How much does MemberPress cost?
MemberPress lists 3 plans. Launch: $399 per year at renewal, after a first year for $199.50.
What platforms does MemberPress work on?
MemberPress is available on Web.
Does MemberPress offer any discounts?
MemberPress publicly lists the following: Half price for the first year; Introductory price for life for nonprofits.
Does MemberPress have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. MemberPress is listed for Web.
Does MemberPress have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. MemberPress is listed for Web.
Is MemberPress open source?
MemberPress is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does MemberPress have an API?
Yes. MemberPress offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does MemberPress integrate with?
MemberPress's listing names Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, Zapier, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign and Kit.
Who makes MemberPress?
MemberPress is made by Caseproof, LLC.
What are the alternatives to MemberPress?
The closest alternatives to MemberPress in our directory are LearnDash, Podia, Kajabi, Circle and Teachable.
How does MemberPress compare with other course and community platforms?
MemberPress's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 0 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade.
Is MemberPress good value for money?
ToolGPA grades MemberPress C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $33.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $41 for the category: 5 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of MemberPress?
The plain part of MemberPress you could make: online courses. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from MemberPress’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from MemberPress's own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Caseproof, LLC. Prices change, so check memberpress.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- MemberPress, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/memberpress
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "MemberPress: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/memberpress
Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/memberpress/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded course and community platforms after MemberPress, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Courses & Communities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 19 course and community platforms we grade, compared
- Circle Insider's GuideCommunity platform with courses, events, payments and branded apps2.8 GPA
- Simplero Insider's GuideAll-in-one platform for courses, community, email and coaching2.8 GPA
- systeme.io Insider's GuideAll-in-one marketing suite with funnels, email, courses and community2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what MemberPress’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. MemberPress is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Caseproof, LLC. Prices and plans change: check memberpress.com before you buy.