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Head-to-head · Membership Site Platforms

Paid Memberships Pro vs Zanfia

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Paid Memberships Pro #7 in Membership Site Platforms 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit site
Zanfia #24 in Membership Site Platforms 7.0/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Zanfia

Paid Memberships Pro leads on 1 check, Zanfia on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePaid Memberships Pro · 8.6/10
  • Free planonly Paid Memberships Pro
  • Free trialonly Zanfia

Paid Memberships Pro scores higher on our rubric for membership site platforms: 8.6 against 7.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #7 and #24.

Paid Memberships Pro offers free plan; Zanfia doesn't. On content gating, Zanfia gives you Course where Paid Memberships Pro offers Post.

Paid Memberships Pro is the better fit for wordPress users wanting flexible membership control. Zanfia is the better fit for creators selling courses and communities across devices.

  • Paid Memberships Pro fits best

    WordPress users wanting flexible membership control

  • Zanfia fits best

    Creators selling courses and communities across devices

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Paid Memberships Pro 8.6/10 Visit ↗ Zanfia 7.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.6 7.0
Ranking #7 in Membership Site Platforms #24 in Membership Site Platforms
Best for WordPress users wanting flexible membership control Creators selling courses and communities across devices
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $499/yr $31/mo
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud, Mobile
Platforms Web Web, iOS, Android
Support Email, Tickets, Community, Docs Email, Docs
Integrations 12 integrations 15 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Paid Memberships Pro 2/2 · Zanfia 2/2
Custom domain ✓ ✓
Drip content ✓ ✓
Specs
Content gating Post Course
Subscription billing Both Both
Member limit Not checked yet 250 members
Transaction fee No platform transaction fee; payment gateway charges still apply. 0% platform transaction fee; payment processors charge their standard fees
Our review
Pros
  • Restricts pages, posts, blocks, categories, and custom post types
  • Supports free, one-time, and recurring membership levels
  • Connects with Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, LMS, and community tools
  • Combines courses, communities, storefronts, checkout, and email tools
  • Supports web, iOS, Android, API, CLI, webhooks, and MCP access
  • Starter includes 250 active clients with a 0% platform transaction fee
Cons
  • Requires a self-hosted WordPress site
  • Series drip content requires a premium Add On
  • Paid tiers start at $49 per month
  • No free plan; access starts at $31 per month on annual billing
  • Starter is limited to 5 products, 1 community, and 50 GB storage
  • Payment processors still charge their standard fees
Our verdict

Paid Memberships Pro is a self-hosted, open-source WordPress plugin for creating and operating membership websites. It suits site owners who want control over gated content, membership levels, subscriptions, member accounts, and reporting…

Read the review →

Zanfia brings course hosting, paid communities, knowledge bases, storefronts, checkout, email marketing, and customer access into one platform. It is aimed at creators selling courses, memberships, newsletters, downloads, services, and…

Read the review →
  1. Paid Memberships ProMembership Site Platforms 8.6Free plan
  2. ZanfiaMembership Site Platforms 7.014-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Paid Memberships Pro — where it wins

    • Restricts pages, posts, blocks, categories, and custom post types
    • Supports free, one-time, and recurring membership levels
    • Connects with Stripe, PayPal, Zapier, LMS, and community tools

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires a self-hosted WordPress site
    • Series drip content requires a premium Add On
    • Paid tiers start at $49 per month

  • Zanfia — where it wins

    • Combines courses, communities, storefronts, checkout, and email tools
    • Supports web, iOS, Android, API, CLI, webhooks, and MCP access
    • Starter includes 250 active clients with a 0% platform transaction fee

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan; access starts at $31 per month on annual billing
    • Starter is limited to 5 products, 1 community, and 50 GB storage
    • Payment processors still charge their standard fees
  • Paid Memberships Pro8.6/10 · Free plan

    A flexible self-hosted WordPress option for memberships, payments, and gated content.

    Visit siteFull verdict →
  • Zanfia7.0/10 · 14-day trial

    A broad creator platform covering courses, memberships, commerce, email, and mobile access.

    Visit ZanfiaFull verdict →

More comparisons

All membership site platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update