Best Simple Membership Plugin Alternatives in 2026
The top Simple Membership Plugin alternatives are Patreon, Ghost and Appy Pie Membership Website Builder: 15 membership site platforms our editors would look at instead of Simple Membership Plugin, in our ranking order.
Simple Membership Plugin: A capable free WordPress plugin for basic free and paid memberships. Where it falls short: full-page and partial-content protection require addons.
Switching from Simple Membership Plugin? For most membership site platforms buyers the best Simple Membership Plugin alternative is Patreon, built for creators starting a paid community affordably. On a budget, Systeme.io starts at $17/mo. Brilliant Directories offers the most member limit (5000 members).
Why People Look for a Simple Membership Plugin Alternative
- Full-page and partial-content protection require addons
- Drip features require optional addons
- Available only for self-hosted WordPress sites
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallPatreon9.4
Creators starting a paid community affordably
Visit Patreon - Lowest priceSysteme.io8.8
Paid plans from $17/mo
Visit Systeme.io - Best free optionPatreon9.4
Has a free plan
Visit Patreon - Most member limitBrilliant Directories8.0
5000 members
Visit Brilliant Directories
All 15 Simple Membership Plugin Alternatives, Ranked
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.
-
Best forCreators starting a paid community affordably
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 4.9
An affordable way to sell memberships, content, and community access, with a 10% platform fee.
- Custom domain
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Patreon -
Best forPublishers building paid member publications
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 4.9
A focused membership platform for paid publications, newsletters, and protected posts.
- Custom domain
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Ghost -
Best forBeginners wanting inexpensive AI-built membership sites
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 4.9
A beginner-friendly way to launch a web membership site with AI and paid access.
- Drip content
- Custom domain
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Appy Pie -
Best forNewsletter-first paid communities
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 4.9
A newsletter-first platform combining publishing, paid subscriptions, and community tools.
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Substack -
Best forLow-cost funnels with basic membership hosting
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 4.9
A low-cost way to combine funnels, marketing automation and basic course hosting.
- Custom domain
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Systeme.io -
Best forEnterprise publishers needing advanced paywalls
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 4.9
A flexible enterprise paywall platform for publishers with complex subscription journeys.
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Zephr -
Best forWordPress users wanting flexible membership control
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 4.9
A flexible self-hosted WordPress option for memberships, payments, and gated content.
- Drip content
- Custom domain
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forAssociations needing memberships, events, and courses
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 4.9
A broad membership platform for associations that also need events, courses, and community tools.
- Custom domain
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Raklet -
Best forMembership businesses needing broad payment options
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 8.4 vs 4.9
A broad membership platform with flexible payments, content gating, and community integrations.
- Custom domain
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Memberful -
Best forPremium course and membership businesses
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 8.3 vs 4.9
A broad membership business platform for premium course creators with a high starting price.
- Custom domain
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Kajabi -
Best forCreators combining memberships, courses, and community
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 8.2 vs 4.9
A broad platform for creators who want memberships, courses, community, and marketing together.
- Drip content
- Custom domain
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Simplero -
Best forVideo-first membership businesses
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 8.1 vs 4.9
A focused choice for paid video libraries, livestreams, and branded apps.
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Uscreen -
Best forMembership directories with strong publishing tools
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 8.0 vs 4.9
A broad hosted toolkit for branded membership directories and gated content.
- Custom domain
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forSmall associations needing broad membership operations
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 4.9
A broad membership platform for small associations that need one operational hub.
- Custom domain
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit WildApricot -
Best forLarge associations needing mature operations
- Better than Simple Membership Plugin:
- Editor score 7.8 vs 4.9
A broad association platform for organizations that need membership, events, billing, and portals.
- Custom domain
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit GrowthZone
Simple Membership Plugin Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Simple Membership Plugin?
Patreon: #1 in our Membership Site Platforms ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. An affordable way to sell memberships, content, and community access, with a 10% platform fee.
Is there a free alternative to Simple Membership Plugin?
Yes. Patreon, Appy Pie Membership Website Builder, Substack, Systeme.io and Paid Memberships Pro have a free plan or a free tier (6 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Simple Membership Plugin?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Systeme.io starts lowest, at $17/mo.
Why do people look for Simple Membership Plugin alternatives?
Full-page and partial-content protection require addons; Drip features require optional addons; Available only for self-hosted WordPress sites.
Which Simple Membership Plugin alternative has the most member limit?
Brilliant Directories, with 5000 members.
How do I switch from Simple Membership Plugin?
Export your data from Simple Membership Plugin (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Simple Membership Plugin.
How to Switch from Simple Membership Plugin
- Export your data from Simple Membership Plugin (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Simple Membership Plugin.
Simple Membership Plugin vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Custom domain | Content gating | Subscription billing | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | Simple Membership Plugin | Yes | Free | Page | Both | 4.9 | |
| 1 | Patreon | Yes | Yes | Post | Both | 9.4 | |
| 2 | Ghost | No | $18/mo | Yes | Post | Both | 9.2 |
| 3 | Appy Pie Membership Website Builder | Yes | $18/mo | Yes | Full_site | Both | 9.0 |
| 4 | Substack | Yes | 8.9 | ||||
| 5 | Systeme.io | Yes | $17/mo | Yes | 8.8 | ||
| 6 | Zephr | Page | Recurring | 8.7 | |||
| 7 | Paid Memberships Pro | Yes | $499/yr | Yes | Post | Both | 8.6 |
| 8 | Raklet | Yes | $49/mo | Yes | Page | Both | 8.5 |
| 9 | Memberful | No | $49/mo | Yes | Full_site | Both | 8.4 |
| 10 | Kajabi | No | $143/mo | Yes | 8.3 | ||
| 11 | Simplero | No | Yes | Course | Both | 8.2 | |
| 12 | Uscreen | No | $49/mo | 8.1 | |||
| 13 | Brilliant Directories | No | $40/mo | Yes | Page | Both | 8.0 |
| 14 | WildApricot | No | $56.10/mo | Yes | Page | Both | 7.9 |
| 15 | GrowthZone | Yes | Full_site | Recurring | 7.8 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update