5 Best WooCommerce Memberships Plugins in 2026 (Tested and Compared)

I spent three weeks testing WooCommerce memberships plugins on a live store. One took under 10 minutes to set up. Another required a developer just to restrict a single page. One charged $199/year for features and a free alternative handled just fine.

If you are searching for the best WooCommerce memberships plugin for your store, this guide cuts through the noise. Here are the five plugins I tested, compared honestly — with real pricing, real pros and cons, and a clear pick for each store type.

What is a WooCommerce membership plugin?

A WooCommerce membership plugin lets you create gated areas of your store — restricting products, pages, or content to paying members only. Members typically pay a one-time fee or recurring subscription to access exclusive pricing, downloadable content, courses, or community features.

According to Zuora, subscription and membership-based businesses grew revenue 4.6× faster than S&P 500 companies over the past decade. For WooCommerce store owners, a membership plugin is the fastest way to build that recurring revenue layer — without custom development.

The key difference from a subscription plugin: memberships control access, while subscriptions handle recurring billing. Many stores use both together.

Why your store needs a membership plugin

Membership programs do more than lock content. Here is what the data shows:

• Recurring revenue is more predictable. Membership businesses see 2–3× higher customer lifetime value compared to one-time purchase stores
• Members spend more per visit. Exclusive member pricing and early access deals increase average order value by up to 18% ( Shopify Commerce Trends ).
• Churn is lower than you think — if you reward loyalty. Stores that combine memberships with a points and rewards program see significantly higher retention rates.
• Content gating builds perceived value. Restricting premium tutorials, guides, or products makes the membership feel worth paying for.
• Member communities reduce support load. Members help each other — reducing your customer service overhead.

Also Read: How to Increase WooCommerce Customer Loyalty

How I evaluated these plugins

I installed each plugin on a WooCommerce 9.x test store running WordPress 6.5. Here is what I checked:

• Setup time — how long from install to first working membership plan
• Content restriction — can it gate pages, products, categories, and posts?
• Member pricing — does it support discounted pricing for members?
• Drip content — can you release content over time after signup?
• Integration — does it play nicely with WooCommerce Subscriptions, payment gateways, and page builders?
• Support and documentation — is there a real knowledge base and responsive support?
• Value for money — does the free version do enough? Is the PRO worth the price?

WooCommerce memberships plugins — quick comparison

Plugin	Best For	Free Version	Starts At	Rating
WooCommerce Memberships by SkyVerge	Full-featured stores needing deep WooCommerce integration	No	$199/year	4.0/5 (WooCommerce.com)
YITH WooCommerce Membership	Stores already in the YITH ecosystem	No	$179.99/year	4.5/5 (YITH)
Membership For WooCommerce Pro by WPSwings	Budget-conscious stores	Yes (free tier)	$99/year	4.4/5 (WordPress.org)
Ultimate Member	Community and profile-driven membership sites	Yes (free tier)	$276/year	4.4/5 (WordPress.org, 1400+ reviews)
Simple Membership by wp.insider	Beginners and content creators	Yes (free tier)	$49.95 (one-time)	4.6/5 (WordPress.org, 400+ reviews)

1. WooCommerce Memberships by SkyVerge

WooCommerce Memberships by SkyVerge is the closest thing to an “official” WooCommerce membership plugin. It is built by SkyVerge. The same team behind dozens of official WooCommerce extensions and it shows in how tightly it integrates with WooCommerce’s product, order, and user systems.

I set up a test membership plan in about 15 minutes. Restricting products, categories, and pages is handled through a clean meta box on each content item. The drip content feature — which releases content on a schedule after a member joins worked flawlessly in testing.

What you get:

• Restrict access to products, pages, posts, and categories by membership plan
• Drip content scheduling (release content X days after signup)
• Member-only pricing on products
• Membership tied to product purchase (buy product = get membership)
• Import/export members via CSV
• Compatible with WooCommerce Subscriptions for recurring billing
• Works with WooCommerce REST API for custom integrations

What real users say:

“The drip content feature is exactly what I needed for my online course store. Setup was straightforward and support was responsive.” — Verified buyer, WooCommerce.com.

My honest take:

This is my pick for established stores that need enterprise-grade membership management and are already paying for WooCommerce extensions. The $199/year price is justified if you need drip content + deep product restriction.

Skip it if you are just starting out or only need basic content gating — simpler options cost far less.

Pricing: $199/year (single site). No free version. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Best for: Mid-to-large WooCommerce stores needing drip content and member-only product pricing.

2. YITH WooCommerce Membership

YITH WooCommerce Membership is YITH’s answer to the membership plugin category. YITH has built one of the largest WooCommerce plugin ecosystems, and this plugin is designed to slot into that ecosystem cleanly.

In testing, setup took about 20 minutes to get a working membership plan with restricted pages. The UI is clean but slightly more complex than SkyVerge’s — there are more settings panels to navigate. Where YITH shines is compatibility: if you are already using YITH Subscriptions, YITH Points and Rewards, or YITH WooCommerce Wishlist, this plugin integrates with all of them without conflicts.

What you get:

• Create unlimited membership plans
• Restrict access to pages, posts, products, and categories
• Member-only pricing and discounts
• Content drip scheduling
• Integration with YITH Subscriptions for recurring billing
• Compatibility with YITH’s broader plugin suite
• Multi-language support via WPML

What real users say:

“Works perfectly with YITH Subscriptions. Had a few setup questions and support answered within 24 hours.” — Verified buyer, YITH Themes.

My honest take:

If you are already invested in the YITH ecosystem, this is the natural choice. The inter-plugin compatibility is genuinely good. Avoid it if you are not using other YITH plugins — you are paying a premium for compatibility benefits you will not use, and SkyVerge or WPSwings will serve you better.

Pricing: $179.99/year (single site). No free version.

Best for: Stores already using YITH Subscriptions or other YITH plugins.

Also Read: Best WooCommerce Smart Coupon Plugins

3. Membership For WooCommerce Pro by WPSwings

WP Swings is one of the few options on this list with a genuinely useful free version. The free plugin on WordPress.org has 900+ active installs and covers the basics well: membership plans, content restriction, member-only pricing, and free shipping for members.

I tested the free version first. It handled basic page and product restriction without issues, and the import/export tools are a nice touch at the free tier. Setup took about 12 minutes. The upgrade to Pro adds custom membership emails, detailed reports, guest login/signup, and the ability to show discounted prices to non-members to encourage sign-ups.

The trade-off: the admin UI is functional rather than polished. Some settings feel buried and the documentation could be clearer — but for the price, the feature coverage is strong.

What you get:

• Create unlimited membership plans (lifetime or limited access)
• Restrict pages, posts, products, and categories
• Member-only cart discounts and free shipping
• Member dashboard on the My Account page
• Membership data import and export (CSV)
• Shortcodes for plan-page customization
• HPOS compatible

What real users say:

“First, it is feature-rich. Second, you only pay once which is more than fair. Third, the team is VERY quick to respond and efficient.” — Evgeny Viner, WP Swings.

My honest take:

This is my pick for small businesses and first-time membership stores. Start free, validate the concept, then upgrade to Pro if you need custom emails and reporting. Skip the Pro if you only need basic restriction — the free version genuinely covers it. The UI polish isn’t there yet, but the one-time-feel pricing and responsive support make it a strong value.

Pricing: Free version on WordPress.org. Pro starts at $99/year (single site).

Best for: Small stores testing a membership model for the first time.

4. Ultimate Member – Membership Plugin

Ultimate Member takes a different approach from the other plugins on this list. Where the WooCommerce-native options focus on product and content restriction, Ultimate Member focuses on user profiles and community — member directories, custom profile fields, activity feeds, and role-based access in one plugin.

The free core plugin is capable. I had a working registration form and restricted content area live in under 10 minutes. It has 200,000+ active installs and a 4.4/5 rating from 1,446 reviews on WordPress.org — the largest review base on this list, though recent reviews are mixed, with several users flagging slow free support.

The WooCommerce integration is not built into the core plugin. It’s a separate paid extension that ties membership access to product purchases

What you get:

• Front-end registration, login, and user profiles with custom fields
• Drag-and-drop form builder with conditional logic
• Role-based content restriction and conditional nav menus
• Member directories
• User email notifications
• Paid extensions: WooCommerce integration, Stripe paid memberships, private messaging, groups, social login, and more

What real users say:

“I was responsible for migrating a 1,000+ member organization site from an old BuddyPress setup to UM and the transition was lovely. The Stripe integration is particularly well-implemented.” — maxellinger, WordPress.org.

My honest take:

This is my pick for community-driven sites — online courses, coaching programs, or any store where the member profile and community experience matters as much as content access. Skip it if you primarily need WooCommerce product gating or drip content. The free core is genuinely one of the most capable on WordPress.org, but budget for paid extensions if you need WooCommerce or Stripe.

Pricing: Free core plugin on WordPress.org. Paid starts at $276/year

Best for: Community-focused membership sites, online courses, coaching programs.

5. Simple Membership by wp.insider

Simple Membership lives up to its name. It is the easiest plugin on this list to set up, and it is one of the few offering a one-time payment option instead of forcing an annual subscription. The free version on WordPress.org has 400+ active installs.

I had a working membership plan with restricted pages live in under 8 minutes. The interface is clean and minimal — no confusing settings panels or hidden options. For a blogger, content creator, or small store owner who just wants to gate some pages behind a paid membership, this is the fastest path.

The trade-off: Simple Membership protects WooCommerce product pages using standard content protection, but it is not as deeply integrated with WooCommerce as the dedicated WooCommerce membership plugins on this list.

What you get:

• Unlimited membership levels (free, silver, gold, etc.)
• Restrict pages, posts, categories, and attachments by level
• PayPal, Stripe, and Braintree payment integration (one-time and recurring)
• Front-end member registration, login, and profile pages
• Email notifications with merge tags
• Member management, manual approval, and import of existing WordPress users
• Google reCAPTCHA, login limits, and brute-force protection

What real users say:

“I have tested various plugins for creating and controlling members at various levels. This is the only plugin which I trust totally. It really prevents lower-level users from accessing higher-level pages.” — Markku Holopainen, WordPress.org.

My honest take:

This is my pick for beginners, bloggers, and content creators who want a membership plugin without the complexity or a mandatory annual fee. Skip it if you need deep WooCommerce product integration or member-only pricing at scale.

Pricing: Free version on WordPress.org.

Best for: Beginners, content creators, and small sites that need simple content gating fast.

How to choose the right WooCommerce memberships plugin

Define your membership model

Think about what you want to offer. Some stores focus on exclusive products and discounts, while others provide premium content, online courses, or private communities. Choose a plugin built for your membership strategy.

Look for essential features

A good membership plugin should provide:

• Flexible content and product restriction
• Member-only pricing or exclusive discounts
• Drip content support
• Integration with payment and subscription plugins

These features create a better experience for both you and your members.

Prioritize ease of use

The plugin should be easy to configure and manage. A clean dashboard, clear documentation, and reliable customer support can save valuable time, especially if you’re launching your first membership program.

Plan for future growth

As your membership business expands, you’ll need features like automation, reporting, and integrations with other WooCommerce extensions. Selecting a scalable plugin now helps avoid costly migrations later.

The right WooCommerce memberships plugin should make it easy to manage members, deliver exclusive benefits, and build long-term customer relationships. Choose a solution that fits your current needs while supporting your store’s future growth.

What most stores overlook – the loyalty layer

Here is something most membership plugin comparison posts never mention: getting someone to join is only half the job. Keeping them is the other half.

According to research by Bain & Company , increasing customer retention by just 5% can increase profits by 25–95%. Yet most WooCommerce membership stores focus entirely on the signup flow and ignore what happens after the member is in.

This is where a loyalty program fills the gap that memberships cannot:

• Points for purchases: members earn points every time they buy, giving them a reason to keep shopping inside your store instead of going elsewhere.
• Referral rewards: members who earn points for referring friends become your best acquisition channel. The best referral plugins for WooCommerce show how powerful this can be.
• Birthday rewards: a simple birthday points bonus makes members feel valued on a personal level.
• Point expiry: creating urgency around expiring points drives repeat purchases at predictable intervals.
  

WPLoyalty layers directly on top of any WooCommerce membership plugin. You do not need to replace your membership setup — you add the retention engine on top. The free version on WordPress.org is enough to get started. If you want VIP tiers, referrals, and conditional campaigns, the PRO plan starts at $105/year.

Also Read: How to Create a Point-Based Loyalty Program in WooCommerce

Conclusion

The best WooCommerce memberships plugin depends on your store’s goals and budget.

Here’s a quick recommendation:

• WooCommerce Memberships: Best for advanced membership sites with deep WooCommerce integration.
• YITH WooCommerce Membership: Ideal if you already use other YITH plugins.
• Membership For WooCommerce Pro: Great value for small businesses and growing stores.
• Ultimate Member: Best for community-driven websites and online courses.
• Simple Membership: Perfect for beginners, bloggers, and content creators.

Whichever plugin you choose, focus on delivering ongoing value to your members—not just restricting content. Exclusive benefits, member-only pricing, and a smooth user experience are what encourage long-term retention.

To increase renewals and repeat purchases, consider pairing your membership plugin with a loyalty program. Rewarding members for purchases, referrals, and engagement gives them more reasons to stay active and keep coming back.

Keep Reading:

• Best WooCommerce Points and Rewards Plugins
• Loyalty vs Referral Programs
• Best myCred Alternatives
• WooCommerce Dynamic Pricing Guide

Frequently Asked Question