7 Best Membership Website Builder Platforms 2022 (Compared)

Are you looking for the best membership website builder platforms? If that’s the case, then you’ve landed on the right page.

One of the most exciting approaches to generating recurring income is through a membership website. It certainly provides benefits to you and your members whether you create an online course or an online community.

Delightfully, there are various membership website builder platforms that help you create a membership website effortlessly. Nevertheless, choosing the right platform out of many can be overwhelming. 

But, be at ease now! We’ve come up with a handpicked list of the best membership website builder platforms for 2022 for you.

So, let’s dig in!

What is a Membership Website?

Before we move ahead into the topic, let’s explore a bit about the membership website.

To put it simply, you can understand a membership website as a well-liked type of website that provides members-only access to special content. That’s to say, not everyone can view the content of the membership website. 

Essentially, most membership websites offer subscription tiers to site visitors. With that, you have to register on the website and get enroll. Consequently, you gain user access and thereby you can easily view the restricted content.

Udemy- Example of Membership Website
Udemy- Example of Membership Website

One of the best examples of a membership website is Udemy. It’s a renowned online learning site where you’ve to register and become a member to access the courses. Either for free or a fee. That’s totally up to you on the kind of course you pick.

On that note, let’s move forward. 


How to Choose the Best Membership Website Builder?

As mentioned earlier, there are various membership website builder platforms out there that help you craft membership sites. Nevertheless, the primary concern is how to choose the best membership website builder platform.

So, let’s consider a few things you should consider so that you can choose the best membership website builder platform. 

  • Ease of Use: Your chosen website builder must be user-friendly. So, you can solely focus on site content instead of getting trapped in an on-site building.
  • Membership Options: It should have all the capabilities required for your membership site. Such as content filters, payment processors, etc.
  • Hosting Facility: Verify if the hosting options are already included in the package. If not, then find out if it works with well-known hosting platforms
  • Speed: You can’t just build a membership site and hope to reach your prospects. So, check if it loads quickly to avoid harming your site’s SEO.
  • Flexibility and Scalability: Ensure that your chosen platform is highly adaptable and versatile so that it can help you grow your site as it scales.

Other than these, you should take a few other things into account. Such as budget, target market, customer support, and other complimentary services provided by the platform. 

With that being said, let’s jump into the summary table about the top membership website builders.


Summary of the Best Membership Website Builder Platforms

Do have a glance at the quick summary of the best membership website builder platforms.

Membership Website Builder Platforms Free/Premium  Version Starting Price User Ratings
Paid Memberships Pro – Integrated with WordPress Free Version $247 per year 4.7 out of 5 stars
MemberPress – Integrated with WordPress Premium Version $179.50 per year  4.6 out of 5 stars
MemberSpace Premium Version $29 per month 4.8 out of 5 stars
CMS Hub Free Version $23 per month 4.5 out of 5 stars
Wix Free Version $4.50 per month 4.6 out of 5 stars
Summary of the Best Membership Website Builder Platforms

7 Best Membership Website Builder Platforms 2022

Here, we’ve brought you a handpicked list of some of the best membership website builder platforms. Along with detailed descriptions, significant features, and pricing. So, explore each list to find the best choice for you.

1. Paid Memberships Pro

Paid Memberships Pro is the first platform on our list of the top membership website builders. In essence, it’s one of the top WordPress membership plugins on the market today.

Paid Memberships Pro WordPress Membership Plugin

It functions with the integration of WordPress, the most widely used platform for creating websites. So, in effect, what it does is give you all the tools you require to start, run, and grow your membership website.

Additionally, this plugin is linked to a number of the most widely used payment processors. To name a few, they’re Stripe, PayPal, Braintree, etc. Consequently, this enables you to quickly accept payments right from your WordPress website.

Key Features:

  • Create as many different subscription tiers as you like with varied prices. Such as free trials, memberships, recurring fees, one-time charges, etc.
  • Customize the messages and information sent to members. For instance, approvals, payment receipts, and renewal reminders.
  • Allow your members the option to donate once or on a recurring basis in place of paying a fixed membership price.
  • Maintain the record of the overall number of current members as well as the quantity of new and canceled members.
  • Keep track of how well your member promotions are working. Also, provide member discounts, show a progress meter, and so forth.

Cons:

  • As you’ll be using this plugin combined with the WordPress.org platform, you’ll have to manage your own domain and hosting. 
  • With Paid Memberships Pro, you’re not allowed to purchase individual add-ons.

Pricing:

There are both free and premium versions of Paid Memberships Pro. You can directly download the free version of this plugin from WordPress.org. Or, you can also install it straight from your WordPress dashboard.

Paid Membership Pro Pricing Plans
Paid Membership Pro Pricing Plans

Likewise, you can buy the premium version and upload to it your WordPress dashboard. It’s available to you at the following pricing tiers:

  • Standard Plan: Costs $247/year for 1 site license. 20 standard add-ons, unlimited restricted content, advanced customization, automatic updates, etc.
  • Plus Plan: Costs $397/year for 2 site licenses. 30 plus add-ons, unlimited membership levels & members, advanced customization, etc.
  • Builder Plan: Costs $697/year for 5 site licenses. Everything in Plus along with automatic updates, premium support, and more.

Meanwhile, WordPress is an open-source platform, you can easily get it from WordPress.org. However, you need to pay on your own for hosting and domain needs.

Luckily, there are several hosting service providers like Bluehost that offer hosting services for as cheap as $2.95 per month.

User Ratings and Reviews

Bottom Line

You don’t need to go elsewhere if you already have a WordPress website. If not, then you can also use WordPress as a CMS (Content Management System) platform to build a website. It’s definitely worth it.

Using the Paid Membership Pro is one of the finest ways to convert an existing WordPress website into a membership website. 

As Paid Membership Pro is one of the finest membership plugins that is offered in both free and paid editions. Therefore, you can evaluate the functionality of the free version before committing to the premium one.

Do you still want to know more about the Paid Membership Pro plugin? Then, you should certainly check out the detailed Paid Membership Pro review article to know more about it. 


2. MemberPress 

Next up, we’ve got MemberPress on our list of the best membership website builder platforms. Similar to Paid Membership Pro, it’s also one of the finest WordPress membership plugins to transform your normal website into a membership website. 

MemberPress WordPress Membership Plugin

This plugin provides you with all the resources you require to craft a sophisticated membership website. Precisely, you get paywall and content dripping features, customizable checkout, subscription billing, members-only dashboard, and so on. 

No doubt, it’s popularly marketed as an ‘all-in-one’ membership plugin for WordPress.

Key Features:

  • Includes a variety of payment options. Such as accepting credit cards, Google Wallet, and Apple Pay, as well as cash or checks.
  • Offers a content-dripping function that, after a set amount of time, reveals content that is exclusively available to subscribers.
  • Gives you absolute control over what content your members can access, depending on the subscription.
  • You can create a dynamic pricing page that lists the price ranges for various membership tiers.
  • Use email marketing solutions to communicate with your members, such as ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, MailChimp, and others.

Cons:

  • Quite limited design and layout options.
  • Its customization possibilities could be much better.
  • There is no free version available to test out its features. 

Pricing:

You can buy this premium MemberPress WordPress plugin at the following pricing tiers:

MemberPress Pricing Plans
MemberPress Pricing Plans
  • Basic Plan: Costs $179.50/year for 1 site. Unlimited members, unlimited courses, Stripe and PayPal integration, no transaction fees, etc.
  • Plus Plan: Costs $299.50/year for 2 sites. Advanced marketing integration, unlimited quizzes & certificates, developer tools, podcast memberships, etc.
  • Pro Plan: Costs $399.50/year for 5 sites. 3 months of free access to OptinMonster, TaxJar integration, Authorize.net integration, and more.

User Ratings and Reviews

Bottom Line

MemberPress is one of the best Paid Membership Pro alternatives that you can use to transform your WordPress website into a membership website. It’s quite easy to use and super flexible. 

And the best part is that controlling your content becomes much simpler once you grasp how the platform’s “rules” operate. Thereby, you can create different membership levels that you’ve envisioned.

Want to know more about the MemberPress plugin? Then, do check our article on the MemberPress review to know more about it.


3. MemberSpace

Next up, we’ve got MemberSpace on our list of the best membership website builder platforms. To be precise, it’s a third-party application for transforming your normal website into a membership website. 

MemberSpace Membership Website Builder Platform

It works well with all the major CMS platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, and others. Therefore, even if you need to switch CMS platforms, moving your membership site to a new one is simple. Plus, it won’t affect your members or their payment information.

Using MemberSpace, you can fence any of your website pages. And, then specify what has to be done by the members to unlock the gate. For instance, it can be as easy as subscribing to a newsletter or purchasing a subscription plan.

Key Features:

  • Include the member login, signup, and account forms to any section of your website, email campaign, or social media page. 
  • Enables you to offer an upgrade and downgrade function so that your members can change their plans at any time.
  • You can decide when new members can access a certain page or piece of material. When they lose access is also up to you.
  • Offers Instant Payouts option. This ensures that money is paid into your bank account within just two business days.
  • Make any promo codes you wish. Then, you can ask your members to use them when subscribing to paying membership plans.

Cons:

  • You’ve to pay a transaction fee of 4% in its Starting Plan. Meanwhile, other plans are quite costly. 

Pricing:

MemberSpace is a premium membership website builder platform available to you at the following pricing plans:

MemberSpace Pricing Plans
MemberSpace Pricing Plans
  • Starting Plan: Costs $29/month for up to 2 websites. Unlimited members, VIP support, free migration, all standard features, 4% transaction fee, etc.
  • Growing Plan: Costs $49/month for up to 3 websites. Unlimited members, all standard features, 3% transaction fee, no MemberSpace branding, etc.
  • Advanced Plan: Costs $199/month for up to 4 websites. Unlimited members, VIP support, free migration, all standard features, 1% transaction fee, etc.

User Ratings and Reviews

Bottom Line

With MemberSpace, you can create memberships for anything you desire, including courses, video lessons, member directories, and more. Along with complete control over the style and feel of your website. 

To put it briefly, MemberSpace makes it simple to include a members-only area on your current website. With a strong website and complete membership functionality, you get the best of both worlds.


4. CMS Hub

Another best membership website builder platform out there is CMS Hub. It’s a Content Management System on its own, unlike the other membership builder features stated above. It provides a personalized, secure experience for your members while being flexible for marketers and powerful for developers.

CMS Hub Membership Website Builder Platform
CMS Hub Membership Website Builder Platform

Additionally, CMS Hub provides a ready-to-use membership option for your website. Simply, you can specify who sees what information, lock specific sections, and more. Even more, you can use personal branding on any membership page, including profile pages.

Key Features:

  • Choose from one of its ready-made website templates or opt for personalized development.
  • Link a custom domain to your membership website. And establish brand credibility and establish organic search authority right away.
  • Host your membership website on a fully managed, efficient, and scalable infrastructure.
  • Utilizing CRM ( Customer Relationship Management) data, you can use one location to track members and personalize digital experiences.
  • Gain more subscribers and members with content that is search engine friendly.

Cons:

  • You get membership functionality only on its Enterprise package which is way too costly.
  • Most users have expressed their dissatisfaction regarding the limitation of website pages and landing pages.

Pricing:

CMS Hub website builder platform is available to you in the following premium pricing schemes:

CMS Hub Pricing Plans
CMS Hub Pricing Plans
  • Free: You don’t have to pay any price. Includes features like website pages, drag-and-drop editor, basic SEO ( Search Engine Optimization) recommendations, etc.
  • Starter: Costs $23/month. All Free features plus you get extra website pages and blog posts, personalization tokens, live and email chat support, etc.
  • Professional: Costs $360/month. All Starter features plus personalization through smart content, advanced SEO recommendations, and more.
  • Enterprise: Costs $1200/month. All Professional features, plus membership logins, adaptive testing, custom web applications, and so on.

User Ratings and Reviews

Bottom Line

CMS Hub is an all-inclusive platform for creating membership websites. It comes pre-included with hosting, adaptable themes, along with a dynamic content system. 

Moreover, the drag-and-drop page editing system helps you create the exact kind of membership website you’ve thought of. Further, this makes it a kind of CRM platform that enables you to create a seamless digital experience for your members.


5. Wix

Wix is another best membership website builder platform out there in the market. It has built-in marketing tools and straightforward design options for creating a membership website.

Wix Membership Website Builder Platform

Moreover, it includes over 900+ editable templates that enable you to create your membership website quickly. The best feature is that everything related to your members and subscribers can be added, arranged, and managed from a single dashboard.

In addition, it has an integrated analytical tool that analyzes your traffic, member activity, and revenue statistics. And on the basis of that, it offers personalized suggestions for how you can advance your membership website.

Key Features:

  • It offers a powerful drag-and-drop design tool so you may create your own expert membership website.
  • Features a special “Members Area” in its app section that makes building a membership website relatively simple.
  • Each member also has a personal page where they can keep things like their account information, redeemable awards, and any exclusive content.
  • Automatically compiles a contact list of users who engage with your website. And it uses labels and filters to keep track of leads.
  • You can generate invoices, provide personalized quotations, and get paid for your work online all in one location.

Cons:

  • You’ll see Wix advertisements on your membership website if you choose the free plan.
  • The membership site could become very messy if not finished carefully as it offers the option to insert the elements everywhere.

Pricing:

Wix offers both free and paid alternatives for building your membership website. To be precise, you’ll receive hundreds of templates, an infinite number of pages, and first-rate hosting with its free plan.

Wix Website Plans
Wix Website Pricing Plans

On the other hand, you can get the premium plan at the following prices:

  • Connect Domain: Costs $4.50/month. Custom domain, free SSL certificate, storage space of 500 MB, a bandwidth of 1 GB, and 24/7 customer care. 
  • Combo: Costs $8.50/month. Free domain for 1 year, 3 GB storage space, 2 GB bandwidth, and 24/7 customer care.
  • Unlimited: Costs $12.50/month. Unlimited bandwidth, 10 GB storage space,  no Wix ads, and 1 video hour.
  • VIP: Costs $24.50/month. Provides 35 GB storage space, 5 video hours, priority customer care, and more.

User Ratings and Reviews

Bottom Line

In a nutshell, Wix is a good choice for building practically any website because of its simple drag-and-drop editor. Additionally, in this instance, it’s the simplest website builder to use to include a members-only area on your website.

Furthermore, Wix’s free plan allows you to build a simple website. While still allowing you to experiment with the membership app and give your site a unique touch. Consequently, this makes it one of the best membership website builder platforms.


6. Thinkific

Next up, we’ve got Thinkific on our list of the best membership website builder platforms. This platform is specifically made for creating membership websites that will empower you to monetize your expertise.

Thinkific Membership Website Builder Platform
Thinkific Membership Website Builder Platform

As a platform that focuses on online courses, you can anticipate that it provides all you require. Using the easy-to-use course builder, you can completely customize the course while starting from scratch.  

Even more, you can sell live courses using the integrated eCommerce system in addition to sharing and marketing them. Also, there is an app store available where you can pick from 80+ tools and extensions to add to your membership platform.

Key Features:

  • Pick from one of its ready-made, editable themes. And create a membership site that accurately represents your business.
  • Enjoy full control over your price, income, learning product data, and the appearance of your content.
  • Seamlessly create programs that scale with your members as your business’s demands increase with its extra tools and extensions.
  • Get full insight into your members’ behavior and interests so as to fine-tune your content to maximize its impact.
  • Offers free Thinkific Academy courses for beginning designers as a starting point.

Cons:

  • The majority of possibilities to create a fully functional membership site comes with more expensive plans.
  • It doesn’t provide you with chat support.

Pricing:

Thinkific provides you with flexible premium pricing schemes that scale as your business expands. As:

Thinkific Pricing Plans
Thinkific Pricing Plans
  • Free: You can get this plan without having to pay anything. 1 course, 1 community 1 administrator, unlimited students, and no transaction fee.
  • Basic: Costs $ 36/month. All Free features plus 5 spaces per community, custom domains, coupons and discounts, affiliate selling, and more.
  • Start: Costs $ 74/month. All Basic features plus 10 spaces per community, advanced course-building options, memberships, payment plans, etc.
  • Grow: Costs $149/month. All the Start features plus 20 spaces per community, remove Thinkific branding, bulk student enrollment, API access, and more.

User Ratings and Reviews

Bottom Line

In summary, Thinkific is undoubtedly one of the best platforms for building membership websites. It creates a solid foundation for course designers to quickly produce high-quality courses.

On top of that, it provides unrestricted hosting for videos as part of the subscription fee. As a result, you should definitely consider using it to build your membership website.


7. Weebly 

Last but not least, we’ve got Weebly on our list of the best membership website builder platforms. This platform offers a simple procedure to incorporate a members-only area of any website.

Weebly - Best Membership Website Builder Platform

On Weebly’s Members page, you can manage both group communities and individual members. That is located in the editor settings. You can easily reach the Members page by going to the “Settings” tab on the top menu.

Basically, Weebly gives you two choices to build your membership website. One is that you build a whole website that is only for members. Alternatively, you might make a member-only area of your current Weebly website that is walled off from the public.

Key Features:

  • With drag-and-drop, you can create stunning posts, control comments, and plan for future content for your members.
  • Includes a mobile app that makes it simpler to administer your site from anywhere, track performance, and communicate with members.
  • Enables you to incorporate a video background as a dynamic design feature to attract new members.
  • Provides DDoS protection, one-click SSL certificates, and round-the-clock assistance to keep your membership website secure.
  • Additionally, it offers a free hosting solution to guarantee the efficiency and quickness of your membership website.

Cons:

  • You need to upgrade to its premium version as its membership features are only available on paid plans.
  • As the number of members grows, you must also continue to upgrade your website.
  • It might not be the ideal choice as your membership website grows.

Pricing:

As we discussed, the Weebly website builder platform is available to you in both free and paid versions. You can easily get going in the website creation process in its free version.

Weebly Pricing
Weebly Pricing

Meanwhile, the premium subscriptions are available to you in the following pricing terms:

  • Connect: Costs $10/month paid annually. Comes with 500 MB storage, connecting a custom domain, membership lead capture, SEO, etc.
  • Pro: Costs $12/month, paid annually. Comes with unlimited storage,  accepts payments via Square, removes Weebly ads, site searches, and more.
  • Business: Costs $25/month, paid annually. Comes with site searches, advanced site stats, pop-up notifications, item reviews, etc.

User Ratings and Reviews

Bottom Line

To put it briefly, the Weebly membership website builder provides a decent approach to building “members only” kinds of specialized areas. 

With just a few clicks, you can quickly create a members-only section on Weebly using its built-in capabilities. That too, is all from your dashboard, with no need for plugins or integrations from outside sources.

Weebly faces a lot of competition in the market. But, even so, it’s still quite simple to get your hands on the world of membership-only websites with Weebly.

Wondering if there are any other website builder platforms quite similar to Weebly? Then, check out our article on the best Weebly alternatives to know more about it. 


Conclusion

That’s all for now, folks! We’ve come to the end of our article on the best membership website builder platforms.

Hopefully, we believe this article was fruitful for you to find out the ideal membership website builder platform to create your site. 

If you’re still in dilemma, then we suggest you go for the WordPress CMS platform with the integration of membership plugins. Particularly Paid Memberships Pro or MemberPress

Using either of these plugins, we believe you can create a membership website of your vision.

Also, do share your experience in the comment section below if you’re already familiar with any of the above-mentioned platforms. That might help our other fellow readers. 

You might like our other related articles such as best membership website ideas that make money and best membership site examples. We believe these articles will definitely help you create an amazing membership website. 

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And do help us grow by spreading the word with your friends and family if you find our article fruitful.

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