Membership plugins can help you create a highly engaging email list. It can help you generate recurring income. Most importantly, it will help you build a list of a loyal registered member and transform your site into a fully functional membership site. Want to achieve this?

If yes, then you need a right plugin for achieving this on your WordPress site. Remember, one wrong decision can be hard on money, time and resources.

Look over our picks for the best free WordPress membership plugins, and decide which one suit you best.

Top Free Membership Plugins for WordPress

1. Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member WordPress plugin

Ultimate Member is one of the most popular WordPress membership plugins that attains more than 100,000 active installers. So, if you want to build communities, then this plugin serves you right. Since it doesn’t focus more on selling paid memberships; but its add-ons can help you find the third party so you can get hooked with WooCommerce. Want to know more?

Key features of Ultimate Member

  • It is a lightweight plugin that offers content restricting options like no other plugin
  • Users are allowed to restrict content on a specific page, post or their entire site
  • Enables users to control menu items for different users
  • Offers front end user profiles, registration and login option for users
  • Allow user to show posts and comments on user profile
  • Offers  a drag and drop form builder and conditional login for form field option for users

It is a free plugin but if you want to avail additional features; get hooked with their free extensions; terms and conditions, Google reCAPTCHA and online users. However, they are also offering paid extensions starting from $25-45, or extension bundle package starting from $199.

Download Ultimate Member Today

2. WP-Members Membership Plugin

WP Members membership plugin

WP-Members developed by Chad Butler is another free membership plugin attracting more than 80,000 active installations. Remember, this plugin requires some coding knowledge. To make it fully functional and to attain the best out of it; you need technical skills and techniques. However, it is best if you want to modify the outlook of it and add specific restriction to its content.

Key features of WP-Member

  • Users are allowed to access all the content by default and enable unlocking posts according to its need.
  • Users can overrule the default setting without making adjustments anywhere.
  • Offers a drag and drop builder option; where users can change out of the box registration fields and add custom ones
  • Provides more than 120 action and filter hooks
  • Allows users to create their login page and use custom URL’s
  • Enable users to create lead generation landing pages and link them with banners

Everything above is free; however, if you want to avail additional features get hooked with their premium support starting from $ 59. However, its WP-Members Pro Bundle offers $ 125, and its life tome Package is for $499.

Download WP-Member

3. Simple Membership

Simple Membership WordPress plugin

Simple Membership as evident from the name is a simple, easy to use and flexible membership plugin best for beginners. With the help of this plugin, you can easily and quickly set up unlimited membership according to your level and protect your post and page. It offers a user-friendly interface where all the members can edit any post or page.

Key features of Simple Membership

  • Protect photo galleries, attachment pages, comments on protected posts and also apply for partial protection on specific pages or post.
  • Allow users to send an email notification to their members
  • Offers Google reCAPTCHA option; on the member registration form, member login and password reset form.
  • Users can avail their responsive feature; if they are using a responsive theme
  • Offers front-end members registration page, profile, and login page option
  • Compatible with any WordPress theme

That’s not all! To know more about this plugin log onto WordPress and click simple membership plugin. If you inclined with this plugin; click below.

Download Simple Membership

4. Paid Membership Pro

Paid Membership Pro WordPress plugin

Paid Membership Pro is another free and remarkable plugin that can help you restrict content on your WordPress site to selected users of your choice.

Key features of Paid Membership Pro

It provides users with a flexible pricing and free trial period. However, if you believe its free version is not serving your purpose, try their premium add-ons. They are offering over 60 premium add-ons that are effective, efficient, customizable, and provides a wide range of features. Their premium version supports documentation, premium content and member only forums and much more.

Download Paid Membership Pro

5. S2 Member Framework

S2 Member Framework WP plugin

S2 Member Framework is a powerful yet free membership plugin that can protect your WordPress posts, pages, tags, categories, URLs, and BuddyPress/bbPress. This plugin also can protect the portion of content within posts, pages, themes, downloadable files, streaming videos, and various plugins.

Key features of S2 Member Framework

If you want to avail the pro version of this plugin; it is readily available to download for a fee of $89. However, if you ask us; their basic plan includes all the detail features; that make it among one of the Modern Membership Plugin.

Download S2 Member Framework

6. Restrict Content

Restrict Content Pro WP plugin

Restrict Content Pro is a light-weight plugin but offers extensive features. Therefore, with the help of this plugin, you can easily create a fully-featured membership site. Want to know more?

Key features of Restrict Content Pro

  • It offers built-in integration with Stripe, Braintree, 2Checkout, Authorize.net and PayPal.
  • Allows users to create custom user registration and login forms
  • With shortcode, users can avail they’re limiting access to content option
  • Users can build a premium content library and provide access to members in their CLUB Membership option
  • Users can sell online magazine subscription to premium subscribers
  • Enables users to create a private forum option where they can limit access to various private communities
  • Offers member blogging option for its users

Their premium version is also available that offers additional features starting from personal package $ 99 per year for a single site with 12 official free add-ons. However, their most popular is a professional package for $249 per year offering 17 pro-add-ons, 12 official free add-ons and a wide range of other features.

Download Restrict Content Pro

7. Groups

Groups WP membership plugin

Are you in search of group-oriented memberships and content access control solutions? If yes, then Groups will help you provide a group-based user membership management solution, group-based capabilities and access control for content.

Key features of Groups

  • A light-weight plugin that offers easy to use interface
  • Supports an unlimited number of groups and group hierarchies with capability inheritance
  • Provides access to custom post type, post, and pages
  • Control access by groups and content by capabilities using a shortcode
  • Offers a wide range of sensible options

Most importantly, if you believe that the above features are not enough for you; then you need to look into the Group Extensions.

Download Groups

8. Membership & Content Restriction – Paid Member Subscriptions

Membership Content Restriction WP plugin

Paid Member Subscriptions is another versatile membership plugin.  It allows users to accept member payments, manage members, create subscription plans and restrict access to premium content.

Key features of Paid Member Subscriptions

  • Allows users to manage unlimited members
  • Offers navigation menu filter; where users can set access level
  • Variety of payment gateways; PayPal Pro, papal express checkout and stripe
  • Allows users to globally restrict access to content based on post type, taxonomy and r=terms
  • Offers dripping content option with time release of access limitation
  • Provides a wide range of discount codes for promotions and rewards

Download Paid Member Subscriptions

9. WP User Frontend

WP User Frontend plugin

If you are looking for a front-end builder plugin for free. Then, WP User Frontend is the right choice. It is not just a membership plugin but a profile, registration and post submission plugin too.

Key features of WP User Frontend:

  • Allows users to edit their profile using default fields from frontend without having backend access
  • Offers unlimited post type form creation
  • Users are allowed to manage from frontend as well as configure from the backend
  • Offers drag and drop form builder
  • Publish WPUF forms using Gutenberg editor.
  • Paste shortcodes on any page and generate a form without affecting the theme style.

That’s not all! It offers a wide range of other services. Check out their complete list of features on WordPress.org. However, if you want to avail their Premium Version; it’s just rocking it. Their Personal Plan starts at $ 49/ year; offering all-in-one frontend solution for WordPress. They are also offering a Professional Plan for $ 89/year and Business Plan for $ 159/year. However, if you want to stick with their basic plan; click below.

Download WP User Frontend

Wrapping Up

We hope this article helped you find the best membership plugin for your site.

Which WordPress membership plugin did you finally choose? Is there any plugin we missed? Comment in the comment section below!

For now, you are all set to create a membership site of your own using one of these membership plugins.