
Yes. Yes you can!
What is a membership site?
A membership website is a website that offers exclusive content and benefits to its members, typically in exchange for a subscription fee, but it can be free as well. These websites are often “gated,” meaning that only members can access certain content or features.
Here are some key characteristics of membership websites:
- Exclusive content: Members have access to content that is not available to non-members, such as articles, videos, courses, discounts, or other resources.
- Community: Many membership websites also have a community component, where members can connect with each other, ask questions, and share ideas.
- Subscription fees: In order to access the exclusive content and benefits, members typically need to pay a subscription fee. This fee can be monthly, annual, or one-time.
- Different tiers: Some membership websites offer different tiers of membership, with each tier offering different levels of access and benefits.
Here are some examples of membership websites:
- Association Websites: We’ve helped various organizations or associations set up membership websites, including neighborhood associations, bar associations, and writer associations. Check out Association of Ghostwriters, AGESW and the Tippecanoe County Bar Association as examples.
- Online courses: You can have a membership website that members use to access online courses. Check out the Alliance University section of Alliance for Greater Works website.
- Fitness communities: We’ve helped fitness pros set up websites that allow clients to sign up for gym membership as well as access their fitness library. An example of a fitness membership website we’ve created is Dope Yogi.
- Directory websites: Want to have an online directory that allows members to sign up to be showcased? You can do that with a membership website. Check out Hire Warriors as an example.
When you create a membership website, you can access exclusive content, connect with like-minded people, and get more value out of a product or service.
Options for creating a membership website
In order to set up a membership website, you’ll need to use a membership plugin. And there are multiple options. How do you know which one to pick?
First, you need to know what you want to provide to your members in order to choose the best plugin. I have built many membership sites using a variety of plugins. I’ll briefly go through some of plugins I use and why I might pick that one.

MemberPress
MemberPress is a popular WordPress plugin that allows you to easily create and manage membership sites, sell online courses, and control access to content on your website. It is an all-in-one solution that includes a paywall, subscription management, learning management system (LMS), community features, and more.
This is usually my go-to membership plugin when I need a regular membership to access to content types that I am setting up for my clients that don’t require online courses or directories.
Here are some of the key features of MemberPress:
- Create and sell memberships: With MemberPress, you can create different membership levels with varying access to content, pricing options, and other benefits. You can also offer recurring billing so that your members are automatically charged each month.
- Sell online courses: MemberPress includes a built-in LMS that allows you to create and sell online courses. You can drip-feed content to your students, track their progress, and award certificates upon completion.
- Control access to content: You can use MemberPress to control access to any content on your website, including posts, pages, categories, tags, feeds, communities, and digital files. This allows you to create exclusive content for your members and keep them engaged.
- Accept payments: MemberPress integrates with a variety of popular payment gateways, so you can easily accept payments from your members.
- Easy to use: MemberPress is designed to be easy to use, even for people with no coding experience. The plugin has a user-friendly interface and plenty of documentation to help you get started.
Overall, MemberPress is a powerful tool that can help you create and manage a successful membership site or online course business. If you are looking for a comprehensive solution that is easy to use, MemberPress is a great option.
Here are some additional things to consider when deciding if MemberPress is right for you:
- Pricing: MemberPress starts at $179.50 per year for a single site license. There are also more expensive plans that include additional features and support.
- Integrations: MemberPress integrates with a variety of popular WordPress plugins and services, including email marketing platforms like MailChimp, payment gateways, and webinar platforms.
- Support: MemberPress offers a variety of support options, including email support, live chat, and a knowledge base.
- Beaver Builder Integration: As a Beaver Builder Pro, this is super important to me! MemberPress has an add-on to integrate with my favorite page builder.

Paid Memberships Pro
Paid Memberships Pro (PMPro) is a popular WordPress plugin specifically designed to help you create and manage a membership site. I often choose PMPro when I need to set up a directory site for a client who wants to allow members to pay for a membership and also display and manage their own directory listing.
It offers a robust set of features to:
- Restrict content: Control who can see specific content on your site by assigning it to membership levels. This could be anything from exclusive articles and videos to gated forums and online courses.
- Manage user registration: Create different membership levels with varying perks and pricing options. Allow users to register and manage their accounts, including upgrading or downgrading their memberships.
- Process payments: Integrate with various payment gateways to accept recurring payments for subscriptions, ensuring a smooth payment experience for your members.
- Customize your site: Design your membership pages and content to match your brand and website aesthetic. PMPro integrates with popular page builders and offers customization options.
- Enhance functionality: Extend PMPro’s core features with various add-ons, allowing you to manage things like affiliates, email marketing, discounts, and more.
Key benefits of using PMPro:
- Easy to use: The interface is user-friendly, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced WordPress users.
- Flexible: PMPro adapts to a wide range of membership site ideas, from online communities and educational platforms to exclusive content subscriptions and product access.
- Scalable: You can start with a free core plugin and upgrade to paid plans with additional features as your membership site grows.
- Open-source: PMPro is GPLv2 licensed, giving you full control and customization potential over your plugin.
- Pricing: The starting price is $0, but it can get fairly pricey depending on the features you need. I typically require more than the free version on sites I use this on.
- Support: I have found the support at PMPro to be knowledgeable and helpful in all my interactions with them.
- Beaver Builder Integration: As a Beaver Builder Pro, I need this and PMPro delivers.

Restrict Content Pro
Restrict Content Pro is a WordPress plugin specifically designed to help website owners control access to their content and create membership websites. It allows you to restrict access to:
- Posts and pages: Decide which content only paid members or specific user roles can see.
- Media: Hide images, videos, and other media files from unauthorized users.
- Custom post types: Restrict access to any custom content you have created.
- API requests: Control who can access your website’s data through APIs.
Restrict Content Pro goes beyond just hiding content. It also offers features like:
- Multiple membership levels: Create different tiers with varying levels of access and pricing.
- Payment gateways: Integrate with popular payment processors like Stripe and PayPal.
- Content dripping: Release content to members gradually over time.
- Email marketing: Send targeted emails to different member groups.
- Member management: Easily manage members, subscriptions, and payments.
- Developer-friendly: Extend its functionality with numerous hooks and filters.
Here’s a summary of its key features:
- Basic content restriction: Restrict access to any type of content on your site.
- Membership features: Create multiple membership levels with varying access and pricing.
- Payment gateways: Integrate with popular payment processors for membership sales.
- Pro add-ons: Extend its functionality with various optional add-ons like content dripping, group accounts, and custom redirects.
Restrict Content Pro is a good choice when my restriction needs are fairly simple. While the plugin is excellent, its features are much more limited than the previous two. This can be great if you need a small set of features. With a starting price is $0, it may be just what you need. However, I have found if you need to expand RCP, it’s much more complicated and would be difficult for a non-developer. Even simple things like adding additional user fields is not a simple task.

LearnDash
LearnDash is a popular learning management system (LMS) plugin for WordPress that allows you to create and sell online courses. It is trusted by companies, universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide.
If I’m asked to build a site that needs to offer online courses, LearnDash is a great option.
Here are some of the key features of LearnDash:
- Create engaging courses: With LearnDash, you can create courses with a variety of content types, including videos, text, quizzes, assignments, and more. You can also use pre-built templates and themes to get started quickly.
- Sell your courses: LearnDash makes it easy to sell your courses online. You can set different pricing options, offer discounts, and accept payments through a variety of payment gateways.
- Track student progress: LearnDash lets you track your students’ progress through your courses. You can see which lessons they have completed, how they have performed on quizzes, and more.
- Engage your students: LearnDash includes a number of features to help you engage your students, such as gamification, discussions, and forums.
- Integrations: LearnDash integrates with a variety of other popular tools, such as email marketing platforms, membership plugins, and payment gateways.
Here are some of the pros and cons of using LearnDash:
Pros:
- Easy to use and set up
- Flexible and customizable
- Powerful features
- Large and active community
- Integrates with a variety of other tools
Cons:
- Can be expensive (especially for larger organizations)
- Requires a WordPress website
- Some features require add-on plugins
There’s no one way to create a membership website with WordPress. Take some time, investigate the options, and make the decision that is right for you!
Amy Masson
Amy is the co-owner, developer, and website strategist for Sumy Designs. She's been making websites with WordPress since 2006 and is passionate about making sure websites are as functional as they are beautiful.