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Which WordPress Membership Plugin is truly supreme?
If you have been following our popular video series, PressThis, you know that the above question is often a loaded one.
Still, Matt and Dan are here with their comprehensive text and video breakdown of which membership plugin is best in which situation.
Our Favorite WordPress Membership Plugin is…
MemberPress.. So far.
That’s right folks, a plugin that did not even make it into our original roundup video and was discovered later.
MemberPress is great because it encapsulates all we love about a WordPress plugin in one convenient package.
It has an easy to use workflow that perfectly strikes the balance of having great numbers of options whilst employing the power of the WordPress core framework.
While it is one of the pricier options on the list (sold on a yearly subscription basis for $99/yr), for selling products or subscriptions or just creating a great forum for people to go to with a wonderful mailing list system, there is nothing simpler to use for the beginner or complex as necessary for the designer as MemberPress.
It comes highly recommended by our team.
Other Good Membership Plugins
The two honorable mentions that the team at Slocum Studio chose were Paid Memberships Pro and Magic Members.
The reason for the joint mention was the differentiation in the type of product they were and the model with which it they were sold.
Paid Memberships Pro is the most appealing from the outset. Â Its workflow is very simple. It uses an interface that mimics the look and feel of WordPress.
The best part is… it is free.
The plugin is free to download, and there are no premium features or add-ons to purchase separately.
Where creator Jason Coleman makes his money is on the support.
If you so choose, you may pay $97 (a common price for membership plugins, as you will see below) and get a year of support and custom themes.
On the other hand, you have Magic Members, which is the exact opposite.
You must pay $97 to gain access to Magic Members.
Also, the interface, while built within WordPress, is a completely custom window.
But the same remarkable ease of use is still present.
There are a ton of options to the user looking for just about any application in their subscriptions and in their WordPress membership plugin.
The Importance of Good Workflow
Without a good foundation, it doesn’t matter how many doo-dads and whozoowatzits are in your house.
When that sucker falls, the gadgets go too.
That is why when we look at plugins like WP-Member or Membership by WPMU and see their difficulty of use, it does not matter how many features they offer.
It does not matter what WordPress membership plugins do or how many options they have. If they are not easy to operate to the normal person or business owner, there will be better plugins out there.
Best WordPress Plugin for Content Dripping
While many plugins including winner MemberPress had some semblance of content dripping, they all required a work-around to function.
Only Magic Members gives the user the desired options.
In the video at the top of the page, you will see the look of Magic Members with content drip in action.
Content Dripping is the process of leaking out bits of content on a regular basis to paid or subscribed users.
For example, if you become a Gold Member to my website, I can give “classes”.
Each class could open a month after the other, requiring people to stay in the loop to receive the whole package.
And Magic Members does it right.
Pick a WordPress Membership Plugin!
We have given you the resources and tools to pick the plugin that is right for you.
Go out there and pick the one that fits the needs of your clients and subscribers and the one that meets the standards of your budget.
Need more help or have some suggestions? We can help with your custom membership needs. Just drop us a line so that we can help you out!
Here is a video to help a bit more.
List of Membership Plugins we have Covered
- Paid Memberships Pro by Jason Coleman
- MemberPress
- Magic Members
- Wishlist Member from the Wishlist Network
- WP-Member
- Membership by WPMU DEV
- Restrict Content Pro by Pippin Williamson of Pippin’s Plugins
Get in contact with us if you need help with something a little bit more custom.
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