ARMember vs Paid Memberships Pro
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 25 features compared side by side.
All-in-one WordPress membership plugin with a free Lite edition and paid plans bundling 60+ add-ons, 22+ gateways, drip, courses and community.
Open-source WordPress membership plugin with free core, unlimited levels, Stripe/PayPal subscriptions and a large library of free and premium add-ons.
Choose ARMember if…
- You want the more complete feature set (100/100 vs 94/100)
- You want the lower entry price ($89/yr vs $499/yr)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose Paid Memberships Pro if…
- Site owners and developers who want a capable free, open-source membership core and are happy to extend it with add-ons
ARMember and Paid Memberships Pro include the same 25 of the 25 features we track, so the choice comes down to pricing, approach and ecosystem.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
ARMember Paid Memberships ProAccess & content6/66/6
Unlimited membership plans in Lite and all paid tiers.
Unlimited free, one-time or recurring levels in the free core.
Content access rules for posts, pages and other content in Lite.
Core restricts posts, pages and categories; CPT access via add-ons.
Drip/scheduled content is premium-only.
Series drip-feed content is a premium add-on (Standard plan).
Lite includes a Gutenberg block restriction plus builder-level restrictions.
Show excerpts or a teaser of protected content to non-members.
Digital Download module for protected files.
Protected Downloads premium add-on; free Download Monitor integration also available.
Online Courses module with lessons, quizzes and certificates; also a $59 add-on.
Free Courses for Membership add-on plus LearnDash and LifterLMS integrations.
Payments & billing8/88/8
Stripe is part of the premium gateway set.
Stripe gateway included in the free core.
PayPal is one of the two gateways in Lite.
PayPal gateway included in the free core.
Recurring subscription plans available, including in Lite.
Recurring subscriptions with automatic renewal orders in core.
Trial period toggle on recurring plans; vendor says Lite supports free trials.
Free or reduced-price trial periods supported in core.
Coupon management is a premium built-in add-on.
Discount codes are a built-in core feature.
Membership proration listed in Standard and above.
Proration and Delayed Downgrades is a premium add-on.
Tax and invoice handling in premium; PDF creator on Professional.
VAT tax is a premium add-on; core shows order invoices, PDF invoices via a partner add-on.
Group/umbrella membership module; also a $59 add-on.
Group Accounts premium add-on sells seats under a parent account.
Members & experience5/55/5
Member profile and account pages in Lite; richer Member Panel in premium.
Front-end account page with memberships, invoices, billing and cancel.
Live form editor for custom signup and login forms in Lite.
User fields per level are built into the core plugin.
Member directories and profiles in Lite; extra templates in premium.
Member Directory and Profile Pages is a premium add-on.
BuddyPress/BuddyBoss integration in premium; own Social Community module on Enterprise.
Free official bbPress and BuddyPress/BuddyBoss integration add-ons.
Customisable email notification templates.
Editable templates for confirmations, invoices, expirations and more.
Integrations & tools6/66/6
WooCommerce integration in paid plans; WooCommerce Discount on Enterprise.
Free official WooCommerce add-on sells levels as products and member discounts.
Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, GetResponse, MailerLite, Brevo and more.
Free add-ons for Mailchimp, Kit and other email platforms.
Zapier module on Professional or as a $39 add-on.
Free Zapier webhook automations add-on.
Membership and payment analytics in the premium plugin.
Core reports for sales, revenue, signups, cancellations, active members and visits.
Lite imports/exports users; a free migration and import tool is offered.
Import Members From CSV is a premium add-on; core exports members to CSV.
API Services module for third-party integrations.
Open GPL code, 300+ hooks and a REST API in core.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
ARMember Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Standard | $89 per year, 1 site |
| Professional | $139 per year, 2 sites |
| Enterprise | $299 per year, 10 sites |
| Standard Lifetime | $229 lifetime, 1 site |
| Professional Lifetime | $379 lifetime, 2 sites |
| Enterprise Lifetime | $599 lifetime, 10 sites |
Paid Memberships Pro Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Standard | $499 per year, 1 site |
| Max | $999 per year, Unlimited |
| Max 2x | $2,999 per year, Unlimited |
Verdict
ARMember scores higher on our feature checklist (100/100 against 94/100). Paid plans start at $89/yr for ARMember and $499/yr for Paid Memberships Pro. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, ARMember or Paid Memberships Pro?
ARMember scores higher on our feature checklist (100/100 against 94/100). Paid plans start at $89/yr for ARMember and $499/yr for Paid Memberships Pro. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
They are level: both include 25 of the 25 membership plugins features we track.
Is ARMember free?
ARMember has a free version. Paid plans start at $89/yr.
Is Paid Memberships Pro free?
Paid Memberships Pro has a free version. Paid plans start at $499/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to ARMember or Paid Memberships Pro. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.