Paid Memberships Pro vs Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships)
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 25 features compared side by side.
Open-source WordPress membership plugin with free core, unlimited levels, Stripe/PayPal subscriptions and a large library of free and premium add-ons.
Membership plugin formerly called Restrict Content Pro, now Kadence Memberships: free core with Stripe billing, Pro via Kadence bundles.
Choose Paid Memberships Pro if…
- You need member directory & profiles and Zapier / automation
- You want the more complete feature set (94/100 vs 90/100)
Choose Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships) if…
- You want the lower entry price ($299/yr vs $499/yr)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Paid Memberships Pro includes 2 features that Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships) lacks, including Member directory & profiles and Zapier / automation. Both include 23 of the 25 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Paid Memberships Pro Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships)Access & content6/66/6
Unlimited free, one-time or recurring levels in the free core.
Free version allows unlimited levels with custom duration, price and signup fee.
Core restricts posts, pages and categories; CPT access via add-ons.
Restrict posts, pages, post types, categories, menus and widgets in free.
Series drip-feed content is a premium add-on (Standard plan).
Drip Content is one of the Pro add-ons (paid, via Kadence Pro).
Show excerpts or a teaser of protected content to non-members.
Option to show content excerpts to non-members in the free plugin.
Protected Downloads premium add-on; free Download Monitor integration also available.
Download Monitor and member downloads add-ons (Pro); no native direct-file blocking.
Free Courses for Membership add-on plus LearnDash and LifterLMS integrations.
Official LearnDash add-on grants course access by level; needs Pro.
Payments & billing8/88/8
Stripe gateway included in the free core.
Stripe is included in the free version.
PayPal gateway included in the free core.
PayPal (plus Authorize.net and Braintree) requires Pro.
Recurring subscriptions with automatic renewal orders in core.
Auto-renewing memberships available in the free version.
Free or reduced-price trial periods supported in core.
Free trials with expiry notices are a Pro feature.
Discount codes are a built-in core feature.
Percentage or flat discount codes require Pro.
Proration and Delayed Downgrades is a premium add-on.
Upgrades and downgrades with proration included free.
VAT tax is a premium add-on; core shows order invoices, PDF invoices via a partner add-on.
Printable, brandable invoices; no built-in tax/VAT calculation documented.
Group Accounts premium add-on sells seats under a parent account.
Group Accounts add-on lets one account manage multiple members (Pro).
Members & experience5/54/5
Front-end account page with memberships, invoices, billing and cancel.
Auto-generated account, profile editor and billing pages in free.
User fields per level are built into the core plugin.
Custom sign-up fields need code; docs provide a custom fields tutorial.
Member Directory and Profile Pages is a premium add-on.
No native directory; integrates with BuddyPress or Ultimate Member for profiles.
Free official bbPress and BuddyPress/BuddyBoss integration add-ons.
bbPress and BuddyPress integration add-ons (Pro).
Editable templates for confirmations, invoices, expirations and more.
Activation, renewal, expiry and failed-payment emails free; templates in Pro.
Integrations & tools6/65/6
Free official WooCommerce add-on sells levels as products and member discounts.
Free version restricts WooCommerce products; member discounts add-on in Pro.
Free add-ons for Mailchimp, Kit and other email platforms.
Mailchimp, AWeber, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign and more as Pro add-ons.
Free Zapier webhook automations add-on.
No official Zapier app; available via third-party tools like WP Webhooks.
Core reports for sales, revenue, signups, cancellations, active members and visits.
Detailed earnings reports and analytics are a Pro feature.
Import Members From CSV is a premium add-on; core exports members to CSV.
CSV import and export of members in the free plugin.
Open GPL code, 300+ hooks and a REST API in core.
Documented REST API, 60+ actions and filters, and WP-CLI commands.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
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 |
Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships) Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free (Kadence Memberships) | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Kadence Pro | $299 per year, Not stated |
| Kadence Elite | $499 per year, Not stated |
Downloads trend
Paid Memberships Pro
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships)
2,110 downloads last week
Verdict
Paid Memberships Pro scores higher on our feature checklist (94/100 against 90/100) and includes member directory & profiles and Zapier / automation that Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships) does not. Paid plans start at $499/yr for Paid Memberships Pro and $299/yr for Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships). Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Paid Memberships Pro: via add-on. Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships): third-party. Member Directory and Profile Pages is a premium add-on.
Paid Memberships Pro: via add-on. Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships): third-party. Free Zapier webhook automations add-on.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
Which would you choose?
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FAQ
Which is better, Paid Memberships Pro or Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships)?
Paid Memberships Pro scores higher on our feature checklist (94/100 against 90/100) and includes member directory & profiles and Zapier / automation that Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships) does not. Paid plans start at $499/yr for Paid Memberships Pro and $299/yr for Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships). Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Paid Memberships Pro includes 25 of the 25 features we track, against 23 for Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships). Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Paid Memberships Pro free?
Paid Memberships Pro has a free version. Paid plans start at $499/yr.
Is Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships) free?
Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships) has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $299/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Paid Memberships Pro or Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships). Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.