Paid Memberships Pro vs SureMembers
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.
Access-control membership plugin from Brainstorm Force: unlimited memberships and content rules, with selling handled by SureCart or WooCommerce.
Choose Paid Memberships Pro if…
- You want the more complete feature set (94/100 vs 88/100)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose SureMembers if…
- You want the lower entry price ($69/yr vs $499/yr)
Paid Memberships Pro and SureMembers 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.
Paid Memberships Pro SureMembersAccess & content6/66/6
Unlimited free, one-time or recurring levels in the free core.
Core allows unlimited memberships (access groups).
Core restricts posts, pages and categories; CPT access via add-ons.
Protect the whole site, any post type, taxonomies and term archives in Core.
Series drip-feed content is a premium add-on (Standard plan).
Drip content is a paid-plugin feature, included on every plan.
Show excerpts or a teaser of protected content to non-members.
Core has the suremembers_restrict shortcode; block-level rules need a paid plan.
Protected Downloads premium add-on; free Download Monitor integration also available.
Downloads protection for files, videos and PDFs in the paid plugin.
Free Courses for Membership add-on plus LearnDash and LifterLMS integrations.
Core integrations with LearnDash, Tutor LMS and SureDash courses; no own course builder.
Payments & billing8/88/8
Stripe gateway included in the free core.
Payments via SureCart (free, same vendor) or WooCommerce gateways.
PayPal gateway included in the free core.
PayPal through SureCart or WooCommerce; no gateway in SureMembers itself.
Recurring subscriptions with automatic renewal orders in core.
Recurring subscriptions handled by SureCart or WooCommerce Subscriptions.
Free or reduced-price trial periods supported in core.
Free or paid trials configured in SureCart.
Discount codes are a built-in core feature.
Coupons and promotions come from SureCart or WooCommerce.
Proration and Delayed Downgrades is a premium add-on.
Upgrades and downgrades managed by SureCart's customer dashboard.
VAT tax is a premium add-on; core shows order invoices, PDF invoices via a partner add-on.
SureCart provides real-time tax/VAT and PDF invoices.
Group Accounts premium add-on sells seats under a parent account.
Team accounts with configurable seats on Pro and Business plans.
Members & experience5/55/5
Front-end account page with memberships, invoices, billing and cancel.
No own account page; SureCart's customer dashboard handles billing and plan changes.
User fields per level are built into the core plugin.
Registration forms via the SureForms integration; no own form builder.
Member Directory and Profile Pages is a premium add-on.
Member list shortcode only; no profile pages or searchable directory.
Free official bbPress and BuddyPress/BuddyBoss integration add-ons.
Core integrates with BuddyBoss and SureDash communities.
Editable templates for confirmations, invoices, expirations and more.
Paid plugin sends access-granted, onboarding and password emails; billing emails via SureCart.
Integrations & tools6/66/6
Free official WooCommerce add-on sells levels as products and member discounts.
Core integration grants memberships from WooCommerce purchases.
Free add-ons for Mailchimp, Kit and other email platforms.
Connect email tools through OttoKit automations (same vendor).
Free Zapier webhook automations add-on.
Automations via OttoKit; Abilities API and optional MCP server in Core.
Core reports for sales, revenue, signups, cancellations, active members and visits.
Core analytics tab shows new members, growth, upcoming expirations and activity.
Import Members From CSV is a premium add-on; core exports members to CSV.
Import users via CSV in the paid plugin; no migration tool from other plugins.
Open GPL code, 300+ hooks and a REST API in core.
Abilities API, optional MCP server, WP-CLI and documented filters.
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 |
SureMembers Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Starter | $69 per year, 1 site |
| Pro | $149 per year, 10 sites |
| Business | $199 per year, 100 sites |
| Business Lifetime | $599 lifetime, 100 sites |
Downloads trend
Paid Memberships Pro
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
SureMembers
413 downloads last week
Verdict
Paid Memberships Pro scores higher on our feature checklist (94/100 against 88/100). Paid plans start at $499/yr for Paid Memberships Pro and $69/yr for SureMembers. 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, Paid Memberships Pro or SureMembers?
Paid Memberships Pro scores higher on our feature checklist (94/100 against 88/100). Paid plans start at $499/yr for Paid Memberships Pro and $69/yr for SureMembers. 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 Paid Memberships Pro free?
Paid Memberships Pro has a free version. Paid plans start at $499/yr.
Is SureMembers free?
SureMembers has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $69/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Paid Memberships Pro or SureMembers. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.