Paid Memberships Pro
Open-source WordPress membership plugin with free core, unlimited levels, Stripe/PayPal subscriptions and a large library of free and premium add-ons.
94
s2Member
Long-running WordPress membership framework with PayPal subscriptions and file protection free, plus a one-time-fee Pro add-on for Stripe and unlimited levels.
Free installs8K+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~1KLikely 500–2K
Rating4.1/5234 reviews
Price from$89Freemium
Last updated17 Oct 2026Version 261017
Overview
s2Member is one of the oldest membership plugins for WordPress, maintained for over 15 years. The free s2Member Framework on WordPress.org turns WordPress roles into membership levels (up to four paid levels plus free subscribers), protects posts, pages, categories, tags, custom post types and arbitrary URIs, and secures file downloads so only members can fetch them, with optional Amazon S3/CloudFront delivery.
Payments in the free framework use PayPal Standard buttons, which support one-time sales, recurring subscriptions and trial periods. s2Member automatically demotes members at the end of a term or after a cancellation, refund or chargeback. The s2If shortcode conditionals let you show or hide parts of a page by level or capability, and API Notifications post events (signups, payments, cancellations) to external URLs. Custom registration fields, welcome emails, Mailchimp and AWeber list integration, bbPress and BuddyPress support and login security (brute-force and IP-sharing limits) are also free.
s2Member Pro
The Pro add-on is sold for a one-time fee ($89 single site, $189 unlimited sites and multisite) with lifetime access to new versions. It adds unlimited levels, on-site Pro-Forms checkout, Stripe, PayPal Pro, Authorize.Net and ClickBank, coupon and gift codes, content dripping, renewal reminder emails, tax rate calculations for Pro-Forms, a public members directory, bulk member import/export and the Remote Operations API.
Limitations
- The admin interface and setup flow are dated and shortcode-heavy.
- No WooCommerce integration, course builder, team seats or revenue reports.
- Upgrades are not prorated automatically; it needs custom code.
- No PDF invoices.
Who should pick it: developers and budget-conscious site owners who want a stable, code-friendly membership framework with file protection and a cheap lifetime licence, and who are comfortable with a technical setup. Non-technical creators will find modern plugins easier to configure.
Best for: Technical site owners who want a code-friendly membership framework with strong file protection and a one-off licence fee.
s2Member remains a capable, low-cost framework, especially for protected downloads and developer integrations, and Pro's one-time pricing is hard to beat. Its interface and setup feel old next to modern plugins, and missing proration, reports and WooCommerce support make it a poor fit for non-technical creators.
Pros
- Free framework includes PayPal subscriptions, trials and file protection
- Pro is a one-time fee with lifetime updates
- s2If conditionals give fine-grained partial content control
- API Notifications and Pro Remote Operations API for developers
- Amazon S3/CloudFront delivery for protected files
- Mature, actively updated codebase
Cons
- Dated, technical admin experience
- Free version limited to four paid levels and PayPal Standard
- No WooCommerce integration, LMS or team memberships
- No automatic proration or revenue reports
- Stripe, coupons and drip require Pro
Key features
What s2Member highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Up to four paid membership levels
- PayPal Standard one-time and recurring
- Trial periods on PayPal buttons
- Protect posts, pages, terms and URIs
- Member-only file downloads
- Amazon S3/CloudFront file delivery
- s2If partial content conditionals
- Custom registration profile fields
- Automatic end-of-term demotion
- Mailchimp and AWeber integration
- bbPress and BuddyPress support
- API Notifications for integrations
Pro / paid adds From $89
- Unlimited membership levels
- On-site Pro-Forms checkout
- Stripe, PayPal Pro, Authorize.Net, ClickBank
- Coupon and gift/redemption codes
- Content dripping
- Renewal reminder emails
- Tax rate calculations in Pro-Forms
- Public members directory
- Bulk member import, update and export
- Remote Operations API
- Multisite network support
- One-time licence with lifetime updates
Feature checklist
20 of 25 features we track in Membership Plugins, feature score 76/100
Access & content 5/6
Unlimited membership levels
Create as many membership levels/plans as you need.
Free framework caps at four paid levels; Pro allows unlimited.
Paid version Pro
Content restriction Key
Restrict posts, pages, categories and custom post types by membership.
Protect posts, pages, categories, tags, custom post types and URIs for free.
Included
Content dripping Key
Release content over time after sign-up.
Membership content dripping is a Pro feature.
Paid version Pro
Teasers & partial restriction
Show an excerpt or part of a page to non-members.
s2If shortcode conditionals hide or show parts of content by level.
Included
File / download protection
Protect media files and downloads from direct access.
Member-only file downloads, with optional Amazon S3/CloudFront delivery.
Included
Courses / LMS
Built-in course builder or official LMS integration.
No course builder or official LMS integration.
Not included
Payments & billing 6/8
Stripe Key
Take payments through Stripe.
Stripe Pro-Forms are part of s2Member Pro.
Paid version Pro
PayPal
Take payments through PayPal.
PayPal Standard buttons free; PayPal Pro needs s2Member Pro.
Included
Recurring subscriptions Key
Automatic recurring billing for memberships.
Recurring subscriptions via PayPal Standard in the free framework.
Included
Free & paid trials
Offer trial periods before billing starts.
Trial periods configured in PayPal buttons; Pro-Forms support free and paid trials.
Included
Coupons & discounts
Discount codes for memberships.
Coupon and gift/redemption codes require Pro.
Paid version Pro
Upgrades, downgrades & proration
Members switch plans with fair proration.
No automatic prorated upgrades; possible only with custom PHP.
Not included
Taxes & invoices
Tax rates/VAT handling and PDF invoices.
Pro-Forms tax rate calculations; no invoices, and button taxes are set at the gateway.
Partial Pro
Group / corporate memberships
One account buys seats for a team.
No team or seat-based memberships offered.
Not included
Members & experience 5/5
Member account area Key
Front-end account page for subscriptions, payments and profile.
Login welcome page and profile editing; no full subscription/payment dashboard.
Partial
Custom registration fields
Add custom fields to sign-up forms.
Custom profile and registration fields in the free framework.
Included
Member directory & profiles
Public or private member directory and profile pages.
Public members directory is a Pro feature.
Paid version Pro
Community / forums
Built-in community or official forum integration.
Integrates with bbPress and BuddyPress for member communities.
Included
Member emails
Welcome, renewal, failed-payment and expiry emails.
Custom welcome and signup/payment notifications free; renewal reminders need Pro.
Included
Integrations & tools 4/6
WooCommerce integration
Sell memberships through WooCommerce or tie access to purchases.
No WooCommerce integration.
Not included
Email marketing integrations
Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit and similar.
Mailchimp and AWeber list integration in the free framework.
Included
Zapier / automation
Zapier, webhooks or automation integrations.
Event-driven API Notifications (webhook-style); no native Zapier app.
Partial
Reports & analytics
Revenue, churn and member reports.
No built-in revenue, churn or membership reports.
Not included
Member import & migration
Import members or migrate from another membership plugin.
Bulk member import/update/export tools in Pro.
Paid version Pro
Developer API
REST API, hooks and webhooks for custom work.
Hooks, API constants and notifications; Pro adds a Remote Operations API.
Included
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Pro Single-Site
$89one-off1 site
One-time fee with lifetime access to new versions; dev/staging sites allowed. Refunds within 14 days at vendor discretion.
Pro Unlimited-Site
$189one-offUnlimited
Covers multiple domains and WordPress Multisite networks; lifetime access to new versions.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use s2Member?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
8K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
1000s
Paying customers claimed by the vendor. source
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~1K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: About 8.5K free installs x 12% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when some key features are paid, and store owners upgrade more often) gives 1K. Likely range: 500 to 2K. This counts sites running the paid version, including sites whose licence has lapsed. Estimates are rough and based on public figures as of 14 Oct 2026.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
1,433 downloads last week, 1.7M all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 261017 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 17 Oct 2026 (17 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.2 |
| Requires | WordPress 4.2+, PHP 5.6.2+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 1 of 1 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 22 Mar 2010 |
Company & policy
| Paying customers claimed | 1000s (source, 5 Oct 2026) Homepage refers to thousands of customers and over 1 million downloads; no exact figure. |
|---|---|
| Refund policy | 14-day refund (case by case) (source, 5 Oct 2026) |
s2Member compared
Alternatives to s2Member
ARMember
All-in-one WordPress membership plugin with a free Lite edition and paid plans bundling 60+ add-ons, 22+ gateways, drip, courses and community.
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MemberPress
Premium WordPress membership plugin from Caseproof with paywall rules, subscriptions, built-in courses and community add-ons for creators.
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WishList Member
Premium WordPress membership plugin with unlimited levels, drip content, CourseCure LMS and 20+ payment-provider integrations.
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WooCommerce Memberships
Premium WooCommerce extension that turns store purchases into memberships, with content and product restriction, drip, member discounts and a member area.
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SureMembers
Access-control membership plugin from Brainstorm Force: unlimited memberships and content rules, with selling handled by SureCart or WooCommerce.
88
FAQ
Is s2Member free?
Yes. s2Member has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $89.
How many sites use s2Member?
WordPress.org reports 8K+ active installations of the free version. We estimate around 1K sites run the paid version.
Does s2Member have content restriction?
Yes: included. Protect posts, pages, categories, tags, custom post types and URIs for free.
Does s2Member have content dripping?
Yes: paid version (Pro). Membership content dripping is a Pro feature.
Does s2Member have stripe?
Yes: paid version (Pro). Stripe Pro-Forms are part of s2Member Pro.
Does s2Member have recurring subscriptions?
Yes: included. Recurring subscriptions via PayPal Standard in the free framework.
Does s2Member have member account area?
Yes: partial. Login welcome page and profile editing; no full subscription/payment dashboard.
How many membership levels does the free s2Member Framework allow?
The free framework is limited to four paid membership levels (plus free subscribers). s2Member Pro removes the cap so you can create and label unlimited levels.
Is s2Member Pro a subscription?
No. Pro is a one-time purchase: $89 for one site or $189 for unlimited sites and multisite networks, with lifetime access to new versions.
Does s2Member support Stripe?
Stripe is a Pro feature, together with PayPal Pro, Authorize.Net and ClickBank. The free framework uses PayPal Standard buttons only.
Can s2Member prorate upgrades?
Not automatically. Prorated upgrades can be built with s2Member's PHP constants and dynamic button amounts, which requires custom code.
Last updated 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.