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
WishList Member
Premium WordPress membership plugin with unlimited levels, drip content, CourseCure LMS and 20+ payment-provider integrations.
Est. active installs~8.6KLikely 4.3K–17K
Vendor claims120K+Vendor's own figure
Price from$299/yrPremium
Overview
WishList Member is one of the oldest WordPress membership plugins. It has been sold since 2008 and is premium-only. Its main idea is that WishList Member handles access and membership levels, while payments come from whichever provider or cart you connect. That includes Stripe and PayPal, plus WooCommerce, ThriveCart, SamCart, ClickBank, JVZoo, Authorize.net and others.
How it works
You create unlimited modular levels and set protection for posts, pages, custom post types, categories, files and folders. Members can belong to several levels at once and move between them through upgrade paths. Content can be dripped on a schedule, archived by join date, or shown as a sneak peek to non-members. A setup wizard, customisable registration forms, a self-serve member dashboard, team accounts, redemption codes and pay-per-post access are included in every plan.
Courses and integrations
The built-in CourseCure LMS adds courses, quizzes, badges and points. WishList Member also connects to LearnDash, LifterLMS, Tutor LMS, Sensei and Thrive Apprentice, to many email platforms (Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, Drip, AWeber and more), to webinar tools, and to Zapier. Plans differ mainly by site count and support level, not by features: Basic covers 1 site, Plus 2 and Pro 5.
Strengths and limitations
- All features are in every plan, so you only choose by number of sites.
- Very wide payment and cart compatibility, useful for marketers already using ThriveCart or SamCart.
- File and folder protection and team accounts come as standard.
Because billing is handed off, coupons, tax and invoices depend on the payment provider rather than WishList Member itself. Reporting is basic compared with billing-centric tools like MemberMouse. The admin is dense and has a learning curve, and introductory prices double at renewal.
WishList Member suits marketers and course creators who want flexible content protection that works with the checkout tools they already use, and who need several sites under one licence.
Best for: Marketers and course creators who want flexible content protection paired with the payment cart they already use.
WishList Member is a mature, flexible protection engine, and its feature-complete plans make buying simple. Because it hands billing to external providers, it is less of an all-in-one subscription manager than MemberPress or MemberMouse. It works best when you already have a preferred checkout.
Pros
- Every feature is included on every plan
- Works with 20+ payment providers and carts (Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, ThriveCart, SamCart and more)
- File and folder protection plus team accounts included
- Built-in CourseCure LMS and integrations with major LMS plugins
- Multi-site licences on Plus (2) and Pro (5)
Cons
- Coupons, tax and invoices depend on the connected payment provider
- Reporting is basic compared with billing-focused rivals
- No native member directory
- Dense admin with a learning curve
- Renewals cost double the introductory price
Key features
What WishList Member highlights on its own website, split by version.
Included features From $299/yr
- Unlimited members, levels and upgrade paths
- Protect posts, pages, CPTs, files and folders
- Drip and scheduled content release
- Sneak-peek partial content for visitors
- CourseCure LMS with quizzes and badges
- Team accounts and redemption codes
- Pay-per-post access
- Self-serve member dashboard
- Custom registration forms
- 20+ payment provider integrations
- Email marketing and webinar integrations
- Zapier and extensible API
- All features on every plan
Feature checklist
24 of 25 features we track in Membership Plugins, feature score 92/100
Access & content 6/6
Unlimited membership levels
Create as many membership levels/plans as you need.
Unlimited modular membership levels and upgrade paths on all plans.
Included
Content restriction Key
Restrict posts, pages, categories and custom post types by membership.
Protect posts, pages, categories and custom post types.
Included
Content dripping Key
Release content over time after sign-up.
Drip content scheduling and content archiving included.
Included
Teasers & partial restriction
Show an excerpt or part of a page to non-members.
Sneak-peek display shows part of protected content to visitors.
Included
File / download protection
Protect media files and downloads from direct access.
File and folder protection included on every plan.
Included
Courses / LMS
Built-in course builder or official LMS integration.
Built-in CourseCure LMS plus LearnDash, LifterLMS, Tutor and Sensei integrations.
Included
Payments & billing 8/8
Stripe Key
Take payments through Stripe.
Stripe integration with embedded or popup payment forms.
Included
PayPal
Take payments through PayPal.
PayPal is among the built-in payment provider integrations.
Included
Recurring subscriptions Key
Automatic recurring billing for memberships.
Recurring subscriptions through Stripe plans and other connected providers.
Included
Free & paid trials
Offer trial periods before billing starts.
Trial periods supported via connected payment providers.
Included
Coupons & discounts
Discount codes for memberships.
No native coupon engine; uses the payment provider's coupons (e.g. Stripe coupon field).
Partial
Upgrades, downgrades & proration
Members switch plans with fair proration.
Prorated level upgrades available through the Stripe integration.
Partial
Taxes & invoices
Tax rates/VAT handling and PDF invoices.
Can let Stripe calculate subscription tax; no own invoicing documented.
Partial
Group / corporate memberships
One account buys seats for a team.
Team accounts included on every plan.
Included
Members & experience 4/5
Member account area Key
Front-end account page for subscriptions, payments and profile.
Self-serve member dashboard on all plans.
Included
Custom registration fields
Add custom fields to sign-up forms.
Customisable registration forms included.
Included
Member directory & profiles
Public or private member directory and profile pages.
No native directory; profile types can sync with BuddyBoss.
Third-party
Community / forums
Built-in community or official forum integration.
Official BuddyBoss integration syncs levels with groups and profile types.
Included
Member emails
Welcome, renewal, failed-payment and expiry emails.
Built-in member email notifications.
Included
Integrations & tools 6/6
WooCommerce integration
Sell memberships through WooCommerce or tie access to purchases.
WooCommerce works as a payment provider to grant membership levels.
Included
Email marketing integrations
Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit and similar.
Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, Drip, AWeber, MailerLite and more.
Included
Zapier / automation
Zapier, webhooks or automation integrations.
Zapier integration plus built-in automation tools.
Included
Reports & analytics
Revenue, churn and member reports.
Admin dashboard with member stats; no in-depth revenue/churn reporting.
Partial
Member import & migration
Import members or migrate from another membership plugin.
Import members from CSV into membership levels.
Included
Developer API
REST API, hooks and webhooks for custom work.
Extensible API included on all plans.
Included
Pricing
Basic
$299per year1 site
First year $149.50; all features; standard support.
Plus
$499per year2 sites
First year $249.50; all features; priority support.
Pro
$699per year5 sites
First year $349.50; all features; premium support.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use WishList Member?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
—
No free version on WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
120K+
Sites/users claimed on the vendor's website. source
Estimated active installs
~8.6K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: Website scans by WPoptic find the paid plugin (folder wishlist-member) on 1,553 live sites; measured install counts for five WooCommerce extensions show each site found stands for about 4.5, giving 7K. The vendor says 120K+ sites use it, and 80% of that is 96K. Vendor totals are loose, so we only move our figure part of the way toward it, from 7K to 8.6K. Likely range: 4.3K to 17K. 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.
Company & policy
| Founded | 2008 (source, 5 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Refund policy | 14-day money-back (source, 5 Oct 2026) |
WishList Member compared
s2Member/WishList Member
ARMember/WishList Member
Ultimate Member/WishList Member
WishList Member/WooCommerce Memberships
ProfilePress/WishList Member
SureMembers/WishList Member
MemberPress/WishList MemberPaid Memberships Pro/WishList Member
Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships)/WishList Member
MemberMouse/WishList Member Alternatives to WishList Member
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.
100
MemberPress
Premium WordPress membership plugin from Caseproof with paywall rules, subscriptions, built-in courses and community add-ons for creators.
98
WooCommerce Memberships
Premium WooCommerce extension that turns store purchases into memberships, with content and product restriction, drip, member discounts and a member area.
90
SureMembers
Access-control membership plugin from Brainstorm Force: unlimited memberships and content rules, with selling handled by SureCart or WooCommerce.
88
MemberMouse
Premium WordPress membership and subscription platform with built-in checkout, upsells, dunning, courses and lifetime-value reporting.
86
FAQ
Is WishList Member free?
No. WishList Member is a premium plugin. Paid plans start at $299/yr.
How many sites use WishList Member?
The vendor claims 120K+ sites in total. We estimate around 8.6K active installs.
Does WishList Member have content restriction?
Yes: included. Protect posts, pages, categories and custom post types.
Does WishList Member have content dripping?
Yes: included. Drip content scheduling and content archiving included.
Does WishList Member have stripe?
Yes: included. Stripe integration with embedded or popup payment forms.
Does WishList Member have recurring subscriptions?
Yes: included. Recurring subscriptions through Stripe plans and other connected providers.
Does WishList Member have member account area?
Yes: included. Self-serve member dashboard on all plans.
Is there a free version of WishList Member?
No. It is premium-only. Basic ($299/yr, 1 site), Plus ($499/yr, 2 sites) and Pro ($699/yr, 5 sites) all include every feature, with discounted first-year prices.
Does WishList Member process payments itself?
It connects to payment providers and carts such as Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, ThriveCart and SamCart. Those providers handle billing, coupons and tax.
Does it include an LMS?
Yes. CourseCure adds courses, quizzes, badges and points, and it also integrates with LearnDash, LifterLMS, Tutor LMS, Sensei and Thrive Apprentice.
Can I import existing members?
Yes. Members can be imported from a CSV file into chosen membership levels.
Last updated 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.