What is MemberPress plugin?
MemberPress is one of the most established all-in-one WordPress membership plugins. It handles content restriction, payment processing, subscription management, and — since adding the Courses module — a built-in LMS for online course delivery. The goal is to give membership site owners a single plugin that covers the complete member lifecycle from signup and payment to access control and content delivery.
Content restriction in MemberPress uses an access rules system: you define who can access which content under what conditions (immediate, after N days, on a specific date, or after purchasing a product). Content dripping is built in and works well for course-style memberships where content is released on a schedule. The Courses add-on is included with all MemberPress plans, which means you get a basic LMS without buying an additional plugin.
Payment processing covers Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net. Notably, the entry-level Launch plan charges a 4.9% transaction fee in addition to gateway fees — this is a significant cost that the Growth plan eliminates. The Growth plan also unlocks content dripping and more advanced payment gateway features. Pricing starts at approximately $199.50/year introductory for the Launch plan, with renewals at a higher rate.
MemberPress is the right choice for teams that want a complete, polished membership and course platform in one place and are willing to pay for that integration. If budget is the priority, Paid Memberships Pro offers more for less. If technical flexibility matters more than polish, PMPro’s add-on ecosystem is deeper. MemberPress wins on setup speed, user experience, and the out-of-the-box LMS integration.
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Need help with MemberPress? Whether you are dealing with errors, broken functionality, styling problems, plugin conflicts, or advanced customization, we can help you fix the issue and get the plugin working properly on your WordPress site.
Get MemberPress Expert HelpKey Features
- Content restriction with flexible access rules
- Content dripping by days, date, or purchase event
- Built-in Courses module (LMS) included with all plans
- Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net payment gateways
- Coupon codes and trial periods
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Built-in LMS included without an extra plugin purchase
- Clean, modern admin interface with intuitive setup flow
- Content dripping and access rules are well-designed
Cons
- Entry Launch plan charges a 4.9% transaction fee on all sales
- Content dripping is only on Growth plan and above
Free vs Premium
MemberPress is paid-only with no free version. The Launch plan (approx $199.50/year introductory) includes one site but adds a 4.9% transaction fee. The Growth plan (approx $349.50/year intro) removes transaction fees, adds content dripping, more payment gateways, and up to 2 sites. The Elite plan adds affiliate management and unlimited sites. Renewal prices are higher than introductory rates.
Common Problems & Fixes
Why is MemberPress not restricting content that it should be protecting?
The most common cause is that the access rule is not correctly connected to the content. Open MemberPress → Rules and verify that the rule matches the content (post, page, category, or custom post type) you want to protect, and that the correct membership level is selected. Also check whether the content has “Unprotected” set in the individual post/page meta box, which overrides global rules. Caching can also cause this — temporarily disable caching and test in a private browser window while logged out.
Why are MemberPress subscription renewals not processing?
MemberPress uses WP-Cron for scheduling renewal events and gateway webhooks for payment execution. If renewals are not processing, check whether WP-Cron is functioning correctly on your hosting — some managed hosts disable WP-Cron. Also verify your Stripe or PayPal webhook configuration in MemberPress → Settings → Gateway. Failed webhooks appear in the gateway dashboard and in MemberPress → Transactions with an error note.
Why is MemberPress content dripping not unlocking at the expected time?
MemberPress drip timing is calculated from the membership start date. Verify the start date of the affected member’s subscription in MemberPress → Members. If the member’s subscription was created with a backdated start date (common with imports), the drip calculation will be off. Also confirm that the drip rule uses “Days after registration” rather than a fixed date, and check that caching is not serving a stale page that hasn’t picked up the newly dripped content.
Customization & Developer Notes
How do I customize MemberPress membership pages and account pages?
MemberPress generates pages using template files that follow WordPress template hierarchy. You can override them in a child theme by creating a memberpress folder and copying the relevant template files from the MemberPress plugin directory. For simpler changes, MemberPress Settings → Pages lets you set custom page assignments, and the ReadyLaunch feature provides a styled page template that handles most visual needs without custom code.
Can I add custom fields to the MemberPress registration form?
Yes, through the MemberPress User Fields feature. Go to MemberPress → Options → Fields to add custom registration fields. Available field types include text, checkbox, dropdown, and radio buttons. Field data is saved as WordPress user meta and is viewable in MemberPress → Members for each user.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does MemberPress include a course builder?
Yes. The MemberPress Courses module is included with all paid plans. It provides a drag-and-drop course builder with lessons, sections, quizzes, and student progress tracking. For very advanced LMS needs, MemberPress also integrates with LearnDash, LifterLMS, and Sensei, but for most course memberships the built-in Courses module is sufficient.
What is the MemberPress 4.9% transaction fee?
The Launch plan (lowest tier) charges an additional 4.9% fee on every transaction processed through MemberPress, on top of payment gateway fees. This fee is removed entirely on the Growth plan and above. For most businesses processing meaningful revenue, the fee savings on the Growth plan exceed the price difference within a few months.
Does MemberPress support free trial periods?
Yes. You can configure free trials on any paid membership level — daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. Members have the option to require a payment method upfront during the trial (which then auto-charges at the end) or not. Trial periods are useful for reducing signup friction on subscription-based memberships.
Can MemberPress restrict WooCommerce products?
Yes, through the MemberPress WooCommerce add-on. This extends MemberPress access rules to WooCommerce products and categories, and can also auto-enroll WooCommerce customers in membership plans based on product purchase.