shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use MemberPress?

Easily monetize your WordPress site w/ subscriptions, courses, paywalls, communities, more. MemberPress is the only WordPress membership plugin built for 7-figure creators. - memberpress.com

Depends. Solid, highly-rated choice if your business already runs on WordPress and you need subscriptions, courses, or paywalls. Skip it if you're not on WordPress or just want a hosted community — Circle or Skool fit better.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 30+ public sources: reviews, Reddit threads, CVE databases, and pricing pages.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$179.50/yr

Basic (Launch)

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierNo

Best for

  • Creators selling subscriptions on WordPress
  • Course and paywall publishers
  • Community builders staying on WP
  • Solo creators scaling memberships

Not for

  • Non-WordPress sites
  • Anyone wanting a hosted all-in-one like Circle or Skool
  • Simple role gating — use a free plugin instead
  • Teams unwilling to maintain renewals and updates

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Renewal lapse historically locked users out — budget for annual renewals

high

Auth-bypass and XSS CVEs mean delayed updates are risky

medium

Users report hunting for alternatives — migrating off is nontrivial

medium

$179.50+/yr adds up versus free alternatives for basic needs

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 4.8/5 on both Trustpilot (556 reviews) and Capterra (365)
  • All-in-one: subscriptions, courses, paywalls, communities
  • G2 users cite ease of use as a top pro
  • Called 'powerful' and 'complete' in hands-on reviews

Cons

  • No free tier; Basic starts at $179.50/yr
  • Repeated public security vulnerabilities require vigilant patching
  • Historically locked users out after license expiry
  • Overkill for simple gating; free Members plugin covers that

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 10 sources - Multiple CVEs (Wordfence lists 7); patching discipline is essential.

official x2review x5security x2news x1
  • CVE-2024-43956 — auth bypass, Authentication bypass vulnerability in the MemberPress plugin, disclosed 2024.
  • Reflected XSS before 1.12.0, Versions prior to 1.12.0 vulnerable to reflected cross-site scripting.
  • CVE-2024-11299, Security flaw in the MemberPress plugin tracked in NVD.
  • CVE-2025-68838 — Discord addon XSS, Reflected XSS in the MemberPress Discord addon, disclosed Jan 2026.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 3/5

    Rating

  • $179.50/yr

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 3/5. Paid-only from $179.50/yr; free plugins cover simple gating
  • Ease of use: 4/5. G2 users cite ease of use as a pro
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Subscriptions, courses, paywalls, communities in one plugin
  • Support quality: 4/5. 4.8/5 Trustpilot; testimonials praise team responsiveness
  • Security posture: 2/5. Wordfence lists 7 vulnerabilities including auth bypass
  • 4.8/5 Trustpilot rating 556 reviews
  • 4.8/5 Capterra rating 365 reviews
  • $179.50/yr Starting price Basic plan
  • $3.5M Funding Recent raise per Crunchbase

Pricing

Basic (Launch)

$179.50/yr

  • Entry tier
  • Core memberships and paywalls
  • Higher tiers add courses, communities

Security

Multiple CVEs (Wordfence lists 7); patching discipline is essential.

  • CVE-2024-43956 — auth bypassAuthentication bypass vulnerability in the MemberPress plugin, disclosed 2024.⁹
  • Reflected XSS before 1.12.0Versions prior to 1.12.0 vulnerable to reflected cross-site scripting.
  • CVE-2024-11299Security flaw in the MemberPress plugin tracked in NVD.
  • CVE-2025-68838 — Discord addon XSSReflected XSS in the MemberPress Discord addon, disclosed Jan 2026.

What users say

Ratings are strong (4.8/5 on Trustpilot and Capterra) with praise for ease of use, while recurring complaints center on renewal lockouts and migration difficulty.

“MemberPress has 5 stars!”
Trustpilot reviewer
“Memberpress Plugin now locks you out if you don't renew each year.”
Reddit, r/Wordpress

Alternatives

Compare MemberPress with each alternative.

  • Members (WordPress plugin)

    Free plugin for simple roles and content gating

  • Systeme.io

    Free hosted all-in-one if you'll leave WordPress

  • Skool

    Hosted community plus courses, no plugin maintenance

Companies that use it

  • DigiSavvy
Full analysis

Based on 30+ public sources: reviews, Reddit threads, CVE databases, and pricing pages.

Well-rated WordPress membership plugin from $179.50/yr. Great for WP creators; skip if you're not on WordPress.

Methodology

Based on 30+ public sources: reviews, Reddit threads, CVE databases, and pricing pages.

Sources

  1. MemberPress official sitememberpress.com
    official
  2. MemberPress pricingmemberpress.com
    official
  3. MemberPress Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.com
    review
  4. MemberPress G2 reviewsg2.com
    review
  5. MemberPress Capterra listingcapterra.com
    review
  6. OptinMonster MemberPress review with pricingoptinmonster.com
    review
  7. WP Tavern: license-expiry lockoutwptavern.com
    news
  8. Wordfence vulnerability databasewordfence.com
    security
  9. CVE-2024-43956 auth bypasssentinelone.com
    security
  10. Reddit: MemberPress insightsreddit.com
    review

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