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Simple Membership Plugin
What Simple Membership Plugin is
Simple Membership Plugin is a free WordPress plugin for controlling access to posts and pages through member logins. Site owners can create unlimited membership levels, assign content to those levels, and offer free or paid material. The plugin supports both one-time and recurring payments, with PayPal, Stripe, and Braintree named as gateways. Sites can also provide a standalone free trial or a trial period before subscription billing begins.
Administrators can review members, access levels, and account status in the dashboard, move members between levels, and choose to approve accounts manually. Customization hooks and an API support creating and updating member accounts. The addon directory includes integrations such as MailChimp, Zapier, bbPress, WooCommerce, ConvertKit, MailerLite, and AWeber, with free and premium addons available. The core plugin has a strong-password setting; a separate two-factor authentication addon is offered. The plugin requires WordPress 6.5 or higher and is listed as compatible with WordPress 7.1. Its maker positions it for small, simple membership sites. WordPress media files remain accessible through direct URLs by default unless extra file protection is used.
Who it suits
It suits WordPress site owners who want to restrict posts or pages by membership level and support free or paid access. It is aimed at small, simple membership websites, with member administration and developer customization tools.
What it does well
- Creates unlimited membership access levels.
- Supports one-time and recurring payments.
- Offers standalone trials and pre-subscription trial periods.
- Includes an API and customization hooks.
- Lists integrations including MailChimp, Zapier, and WooCommerce.
What to know first
- WordPress 6.5 or higher is required.
- Uploaded media is publicly accessible by direct URL by default.
- Paid troubleshooting is $39, paid once and excludes customization.
Limits
The core plugin is free. Paid troubleshooting costs $39, paid once for one issue and excludes customization work; premium addons are separately priced.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Core Simple Membership Plugin | WordPress plugin; free download | Free |
| Paid support | $39 per ticket; troubleshooting of 1 issue per ticket · Advertised plugin features; excludes customization work | $39, paid once |
| Two-Factor Authentication Addon | $39.95; includes 1 year of support and updates · Premium addon; license choices shown on page | $39.95, paid once |
| Form Builder Addon | $47.00; includes 1 year of support and updates · Premium addon; license choices shown on page | $47, paid once |
As simple-membership-plugin.com lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the Simple Membership Plugin website.
- Download the free WordPress plugin.
- Use it with WordPress 6.5 or higher.
- Create membership access levels and assign posts or pages to them.
- Configure payment or trial options if needed.
Verdict
Choose Simple Membership Plugin for a small WordPress membership site that needs content levels, payment options, and member controls at no software cost. Look elsewhere if your site needs media files protected by default or if you need support beyond documentation and forum help without a paid troubleshooting ticket.
Questions
Is Simple Membership Plugin free?
Yes. The Core Simple Membership Plugin is free, and a free plan is available.
What does paid troubleshooting cost?
Paid support costs $39, paid once, billed at $39 per ticket for one issue. Customization work is excluded.
Which payment gateways does it name?
The homepage names PayPal, Stripe, and Braintree.
Which platforms does it support?
It is a WordPress plugin, and its listed platforms are API, self-hosted, and web. WordPress 6.5 or higher is required.
Does it offer integrations?
The addon directory lists MailChimp, Zapier, bbPress, WooCommerce, ConvertKit, MailerLite, and AWeber, among others.
How does it handle uploaded media files?
WordPress media files are publicly accessible by direct URL by default. Additional file-protection measures are needed to manage access to static files.
Facts from Simple Membership Plugin's own pages
- Content gating
- page · simple-membership-plugin.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Developer tools
- The plugin provides customization hooks and an API for creating and updating member accounts. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- File access limit
- Media files uploaded to WordPress are publicly accessible by direct URL by default, and the plugin does not manage access to static files unless additional file-protection measures are used. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · simple-membership-plugin.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- The addon directory lists integrations including MailChimp, Zapier, bbPress, WooCommerce, ConvertKit, MailerLite, and AWeber; it separates free and premium addons. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Intended use
- The maker describes the plugin as suitable for small, simple membership websites and says hosting, plugin, theme, or payment-account differences can cause conflicts. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Member management
- Administrators can review members, access levels, and account status in the dashboard, move members between levels, and optionally approve accounts manually. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Membership levels
- It supports unlimited access levels, such as free, silver, and gold, with content assigned to the levels. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Payment data
- The maker states that the plugin does not directly handle cardholder data and says sites processing payments should secure member login access in line with PCI DSS requirements. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Payments
- The plugin supports one-time and recurring membership payments, and its homepage names PayPal, Stripe, and Braintree gateways. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Platform requirements
- The homepage identifies it as a WordPress plugin, lists WordPress 6.5 or higher as required, and lists compatibility with WordPress 7.1. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- The free WordPress plugin lets site owners protect posts and pages behind member logins and offer free or premium content. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Security
- The core plugin has a strong-password setting; the maker's PCI guidance also describes debug logging and failed-login limits, and points to a separate 2FA addon. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Subscription billing
- both · simple-membership-plugin.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Support
- The maker offers documentation and forum support for the free plugin, while paid troubleshooting is $39 per issue and may take 24 to 48 hours to assess and answer. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Trials
- The maker says sites can offer a standalone free trial or a trial period before a subscription payment. · simple-membership-plugin.com, 11 Oct 2026
Where Simple Membership Plugin stands on Freedom251
- Membership Site Platforms#13 of 85