WP eMember is a WordPress plugin for creating free or paid membership areas on self-hosted websites. It can gate an entire site or selectively protect posts, pages, categories, comments, and sections according to membership level. Site owners can define unlimited membership levels and members, offer free or paid access, configure trial periods with subscription payments, and drip content over time. After setup, it automates sign-up, profile updates, payments, account expiry, upgrade notices, cancellations, and password resets. Access controls include IP-based login restrictions, blocking simultaneous logins for one account, and protected download folders. Listed payment integrations include PayPal, ClickBank, Braintree, WooCommerce, WP Express Checkout, Stripe Payments, and WP eStore. Email integrations include AWeber, MailChimp, GetResponse, and MailPoet. HTTP GET or POST APIs support account management. Documentation, video tutorials, and a support forum are provided. The plugin has a free plan, no free trial, and no listed price.
Who it is for
WP eMember suits WordPress site owners who need free or paid memberships, selective content protection, payment handling, and member administration. It is intended for self-hosted WordPress sites.
What is good
- Protects full sites or selected content
- Unlimited membership levels and members
- Automated membership administration
- Multiple payment integrations
- HTTP account-management APIs
What to know first
- No free trial
- Cross-site shared user database unsupported
- Optional two-factor security is an add-on
Verdict
WP eMember provides broad membership, content-gating, payment, and account-management tools for WordPress. Its main constraint is that one user database cannot serve member logins across multiple WordPress installations.
WP eMember plans and pricing
All plansCompared on membership site platforms
- Free plan
- No
- Content gating
- full_site
- Subscription billing
- both
- Drip content
- Yes
