Best Paywall Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Cleeng is ranked #1 of 31 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Pelcro and Milkie. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Pelcro. The lowest first paid tier on this page is PaywallProject at $10/mo.
Paywall tools let publishers set the terms for who can read digital content and how readers pay for access. Compared on entitlement rules, metered paywalls, registration walls, and one-time payments, these options can suit different access models. Check included pageviews, payment processors, and supported CMS platforms against your publishing setup; free plans and paid-from details add useful cost context. Cleeng, Pelcro, and Milkie are among the products shown. The published specifications can help you compare how each handles access, payments, and compatibility without assuming one approach fits every publication.
31 paywall software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
7 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CleengWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 2 | PelcroWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $450/mo | 6.6 | |
| 3 | MilkieWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 4 | PigeonWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $99/mo | 6.4 | |
| 5 | PostGateWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 6 | Uix Page BuilderWeb · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 7 | SteadyWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.2 | |
| 8 | PaywallProjectWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $10/mo | 5.6 |
| 9 | AdmiralWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 10 | InPlayerWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 11 | Paywall PlusWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 12 | Zuora CPQWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 13 | TollbridgeWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | PooolWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 15 | codocWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 16 | Content Credits SDKWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | Flip-PayWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | Kayak ShopWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 19 | PaperviewWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 20 | PaperwallWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 21 | Dude PaywallNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 22 | EvolokWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 23 | Pay-To-View LiteNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 24 | Piano AnalyticsAPI | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 25 | Sophi PaywallWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Metered paywall | Registration wall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleeng | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | 0.39 /mo | — | — |
| 2 | Pelcro | 6.6 | Free plan | $450/mo | Yes | 450 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Milkie | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Pigeon | 6.4 | Free plan | $99/mo | Yes | 99 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | PostGate | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | No | Yes |
| 6 | Uix Page Builder | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | 9.99 /mo | Yes | — |
| 7 | Steady | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | PaywallProject | 5.6 | No | $10/mo | Yes | 299 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Admiral | 5.5 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | InPlayer | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 11 | Paywall Plus | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Zuora CPQ | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | Tollbridge | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | Poool | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | codoc | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 16 | Content Credits SDK | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | No | — |
| 17 | Flip-Pay | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | Kayak Shop | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| 19 | Paperview | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 20 | Paperwall | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | 10 /mo | No | No |
| 21 | Dude Paywall | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | No |
| 22 | Evolok | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | Pay-To-View Lite | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 24 | Piano Analytics | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | Sophi Paywall | 5.1 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which paywall software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Cleeng is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 6.6. Pelcro is second and Milkie third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, PaywallProject has the lowest first paid tier we found: $10/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.