Updated 
We are doing a comparison of the 2 of the most famous WordPress membership plugins: MemberPress vs WishList Member.
MemberPress vs WishList Member – overview
About WishList Member
WishList Member is 17+ years in the game already, and at the moment when this is written. That means, WishList Member team has plenty of knowledge and experience on what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to membership sites.
Also, it has been completely re-developed a few years ago and adapted to catch up with competitors like MemberPress, and keeps rapidly evolving with new features & integrations (version 3.0+). Taking a step like this, and almost starting from scratch, surely requires some bravery from the CEO. That tells us that this product is going to be around for a long time more. Even better, WishList Member team is there to listen to their customers’ needs and implement them, even when it means taking scary steps and almost starting from scratch.Â
My impression is that the ease of use is one of the top priorities in this plugin.Â
About MemberPress
MemberPress is one of the most robust membership plugins for years. It’s been on the market for a long time, and it has almost become an industry standard.
Many membership site owners who are looking for more complex membership levels structure, as well as more control, decide to get MemberPress in their tech stack.
You can’t go wrong with MemberPress, especially since these guys were always the first to make improvements that go in hand with various and ever-changing demands, from industry trends to legal regulations in online business.
WishList Member vs MemberPress: PRO’s and CON’s
WishList Member PRO’s:
- Easy & quick to set up;
- “Magazine” subscription model – optional (restrict access to content published before a member registered);
- Affordable price;
- Exists for a long time and is constantly improved;
- Beautiful built-in login page templates & customization;
- Integrates with lots of payment gateways and carts that you might already be using;
- Great support;
- Zapier integration;
WishList Member CON’s:
- No built-in coupons;
- Members can only manage their subscriptions or update their credit card info if Stripe payment processor is used;
- Switching between memberships/subscriptions is possible, but may not be straightforward;
- Content dripping can’t be scheduled for a specific date/time.
MemberPress PRO’s:
- Robust and flexible;
- Membership groups, pricing tables, upgrade/downgrade with optional payment proration, coupons;
- It has a plan that comes with Affiliate Royale plugin;
- Exists for a long time and is constantly improved;
- Members have their own Account page to manage their information;
- Members can manage their subscriptions or update their credit card info;
- Great support and plugin stability;
- Good documentation;
- Zapier integration.
MemberPress CON’s:
- Learning curve;
- Very basic look of its forms on the front-end (but, they can be styled with the help of CSS);
- No built-in WooCommerce integration;
- The price of the license increases frequently. Additionally, keep in mind that the price goes up after the first year of subscription.
MemberPress vs WishList Member: payment integrations
WishList Member payment integrations
- PayPal Payments Standard;
- Recurly;
- Infusionsoft/Keap;
- Premium Web Cart;
- Red Oak Cart;
- 1ShoppinCart (API);
- SendOwl;
- Stripe;
- PayPal Payments Pro;
- eWay;
- JVZoo;
- Pin Payments;
- SamCart;
- Thrive Cart;
- PayPal Express Checkout;
- UltraCart;
- Authorize.net;
- 2Checkout;
- ClickBank;
- Cydec.
MemberPress payment integrations
- Stripe;
- PayPal Payments Standard;
- Authorize.net;
- PayPal Express Checkout;
- Offline payment (can be approved either manually or automatically).
WishList Member vs MemberPress: Comparison Table
| WishList Member | MemberPress | |
| Easy and quick to set up: | ✅ | ✅ (if you’re techy) |
| Members can easily manage their subscriptions on their own: | âś… (supported for: Stripe) | âś… (for any payment method members used) |
| Coupons: | (only on payment provider end; supported for: Stripe and WooCommerce) | âś… |
| Payment integrations other than Stripe, PayPal & Authorize.net: | ✅ | ❌ |
| “True” content dripping: Dripping individual content pieces (i.e. lessons/modules, posts, pages, PDFs) within a product | ✅ (evergreen drip only) | ✅ (both evergreen and date/time based drip available) |
| Zapier integration: | âś… | âś… |
| WooCommerce integration: | âś… | âś… (through Zapier or a 3rd party integration) |
| Credit card expiry automatic (customizable) email notifications for members: | ❌ | ✅ |
| Integrates with InfusionSoft/Keap: | âś… | âś… (through Zapier) |
| Beautiful built-in login page templates: | ✅ | ❌ |
| Great support: | âś… | âś… |
| Well documented: | âś… | âś… |
| Taxes/VAT built-in feature: | ❌ | ✅ |
| Corporate/Umbrella Accounts: | ❌ | ✅ |
| Easy and pro-rated upgrades/downgrades, bundles: | ❌ | ✅ |
| “Magazine” subscription model (restrict access to content published before a member registered) | ✅ | ❌ |
| ChatGPT integration | ❌ | ✅ |
| Go to WishList member | Go to MemberPress |
So, which one is the right one: MemberPress or WishList Member?
WishList Member is right for you if:
- Your membership structure is simpler;
- You are not technical and you are going to set up the membership site on your own;
- You’re using payment gateways other than Stripe, PayPal and Authorize.net.
MemberPress is right for you if:
- Your membership structure is a bit complex (i.e. you will have upgrades/downgrades between membership levels, coupons, promo trial periods, and/or bundles);
- You are techy, and don’t mind diving in documentation from time to time, or hiring a professional to set it up for you;
- You want better control of your website, as well as promotions, marketing and user access.
Conclusion
Even though these 2 membership plugins are one of the best in the industry, they certainly have significant differences.
In fact, some of them may be quite a deal-breaker.
- For example: the ability to integrate your membership plugin with Infusionsoft/Keap directly, or built-in WooCommerce integration (which is possible with WishList Member, and not MemberPress).
- Or, the possibility to send automated credit card expiry notice to members or create umbrella (aka corporate) accounts (which is possible with MemberPress, but not with WishList Member).
So, make sure you get enough information before making the decision. Also get familiar with the limitations of each options, before jumping into a purchase.
Furthermore, if you have any questions, drop them in the comments below. Likewise, if you’ve found out that there is a new feature, or that anything from this article has changed – I’d be happy to hear about it (and update this article with the latest info).
➡️ ➡️ ➡️ P.S. Did you know I’ve been professionally building membership sites for clients since 2018? In other words, if you need any help with your membership site, get in touch here. Additionally, take a peek at my portfolio here.