Kit vs Paid Membership Subscriptions (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Membership Plugins top 10: Kit at #7 and Paid Membership Subscriptions at #5. Kit leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Kit
Kit (formerly ConvertKit) – Email Newsletter, Email Marketing, Membership, Subscribers and Landing Pages
Build your email subscriber lists, send email marketing newsletters, create landing pages, build custom subscription forms with the Form Builder block …
Paid Membership Subscriptions
Paid Membership Subscriptions – Effortless Memberships, Recurring Payments & Content Restriction
Feature-packed membership plugin for creating subscription plans, adding recurring payments & content restriction on your membership site.
Who leads on what
Kit leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Paid Membership Subscriptions ranks higher on WordPress.org: #5 against #7 in Membership Plugins.
Kit has more users: 40,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Kit is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 90 reviews, against 4.7 from 265 reviews.
Paid Membership Subscriptions has more reviews behind its score: 265 against 90.
Kit was updated more recently, on August 28, 2026; Paid Membership Subscriptions on August 19, 2026.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Kit
Pick Kit if you want the plugin more sites already run, the review score matters most to you or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Paid Membership Subscriptions
Pick Paid Membership Subscriptions if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them or you want the score backed by more reviews.
Kit vs Paid Membership Subscriptions side by side
| Kit | Paid Membership Subscriptions | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Plugins ranking | #7 | #5 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.7 |
| Reviews | 90 | 265 |
| Active installs | 40,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Total downloads | 4,610,416 | 2,023,230 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 28, 2026 | Aug 19, 2026 |
| First published | Mar 30, 2015 | Nov 4, 2015 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.1 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Kit ratings
Paid Membership Subscriptions ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Kit nor Paid Membership Subscriptions can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Membership Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Kit vs Paid Membership Subscriptions: common questions
Is Kit better than Paid Membership Subscriptions?
Kit leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Paid Membership Subscriptions ranks higher on WordPress.org: #5 against #7 in Membership Plugins.
Which has more users, Kit or Paid Membership Subscriptions?
Paid Membership Subscriptions ranks higher on WordPress.org: #5 against #7 in Membership Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Kit or Paid Membership Subscriptions?
Kit has more users: 40,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are Kit and Paid Membership Subscriptions free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Kit may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Paid Membership Subscriptions may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Kit and Paid Membership Subscriptions
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
More Membership Plugins comparisons
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- Kit vs Ultimate Member
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- Kit vs WP-Members
- Kit vs ProfilePress
- Kit vs User Frontend
- Members vs Paid Membership Subscriptions
- Paid Membership Subscriptions vs Simple Membership
- Paid Membership Subscriptions vs Simple Membership After Login Redirection
- Paid Membership Subscriptions vs Ultimate Member
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.