Kit vs Simple Membership (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 Simple Membership at #3. Simple Membership 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 …
Simple Membership
Simple membership plugin adds membership functionality to your site. Protect members only content using content protection easily.
Who leads on what
Simple Membership leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track.
Simple Membership ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #7 in Membership Plugins.
Both report 40,000+ active installs on WordPress.org.
Kit is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 90 reviews, against 4.6 from 475 reviews.
Simple Membership has more reviews behind its score: 475 against 90.
Simple Membership was updated more recently, on August 31, 2026; Kit on August 28, 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.
Simple Membership
Pick Simple Membership if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Kit vs Simple Membership side by side
| Kit | Simple Membership | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Plugins ranking | #7 | #3 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| Reviews | 90 | 475 |
| Active installs | 40,000+ | 40,000+ |
| Total downloads | 4,610,416 | 3,504,973 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 28, 2026 | Aug 31, 2026 |
| First published | Mar 30, 2015 | May 30, 2014 |
| 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
Simple Membership 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 Simple Membership can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Membership Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Kit vs Simple Membership: common questions
Is Kit better than Simple Membership?
Simple Membership leads on 3 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Simple Membership ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #7 in Membership Plugins.
Which has more users, Kit or Simple Membership?
Simple Membership ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #7 in Membership Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Kit or Simple Membership?
Both report 40,000+ active installs on WordPress.org.
Are Kit and Simple Membership free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Kit may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Simple Membership may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Kit and Simple Membership
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
More Membership Plugins comparisons
- Kit vs Members
- Kit vs Paid Membership Subscriptions
- Kit vs Simple Membership After Login Redirection
- Kit vs Ultimate Member
- Kit vs User Registration
- Kit vs WP-Members
- Kit vs ProfilePress
- Kit vs User Frontend
- Members vs Simple Membership
- Paid Membership Subscriptions vs Simple Membership
- Simple Membership vs Simple Membership After Login Redirection
- Simple Membership vs Ultimate Member
Weekly · free
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.