Members 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: Members at #1 and Paid Membership Subscriptions at #5. Members leads on all 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Members
Members – Membership & User Role Editor Plugin
The best WordPress membership and user role editor plugin. User Roles & Capabilities editor helps you restrict content in just a few clicks.
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
Members leads on all 5 measures we track.
Members ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #5 in Membership Plugins.
Members has more users: 300,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Members is rated higher: 4.9 out of 5 from 1,275 reviews, against 4.7 from 265 reviews.
Members has more reviews behind its score: 1,275 against 265.
Members was updated more recently, on August 25, 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.
Members
Pick Members if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, the review score matters most to you, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Paid Membership Subscriptions
Paid Membership Subscriptions does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
Members vs Paid Membership Subscriptions side by side
| Members | Paid Membership Subscriptions | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Plugins ranking | #1 | #5 |
| Rating | 4.9 | 4.7 |
| Reviews | 1,275 | 265 |
| Active installs | 300,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Total downloads | 7,693,588 | 2,023,230 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 25, 2026 | Aug 19, 2026 |
| First published | Sep 17, 2009 | Nov 4, 2015 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Members 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 Members nor Paid Membership Subscriptions can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Membership Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Members vs Paid Membership Subscriptions: common questions
Is Members better than Paid Membership Subscriptions?
Members leads on all 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Members ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #5 in Membership Plugins.
Which has more users, Members or Paid Membership Subscriptions?
Members ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #5 in Membership Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Members or Paid Membership Subscriptions?
Members has more users: 300,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are Members and Paid Membership Subscriptions free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Members may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Paid Membership Subscriptions may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Members 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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- Members vs ProfilePress
- Members vs User Frontend
- 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.