Paid Membership Subscriptions 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: Paid Membership Subscriptions at #5 and Simple Membership at #3. Simple Membership leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
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.
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 4 of the 5 measures we track.
Simple Membership ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #5 in Membership Plugins.
Simple Membership has more users: 40,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Paid Membership Subscriptions is rated higher: 4.7 out of 5 from 265 reviews, against 4.6 from 475 reviews.
Simple Membership has more reviews behind its score: 475 against 265.
Simple Membership was updated more recently, on August 31, 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.
Paid Membership Subscriptions
Pick Paid Membership Subscriptions if the review score matters most to you.
Simple Membership
Pick Simple Membership if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Paid Membership Subscriptions vs Simple Membership side by side
| Paid Membership Subscriptions | Simple Membership | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Plugins ranking | #5 | #3 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| Reviews | 265 | 475 |
| Active installs | 10,000+ | 40,000+ |
| Total downloads | 2,023,230 | 3,504,973 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 19, 2026 | Aug 31, 2026 |
| First published | Nov 4, 2015 | May 30, 2014 |
| 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.
Paid Membership Subscriptions 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 Paid Membership Subscriptions nor Simple Membership can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Membership Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Paid Membership Subscriptions vs Simple Membership: common questions
Is Paid Membership Subscriptions better than Simple Membership?
Simple Membership leads on 4 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 #5 in Membership Plugins.
Which has more users, Paid Membership Subscriptions or Simple Membership?
Simple Membership ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #5 in Membership Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Paid Membership Subscriptions or Simple Membership?
Simple Membership has more users: 40,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are Paid Membership Subscriptions and Simple Membership free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Paid Membership Subscriptions may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Simple Membership may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Paid Membership Subscriptions and Simple Membership
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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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.