Paid Membership Subscriptions vs Simple Membership Custom Messages (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Membership Plugins top 10: Paid Membership Subscriptions at #6 and Simple Membership Custom Messages at #11. Paid Membership Subscriptions leads on 5 of the 6 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 Custom Messages
Simple Membership Addon to customize various content protection messages.
Who leads on what
Paid Membership Subscriptions leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track.
Paid Membership Subscriptions ranks higher on WordPress.org: #6 against #11 in Membership Plugins.
Paid Membership Subscriptions has more users: 10,000+ active installs against 7,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Paid Membership Subscriptions has 269, Simple Membership Custom Messages has 4. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Paid Membership Subscriptions has more reviews behind its score: 269 against 4.
Paid Membership Subscriptions was updated more recently, on October 20, 2026; Simple Membership Custom Messages on August 21, 2026.
Paid Membership Subscriptions was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 33,667 times against 749.
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 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, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Simple Membership Custom Messages
Simple Membership Custom Messages does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
Paid Membership Subscriptions vs Simple Membership Custom Messages side by side
| Paid Membership Subscriptions | Simple Membership Custom Messages | |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Plugins ranking | #6 | #11 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 5.0 |
| Reviews | 269 | 4 |
| Active installs | 10,000+ | 7,000+ |
| Total downloads | 2,069,958 | 116,468 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 33,667 | 749 |
| Last updated | Oct 20, 2026 | Aug 21, 2026 |
| First published | Nov 4, 2015 | Nov 8, 2014 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | – |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Paid Membership Subscriptions ratings
Simple Membership Custom Messages 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 Custom Messages 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 Custom Messages: common questions
Is Paid Membership Subscriptions better than Simple Membership Custom Messages?
Paid Membership Subscriptions leads on 5 of the 6 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: #6 against #11 in Membership Plugins.
Which has more users, Paid Membership Subscriptions or Simple Membership Custom Messages?
Paid Membership Subscriptions ranks higher on WordPress.org: #6 against #11 in Membership Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Paid Membership Subscriptions or Simple Membership Custom Messages?
Paid Membership Subscriptions has more users: 10,000+ active installs against 7,000+.
Are Paid Membership Subscriptions and Simple Membership Custom Messages free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Paid Membership Subscriptions may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Simple Membership Custom Messages may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Paid Membership Subscriptions and Simple Membership Custom Messages
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.