Begin with the end in mind
Most people look at other features first, but in the last fifty or so conversations I've had with people about membership plugins, I've discovered that they're not so flexible when it comes to payment gateways. So it makes sense that you don't leave that until the end – if it's really important to you.
Payment Gateway Options
Not everyone needs a million choices, but some of you do. Maybe it's because of where you're located? Maybe you have an existing relationship. I don't know. But I do know that when I talk to you, you have particular needs.
So it really doesn't matter that you want some amazing features if the gateway you want is unsupported, right?
In that case, if you're looking for the products that have 40 or more payment gateways available to you, then the three to consider are:
Now, just so you know, there are some trade-offs in selecting any of these options.
Cart66 does its membership a bit different, because it's connected in the cloud, so don't assume that you can tap into it the same way that you could if you were using a local plugin. But for pure content protection it works great.
WooCommerce requires a Subscriptions extension, a Groups extension, and the Gateway extension. So while you can pick from any financial gateway you like, you'll pay for that flexibility. In the end, if you're ok spending a few hundred, you'll get a lot for it. But this won't be a “near free” option.
Magic Members brings a lot to the table. But I've not had the greatest experience with their support. So there's that. But again, if you're making the choice on gateway extensibility – this may be the right call for you.
Other WordPress Membership Plugin Options
If, on the other hand, you're not someone who is looking for some extreme options, then you're in luck because beyond the top three, you have several other great options.
Now, note, these are not the only WordPress membership plugins out there. But I pick my “recommendation” list based on several factors that include several of my biases. So hey, on this post, on this site, which is mine, I'm comfortable having my opinion.
All that said, here are some really great options for you.
One of my favorites in the bunch has several payment gateways:
- Exchange by iThemes (Paypal, Stripe, Authorize, CyberSource, 2Checkout)
If you're looking for a good set of gateways but more advanced features, then you'd want to check out:
- MemberMouse (Paypal, Stripe, Braintree, Authorize)
And if you're just tried and true and want to use Stripe, for example – then check out these guys:
- MemberPress (Paypal, Stripe, Authorize)
- Restrict Content Pro (Paypal, Braintree, Stripe)
- Paid Memberships Pro (Paypal, Stripe, Authorize, Braintree)
- Memberful (Stripe)
Conclusion
I know that your first inclination is to check out the list of features these guys all provide. But if you know that your gateway isn't Stripe or Paypal, if it's not Authorize.net, then it will be helpful to you to start by considering which of these membership plugins supports your payment needs. From there, you can easily compare features from your shortened list.