Best Membership Site Platforms For 2023

April 17, 2023

If you’re looking to create a membership site in 2023, there are plenty of feature-rich membership site platforms to choose from. With the right membership site platform, you can grant paying members access to exclusive content, charge recurring subscription fees, build an online community, and so much more.

In this article, we’ll explain what makes a good membership site platform and the essential features to look for. We’ll also list some of the best membership site platforms for creators in 2023 to help you make an informed decision.

What makes a good membership site platform?

A membership site is a website that grants registered members access to restricted content. This can be text-based or video-based content such as blog posts, articles, guides, courses, or tutorials.

In addition to this, membership sites often have some form of community element where like-minded individuals can connect with one another.

From a creator’s standpoint, a membership site is a great way to monetize content. You can set up membership plans and charge one-time or recurring subscription fees in exchange for access to exclusive content and community forums.

So, some of the essential features to look for in a membership site platform include:

  • Ease of use. An intuitive membership site platform makes it easy for just about anyone to set up their membership site and start accepting registrations.
  • Drip feeding content. Membership platforms that offer built-in functionality to drip feed content – like online courses, guides, articles, and emails – are essential.
  • Community features. You want to opt for a membership site platform that packs community features out of the box. This might include a community forum, discussion board, Q&As feature, upvoting and downvoting system, or private messaging capabilities.

Best membership site platforms

Now that we have a better understanding of what a membership site is and the features to look for in a membership site platform let’s take a closer look at some of the best available options for creators in 2023.

#1: BuddyBoss

BuddyBoss

BuddyBoss is a membership site platform for WordPress sites. It offers plenty of online learning and community-building features out of the box.

If your membership site focuses on e-learning, you can integrate LearnDash or LifterLMS with BuddyBoss to release online course material to registered members in an organized way. Lesson unlocks can be set up in different ways, including time delay, cohorts, pre-requisites, and expiring lessons. With both plugins, you can set up student profiles, course progression, groups and forums, and recent activity feeds.

With BuddyBoss, you can also set up different community-building elements on your membership site, including direct messages, followers, member directories, private and public groups, and notifications.

Price: $228 billed annually.

#2: Kajabi

Kajabi

Kajabi is one of the most popular membership site platforms for creators and business owners. It lets you offer memberships and online courses to members all from a single platform.

Kajabi is one of the most popular membership site platforms for creators and business owners. It lets you offer memberships and online courses to members all from a single platform.

However, what sets Kajabi apart from the other platforms in this list is its focus on marketing. With Kajabi, you can create and sell memberships without integrating with third-party tools or services. It’s perfect for anyone looking to start their membership site.

In addition to this, the platform comes with a membership website builder with pre-built templates. Kajabi also offers plenty of membership management automation to keep your membership site organized from the get-go.

Price: $119 per month billed annually.

#3: Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is an all-in-one membership site platform that lets you bring your memberships, online courses, and offers under your own brand. The platform lets you create Spaces to set up features like chat, forums, online courses, live events, and communities. It’s a powerful and flexible community-focused membership site platform that you can set up in any way you’d like.

With Mighty Networks, you can sell access to individual Spaces or bundle them together to create enticing offers for members. The platform lets you sell them as one-time or subscription purchases.

Price: $33 per month.

#4: Kartra

Kartra is a robust website builder that makes it easy for business owners to create and launch a membership site. You can use the Kartra membership site platform to deliver a full learning experience to members. It lets you create almost everything, from a training course to a private community to a multi-topic content directory.

The platform comes with pre-built templates that you can use to build your membership site quickly. In addition to this, you can create multiple membership access levels, each with its own content and pricing. Kartra also comes with content-dripping features out of the box.

Price: $79 per month billed annually.

#5: Teachable

Teachable, as the name implies, is an online course-focused membership site platform. It offers support for multimedia-based content (such as video lessons).

With Teachable, you can create and offer self-paced courses, cohort-based courses, or life coaching. The platform comes with a drag-and-drop builder that makes it easy for just about anyone to get started.

In addition, Teachable comes with a sales page builder and full e-commerce capabilities to help you start selling immediately. It integrates seamlessly with popular tools and services like Mailchimp, Zapier, Google Analytics, and ConverKit.

Price: $39 per month billed annually.

#6: Podia

Podia allows business owners to build membership sites, sell online courses and digital products, and host communities. The platform’s online course builder helps you set up your course material engagingly. It handles the lessons, files, and video uploads for you. You can also use Podia to book and charge for one-on-one coaching sessions or run webinars and workshops.

Podia also makes it easy for users to set up paid communities, free communities, and memberships. You can choose to set up free or paid membership plans. In addition to this, it also lets you bundle digital products together with community plans to deliver more value to members.

Price: $33 per month billed annually.

#7: Thinkific

Thinkific is an all-in-one membership site platform that lets you create, market, and sell online courses, build communities, and monetize memberships. You can use it to deliver customized learning experiences to paying members and earn recurring revenue.

The platform lets you create live lessons and events, set up drip scheduling, create community spaces, and create bundles, coupons, and cross-sell offers. Thinkific integrates seamlessly with tools and apps from the Thinkific App Store. In addition to this, it offers analytics capabilities that can help you better understand your members’ behavior and interests.

Price: $36 per month billed annually.

#8: New Zenler

New Zenler is an all-in-one course creation, delivery, and marketing platform that makes creating online courses and subscription products incredibly easy. This makes it suitable for anyone that’s looking to run a membership site in 2023.

In addition to online course features, New Zenler packs powerful community-building features. You can use it to set up a social network-style community on your membership website. The platform also lets you bundle your online community and live chat features into a pricing plan for paying members.

Price: $647 per year.

#9: Wild Apricot

Wild Apricot

Wild Apricot is a membership site platform that’s aimed at non-profit organizations. It comes with a website builder out of the box that makes it easy to get your membership site up and running in no time. You can also use its member database to store your data in the cloud. The benefit of this is that your team can search and update the database from any device.

Wild Apricot also has built-in, easy-to-use payment tools that let you accept and track member payments. In addition to this, you can use the platform to plan and run successful events.

Price: $51 per month when billed for two years.

#10: Tribe

The tribe is a customizable community platform that’s perfect for building a membership site in 2023. The platform is white-labelable, meaning you can add it to your existing business site. It lets you set up forums and discussion boards and share content with members.

With Tribe, you can set up granular controls to keep selected sections of your community private. This way, you can grant access to certain areas of your site to paying members. The platform also comes with moderation and gamification features. Tribe integrates seamlessly with apps like Zapier, Slack, Intercom, Google Analytics, and Mailchimp.

Price: $599 per month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a membership website?

A: A membership website is an online platform requiring users to sign up to access exclusive content, resources, or services. Members typically pay a fee to join and may have different levels of access based on their subscription tier.

Q: How do I create a membership website?

A: There are various ways to create a membership website, including using a dedicated membership site builder, a website builder that offers membership features, or a WordPress membership plugin. It will depend on your specific needs and technical skill level.

Q: What is Mighty Network?

A: Mighty Network is a platform like a membership site builder that allows creators to build and host their own community-driven websites. It offers features such as online courses, groups, and events, all within your membership site.

Q: What are the 10 best membership site platforms for 2023?

A: The 10 best membership site platforms for 2023 will depend on your specific needs and requirements. Some popular options include Kajabi, MemberPress, Kartra, Podia, and Teachable.

Q: What are the 14 best membership site platforms for 2023?

A: Some other options for the best membership site platforms in 2023 include Wix, Squarespace, Thinkific, MemberSpace, and Wild Apricot. It’s essential to compare features and pricing to choose the right membership platform for your business.

Q: What is a subscription website?

A: A subscription website is a type of membership website where users pay a recurring fee to access a service or content. It can be a valuable model for businesses that offer ongoing services or products.

Q: Can I create a membership website with an existing website?

A: You can add membership features to an existing website using plugins or third-party services. However, using a dedicated membership site builder may be easier and more efficient.

Q: What is the best membership website builder?

A: The best membership site builder will depend on your specific needs, budget, and technical skill level. Some popular options include Kajabi, MemberPress, and Kartra.

Q: How do membership tiers work?

A: Membership tiers are different levels of access that users can have within your membership site. For example, you may offer a basic membership site with limited content and a premium membership site with additional resources and services. Users can then choose the tier that best fits their needs and budget.

Q: What is a membership plugin?

A: A membership plugin is a tool that adds membership features to a website, typically in a platform like WordPress. It can include features such as member management, subscription options, and access control.

Conclusion

Plenty of membership site platforms will exist for creators and business owners in 2023. To find the perfect platform for your membership site, list the features you need.

  • If you’re looking for a WordPress-compatible membership site platform, we recommend checking out BuddyBoss.
  • On the other hand, if you’d instead go with a hosted membership site platform, then Kajabi and Mighty Networks are worth trying out.
  • Teachable and Podia are excellent platforms if your membership site is online course-focused.
  • And if you’re a non-profit organization, you might consider Wild Apricot to power your membership site.

What features do you look for in a membership site platform? Let us know in the comments section below!

Best Membership Site Platforms For 2023 was last modified: by