A paywall must control access reliably while keeping registration, payment, account recovery, cancellation, tax, privacy and editorial previews understandable. The right plugin depends on the content model and customer journey, not the longest feature list.
How this guide was produced
Documented features reviewed on 10 September 2026. Confirm current gateways, addons, prices and terms on official pages.
Quick comparison
| Option | Best fit | First thing to verify |
|---|---|---|
| MemberPress | Membership sites with courses and rules | Gateways, addons and renewal cost |
| Paid Memberships Pro | Flexible open source projects | Required addons and implementation support |
| Restrict Content Pro | Focused subscription access | Gateway coverage and extension needs |
| WooCommerce Memberships | Stores already using WooCommerce | Subscriptions dependency and checkout design |
| Leaky Paywall | Publishers using metered access | Meter rules, integrations and service tier |
| Memberful | Hosted membership billing with WordPress | Platform fees, data flow and migration |
| WishList Member | Established membership businesses | Automation support and licence scope |
| ProfilePress | Memberships plus registration profiles | Payment features and extension scope |
How we evaluated the options
We compared restriction rules, metered access, membership levels, trials, coupons, payments, taxes, recurring billing, failed payment recovery, accounts, emails, reporting, exports, integrations, privacy, accessibility, caching behaviour, support, update history and total cost for the required setup.
Implementation workflow
Write an access matrix that lists each audience, content type, preview, price and exception. Build registration, checkout, login, password reset, upgrade, downgrade, cancellation, refund, expired card and account deletion journeys on staging. Test logged in and logged out caching, direct media URLs, feeds, search, REST responses, emails, webhooks, duplicate payments, tax receipts, accessibility, mobile layouts, analytics, backups, exports and recovery. Publish clear pricing and cancellation terms.
Read next
- Credit card payment plugins - collect payments safely
- How to make money blogging - other revenue paths
- Restrict logins to one device - stop account sharing
- Two factor authentication plugins - protect paying members
Where to get these
Direct links to the official plugin, theme and store pages for everything named above. Prices and plans are set by the vendor, and some links may earn us a commission.
- Get it
MemberPress
Plugin · Caseproof · Premium
- Get it
Paid Memberships Pro
Plugin · Stranger Studios · Freemium
- Get it
Restrict Content Pro
Plugin · Awesome Motive · Premium
- Get it
WooCommerce Memberships
Plugin · WooCommerce · Premium
- Get it
Leaky Paywall
Plugin · Leaky Paywall · Premium
- Get it
Memberful
Service · Memberful · Premium
- Get it
WishList Member
Plugin · WishList Products · Premium
- Get it
ProfilePress
Plugin · ProfilePress · Freemium
Common questions
What is a metered paywall?
It allows a visitor to read a defined number of items before requiring registration or payment. Rules and identification methods vary by product.
Can a paywall fully stop copying?
No access system can prevent an authorised reader from recording content. It should enforce your commercial rules without promising absolute protection.
Should payments run inside WordPress?
Either model can work. Compare security responsibilities, fees, checkout control, tax support, data portability and what happens if the service is unavailable.
Fast WordPress editorial
Independent research edition · Published 10 September 2026. We update field guides when a plugin's documented capabilities change.
