MemberPress or LearnDash: Are There Better Options Out There?

Membership sites are booming!

The membership and subscription industry is expected to grow from $199.41 billion in 2023 to an astounding $2227.63 billion by 2028​, according to the Subscription E-commerce Global Market Report.

This explosive growth highlights the increasing value and potential of membership platforms.

If you’re looking to get in on this action, you’ve likely browsed the world of membership plugins.

And in doing so, you’ve likely come across MemberPress and LearnDash, two of the top contenders on the market.

But here’s the kicker. While researching this article, I discovered that another plugin might be a better choice.

SureMembers.

Why?

Simplicity and price.

SureMembers offers the same robust features as MemberPress and LearnDash but at a much more affordable price.

If budget is a significant consideration for your business, SureMembers could be your best bet.

Ready to find out if MemberPress and LearnDash really are the best? Or if SureMembers might be the smarter choice.

Persona Breakdown: Which Plugin is Best for Whom?

Before we get into the full comparison, let’s take a quick look at what plugin could be best suited for different types of use.

Persona	Best Plugin	Reason
Entrepreneurs and small business owners	MemberPress	Comprehensive all-in-one solution. Easy to set up, and scalable for growing businesses​.
Educators	LearnDash	Extensive LMS features, course creation, and management, perfect for online learning​.
Marketers and content creators	SureMembers	Cost-effective, offers essential features at a lower price. Great for those on a budget.

As you’ll soon see, each plugin would work for any use case, but each has particular strengths and shortcomings.

What Do Real People Think?

Real opinions and reviews can help you walk in another’s shoes and make a much more informed choice.

One thing that’s important to note is that LearnDash is an LMS. It can be used to manage memberships but its primary focus is on course creation.

“LearnDash will typically have additional features tailored to the needs of sites running online learning courses,” says user u/GiddyPower on a Reddit thread.

In contrast, “many membership plugins and content restriction plugins just act as a simple paywall and little more,” the same user explains.

So understanding that there might be real difference in use cases between MemberPress and LearnDash users is important.

In another thread, MemberPress gets some praise. User u/schwartzen simply said, “MP is solid and good support,” after indicating they’d used the plugin for a couple of years.

As for how LearnDash performs, u/animpossiblepopsicle had this to say: “Learndash is definitely the most robust in my experience. I’m currently building my own LMS for a client and I’m in awe every time I check if Learndash has some existing functionality.”

MemberPress vs LearnDash vs SureMembers: Side by Side

Here’s a brief comparison chart to introduce the differences between MemberPress, LearnDash, and SureMembers:

	MemberPress	LearnDash	SureMembers
Features	Focuses on memberships, content restriction, and subscription management.	Specializes in course creation, quizzes, certificates, and detailed student progress tracking.	Balances membership and course creation, integrates with LMS plugins like LearnDash for courses.
Integrations and addons	Works with major payment gateways, email marketing tools like Mailchimp and ConvertKit.	Extensive integration with WooCommerce, BuddyPress, email marketing tools, and third-party services.	Integrates with major gateways like Stripe and PayPal, uses SureTriggers to provide automation.
Ease of use (UI/UX)	User-friendly interface, easy setup, and management for beginners.	Steep learning curve, powerful course management tools but may require more initial setup.	Intuitive, beginner-friendly, with drag and drop site builder for easy customization.
Membership options	Supports multiple membership levels, access control, and content dripping.	Primarily focused on course management. Membership features available but not as robust.	Comprehensive membership levels, access rules, and content protection.
Support and documentation	Comprehensive knowledge base, ticket-based support, active community forum.	Extensive documentation, video tutorials, ticket-based support, instructional content.	Email support, dedicated portal with knowledge base and user manuals.
Customization	Extensive customization, pre-built templates, flexible design	Full course creation, drag and drop builder, detailed settings	High customization, integrates with page builders, flexible design

Now let’s review these categories in more detail.

Features

All three membership plugins offer distinct features well worth exploring individually. So let’s take a look at what each provides.

Noteable MemberPress Features

MemberPress offers a rich set of tools aimed at managing memberships effectively.

Key features include:

• Tailored checkout experiences and discounts: Customize checkout to reflect your brand and provide enticing discounts through personalized coupons.
• Advanced content security: Ensure only members can access premium content by restricting posts, pages, custom post types, templates, and multimedia files.
• Flexible payment options: Integrate with top payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net, while also offering express checkout via Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay.
• Business membership accounts: Support corporate memberships by allowing multiple employees to access content under a single business account.
• In-depth analytics and reporting: Use built-in tools to track membership activities and analyze data.
• Content dripping functionality: Keep members engaged by scheduling content to be released over a set period.
• Sophisticated paywall management: Implement intricate paywall settings to control who can view specific content and when.
• Automated Tax and VAT handling: Streamline tax collection during checkout with integration with TaxJar.

Noteable LearnDash Features

LearnDash is renowned for its powerful LMS features, including:

• Engaging quizzes and assignments: Keep learners involved with interactive quizzes and assignments to reinforce learning and track progress.
• Recognition through certificates and badges: Reward learning by issuing certificates and badges upon course completion. This helps to motivate and acknowledge effort.
• Efficient course setup wizard: Accelerate course creation with a streamlined setup wizard.
• Scheduled lesson release: Maintain a structured learning environment by dripping content over time.
• User-friendly course builder: Create courses effortlessly with a drag and drop builder that requires no technical expertise.
• Promotional tools: Attract and retain students with features like coupons and discounts.
• Student progress dashboard: Provide a clear view of progress and achievement through a dedicated profile dashboard.
• Versatile payment solutions: Support payment methods, including one-time purchases and recurring subscriptions.
• Automated student notifications: Keep students informed about course milestones and updates through automated notifications.
• Distraction-free learning mode: Help students study better with a dedicated focus mode.
• Specialized eLearning templates: Use templates specifically designed for online learning to improve user experience.

Noteable SureMembers Features

We’d be remiss if we didn’t also cover the features SureMembers offers.

Here’s what it brings to the table:

• Comprehensive content restriction: Protect content including pages, posts, templates, custom post types, and multimedia.
• User-friendly access management: Easily set up paywalls, access groups, and rules with an intuitive interface. Manage content schedules, restrict menus, and display excerpts of locked content.
• Automatic subscription expiration: Simplify membership management by setting automatic expiration dates for subscription plans.
• Diverse payment integrations: Integrate with payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, and SureCart for express checkout.
• Seamless LMS integration: Connect with LMS plugins like LifterLMS and LearnDash for comprehensive course management.
• Compatibility with page builders: Work seamlessly with page builders like Elementor, Divi, and Spectra for straightforward customization.
• Advanced checkout features: Customize checkout forms and handle sales tax and VAT collection using TaxJar.
• Robust spam protection: Prevent spam with Google reCaptcha version 3.
• Exclusive sales tools: Use features like order bumps, cart recovery, and advanced reporting through SureCart.
• Event and trigger-based automation: Improve efficiency with SureTriggers, connecting with various platforms.

Which we think is best

SureMembers stands out with its comprehensive content restriction, user-friendly access management, and automation capabilities through SureTriggers.

If you need advanced control over content and membership levels, as well as the ability to automate complex workflows across platforms, it’s the right choice.

Integrations and Addons

Another important factor to consider is what integrations and addons these plugins provide.

Sometimes how your chosen tools play with others in your tech stack matters the most!

Let’s take a look:

MemberPress Integrations

MemberPress integrates with essential tools for seamless site management.

It supports major payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net for secure transactions.

Email marketing integrations include Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and ActiveCampaign, allowing for effective communication with members.

It also works with BuddyPress for community building and AffiliateWP for affiliate marketing. So it’s bringing a fair amount of versatility to the table.

LearnDash Integrations

LearnDash excels in its extensive integrations. Which honestly you need for comprehensive LMS management.

It works with WooCommerce, of course. This means you can sell courses directly.

Other integrations include BuddyPress for social learning, Slack for team collaboration, and events calendars for scheduling.

Gamification is supported through GamiPress, which increases student engagement by awarding points and badges​.

SureMembers Integrations

SureMembers stands out with its integration capabilities. Automation and flexibility are the name of the game here.

It supports Stripe and PayPal for payments, and integrates with SureCart for advanced eCommerce opportunities.

It also connects with LMS plugins like TutorLMS and LearnDash, allowing for robust course creation and management.

SureTriggers allows for automation across platforms with simple setup and reliable integrations with over 500 apps.

Which we think is best

LearnDash excels in this category with extensive LMS integrations and gamification tools.

It supports integrations with WooCommerce for eCommerce, BuddyPress for social learning, and GamiPress for awarding points and badges, making for a potentially dynamic learning environment.

Ease of Use (UI/UX)

All the features and integrations in the world won’t matter if these plugins are a chore to use. So how do they function?

MemberPress Ease of Use

MemberPress is designed for ease of use. It has an intuitive interface that simplifies membership site management.

The setup process is straightforward, with clear steps to create membership levels, set up payment gateways, and manage content restrictions.

It has a setup wizard and ReadyLaunch page maker for super quick configuration.

The included documentation and support resources make navigating any challenges very straightforward.

LearnDash Ease of Use

LearnDash offers a user-friendly course builder that’s also easy to navigate.

Although its extensive features may require deeper learning to use, it’s still a viable choice.

The platform provides detailed tutorials and guides to help you get started. The drag and drop functionality makes course creation straightforward.

Despite its powerful features, the interface is designed to be intuitive, ensuring you can effectively manage courses and track student progress​.

SureMembers Ease of Use

SureMembers focuses on providing a smooth user experience with a clean and straightforward interface.

It greatly simplifies membership and course management. This makes it easier to set up and maintain.

You can also use it to set membership levels, access rules, and more from within the same settings menu.

You have full control over setup without the process feeling overwhelming.

Which we think is best

MemberPress offers an intuitive interface and straightforward setup process.

It’s accessible even for beginners and its setup wizard and ReadyLaunch page maker simplify the configuration.

SureMembers comes a close second though thanks to its intuitive dashboards and controls.

Membership Options

Being membership plugins and all, how they handle memberships matters a lot.

Let’s examine how they measure up.

MemberPress Membership Options

MemberPress offers extensive membership options, including multiple membership levels and detailed access rules.

You can create tiered memberships, or paywall rules, with different pricing and access privileges. This allows very flexible content delivery.

It also supports content dripping. This way, you can schedule content releases to keep members engaged.

There are tools for managing subscriptions, renewals, and member communication.

This, alongside support for digital downloads, a course creator, and a members-only dashboard and you have the makings of a powerful membership tool!

LearnDash Membership Options

LearnDash focuses primarily on course management but includes basic membership features, too.

You can set up different access levels for courses.

It can be used to manage course enrollments, subscriptions, and access controls effectively through its integrations and built-in tools​.

SureMembers Membership Options

SureMembers has greatly simplified setting up memberships. You can create unlimited membership levels and select from advanced access rules using simple menus.

It supports detailed content protection and content dripping, ensuring secure and scheduled content delivery.

Alongside membership features, the platform supports advanced tools like order bumps and cart recovery (via SureCart) to enhance sales and user retention.

Which we think is best

SureMembers simplifies the setup of membership options with its advanced access rules and flexible membership levels.

It supports detailed content protection, content dripping, and tools like order bumps and cart recovery to enhance sales and user retention. It’s truly a comprehensive solution for managing memberships.

Support and Documentation

Each of these membership plugins are easy to use and simple to set up. But it’s nice to have good documentation and support around should you need it.

Here’s how these three plugins fare:

MemberPress Support

MemberPress provides solid support through a ticket-based system, detailed documentation, and an extensive knowledge base.

You’ll have access to step by step guides, video tutorials, and community forums for additional assistance.

When I reached out with a pre-sale question, the support team was responsive and knowledgeable, which is a good sign.

LearnDash Support

LearnDash also offers extensive documentation, video tutorials, and a dedicated support team.

The detailed setup guides for creating and managing courses are easy to follow. You can watch pre-recorded webinars to learn even more.

They also offer the LearnDash Academy, filled with courses you can take to become an expert.

The platform’s active community provides additional resources and assistance.

SureMembers Support

SureMembers provides dedicated support via email and a comprehensive support portal. The portal includes detailed documentation, user guides, and a knowledge base.

Integration with SureCart adds additional support resources, ensuring you have access to the information and assistance you need.

Plus, they provide a regularly updated blog with practical advice and tips for using the plugin.

Which we think is best

LearnDash provides extensive documentation, video tutorials, and community support. It’s a great choice for users who need comprehensive guidance.

The platform also offers the LearnDash Academy, filled with courses to help people become experts in using the plugin.

MemberPress and SureMembers aren’t far behind though!

Customization

When building a membership site or online course, you should be able to fully customize the user experience with as many options as possible.

So let’s turn our attention to what customization features are on offer.

MemberPress Customization Options

MemberPress offers extensive customization options to tailor your membership site to your needs.

It includes pre-built templates that simplify the setup process. There’s also a curriculum builder for drag and drop course creation.

You can also create custom membership levels, restrict content based on various conditions, and use custom fields to personalize registration forms.

MemberPress integrates with page builders like Elementor, enabling more design flexibility as well​​.

LearnDash Customization Options

LearnDash provides robust customization features, especially for course creation. Its drag and drop course builder allows for easy customization of course layouts.

There are also advanced settings that let you create detailed quizzes, certificates, and progress tracking.

LearnDash also supports WordPress themes and plugins, allowing for a cohesive design that matches your brand’s aesthetics.

However, its customization options are more focused on educational content than membership management​.

SureMembers Customization Options

SureMembers excels in customization and lets you design membership sites effortlessly.

A key feature here is its compatibility with popular page builders like Elementor, Divi, and Spectra, as well as the native WordPress block editor.

This flexibility ensures that you can design and customize your membership site’s layout and appearance to match your brand.​

SureMembers also offers customization of the checkout process and login forms when used alongside SureCart.

Which we think is best

SureMembers is all about the customization. You can design membership sites effortlessly with compatibility across popular page builders like Elementor, Divi, and Spectra, as well as the native WordPress block editor.

This flexibility ensures you can create a unique and branded membership site with ease.

Pricing

Budget will often determine which plugin you go with. So let’s evaluate the pricing plans for each membership plugin.

Here’s a quick view of costs:

Platform	Lowest Tier Plan	Mid-Tier Plan	Highest Tier Plan
MemberPress	$179.50/year	$299.50/year	$499.50/year
LearnDash	$199/year (1 site)	$399/year (10 sites)	$799/year (Unlimited)
SureMembers	$69/year	$99/year (Business)	$149/year (Agency)

MemberPress Pricing

First, we have MemberPress:

• Basic: $179.50/year. This plan includes unlimited memberships, content restriction, integration with Stripe and PayPal, and basic reporting and analytics. It’s suitable for solopreneurs and small websites that need essential membership features.
• Plus: $299.50/year. Includes everything in the Basic plan, plus support for Authorize.net, advanced reporting, analytics, and additional integrations with BuddyPress and Zapier. This plan can be used on up to 2 sites and is best for small businesses looking to expand their membership sites.
• Pro: $399.50/year. All features in the Plus plan and adds support for up to 3 sites, Affiliate Royale for affiliate management, priority support, and enhanced security features. This plan is intended for larger organizations that need advanced membership management.
• Elite: $499.50/year. This top-tier plan includes all Pro plan features and supports up to 5 sites. It offers the most comprehensive set of tools, including advanced integrations and premium support.

LearnDash Pricing

LearnDash offers three plans:

• 1 Site: $199/year. This plan includes a single site license, unlimited courses, users, and content, a drag and drop course builder, basic quizzes, certificates, and email notifications. This plan is ideal for educators or small institutions starting with online courses.
• 10 Sites: $399/year. Includes all features of the 1 Site plan and supports up to 10 site licenses. It also includes ProPanel for advanced reporting, enhanced quiz and certificate options, and group management features, making it suitable for medium-sized businesses.
• Unlimited Sites: $799/year. Offers all features of the 10 Sites plan, supports an unlimited number of sites, provides priority support, advanced analytics and reporting, and integration with premium plugins. This plan is designed for enterprises or large businesses with extensive online training needs.

SureMembers Pricing

SureMembers has three plans to choose from:

• Basic: $69/year. This plan includes essential membership management features, multiple membership levels, content restriction, and email marketing integrations. It is suitable for small businesses and individuals and can be used on 1 site.
• Business: $99/year. Includes all all the same features as the Basic plan but can be used on up to 5 sites. This plan would work best for growing businesses needing more coverage.
• Agency: $149/year. Offers all features in the Business plan and supports up to 10 sites. This plan is designed for agencies managing multiple client sites.

Which we think is best

SureMembers offers the most affordable plans starting at $69/year, making it a cost-effective option for small businesses and individuals.

MemberPress Pros and Cons

As you get closer to making a decision, let‘s examine the pros and cons of each membership plugin:

This breakdown should help you land on a choice that works.

Pros

• Ease of use: MemberPress is known for its user-friendly interface. Setting up membership levels, content restrictions, and payment gateways is straightforward, even for those without technical expertise​.
• Comprehensive features: Offers a wide range of features including content dripping, custom coupon creation, and detailed access rules. You can create unlimited membership levels, manage subscriptions, and protect content.
• Integrations: MemberPress integrates well with popular services like Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, and email marketing tools (e.g., Mailchimp, ConvertKit). It also supports BuddyPress for community features and AffiliateWP for affiliate management​​.
• Full support: Professional support via a ticket system, comprehensive documentation, and a knowledge base. There are tons of online tutorials and guides to assist with setup and troubleshooting​​, too.
• Built-in LMS features: MemberPress includes LMS features so you can sell and manage online courses without needing additional plugins.

Cons

• Cost: While MemberPress provides a lot of value, the price can add up, especially since there’s no lifetime purchase option. This might make it expensive for long-term use, particularly for the higher-tier plans​.
• Limited sales features: MemberPress doesn’t include essential sales features like order bumps, cart abandonment, upsells, and downsells. This absence can limit your ability to maximize sales and optimize your checkout process.
• Checkout form customization: The checkout form is notoriously difficult to customize. If you want to create a seamless and personalized checkout experience, this can be a significant drawback.
• No view post limit feature: MemberPress doesn’t offer a feature to limit the number of post views. This limitation can be problematic for content-based businesses looking to control access based on view counts.
• Lack of a dedicated dashboard: There is no dedicated dashboard in MemberPress. This is inconvenient if you want to manage memberships and access key metrics.

LearnDash Pros and Cons

Here’s how LearnDash measures up:

Pros

• Advanced LMS features: LearnDash is packed with LMS features like quizzes, certificates, detailed progress tracking, and drip-feed content. These tools make it an excellent choice for educators and trainers looking to create comprehensive online courses​.
• User-friendly course builder: The drag and drop course builder is intuitive, allowing you to quickly create and organize course content.
• Integration capabilities: LearnDash integrates well with a variety of plugins and services, including WooCommerce, BuddyPress for social learning, and email marketing tools.
• Community and support: LearnDash offers a supportive community and extensive documentation. You’ll have access to detailed guides, tutorials, and dedicated support to help with any issues that arise​​.

Cons

• Limited built-in features: Some essential features, like advanced reporting and certain customizations, require paid addons. This can add to the overall cost and complexity.
• Customization challenges: While LearnDash is highly customizable, this flexibility often requires additional development work or custom CSS. If you lack technical expertise, using LearnDash could be a real challenge.
• Complexity with user management: Managing users, particularly in terms of tracking progress and group enrollment, can be less intuitive compared to other LMS platforms. This can make it difficult to streamline the learning process for larger groups. And that’s, ironically, the target demographic that can benefit the most from this plugin.​

SureMembers Pros and Cons

How does SureMembers compare to the two leading membership plugins?

Pros

• Ease of use: SureMembers has a user-friendly interface. It’s easy to set up and manage from within WordPress.
• Content restriction: Comes with content protection capabilities. You can lock full posts, pages, and even parts of posts, providing a high degree of control over what content is accessible to different membership levels​​.
• Drip content feature: SureMembers includes a drip content feature. Use it to schedule the release of content over time, which can help maintain member engagement and improve retention​.
• Payment integration: Designed to integrate with SureCart for handling payments. It supports one-time and recurring payments, customizable checkout pages, and advanced features like fraud prevention.
• Customizable login forms: You can create and customize login and signup forms to match your site’s branding.

Cons

• Depends on SureCart for payments: For certain payment types, SureMembers relies on SureCart. This means you’ll need to manage and learn an additional plugin, which could be a drawback for some. SureCart is free though.
• Limited tutorials and documentation: As a relatively new plugin, SureMembers doesn’t have as many tutorials or community resources as more established membership plugins.

Create Your Own Membership Website

Interested in creating your own membership site from scratch? Just follow along with the following video tutorial.

It’ll guide you through the process with SureMembers and SureCart on deck:

So, Which is the Best Membership Plugin?

There’s no doubt that MemberPress and LearnDash are top-tier plugins. If you want to make a membership site, you’d likely find success with either one.

MemberPress is great for membership sites that use WooCommerce to process payments.

LearnDash is a standout as an LMS and can help launch your own courses quickly and easily.

But if you ask us, SureMembers is the best overall choice.

It combines essential features like content restriction with unlimited membership tiers, offering flexibility, ease of use, and affordability.

The platform’s continuous development makes it a compelling option for anyone looking to build a feature-rich, scalable membership site.

In fact, SureMembers has ambitious plans for 2024, focusing on enhancing its platform with several key updates.

These include a comprehensive email notification system, integration with Presto Player for video content protection, and the introduction of roadmaps to guide member engagement through structured steps.

Which membership plugin will you choose and why? What could make SureMembers a better option? Share your thoughts in the comments!

MemberPress vs LearnDash FAQs

Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about MemberPress and LearnDash:

Why use MemberPress with LearnDash?

Using MemberPress with LearnDash makes it so you can combine the strengths of both platforms. MemberPress’s membership management and LearnDash’s LMS features go together well.

This integration lets you manage memberships, protect content, and create detailed online courses all within one system. Opting for this route provides a cohesive experience for end-users and administrators alike.

What is the difference between LearnDash and LearnPress?

LearnDash offers more advanced LMS features like detailed progress tracking, quizzes, certificates, and drip-feed content. LearnPress, while simpler and more budget-friendly, lacks some of those advanced features and integrations. Overall, LearnDash is a better choice of the two for comprehensive eLearning features.

Do I need a membership plugin with LearnDash?

Using a membership plugin like SureMembers with LearnDash is beneficial. You can use these plugins in conjunction if you need to manage access to courses based on membership levels, offer subscription plans, or restrict content beyond course materials. It also adds to LearnDash by adding advanced membership management features.

Why use MemberPress?

MemberPress is a great choice for managing memberships, restricting content, and handling subscriptions. It integrates well with other tools and is relatively easy to use. It also comes loaded with powerful features like content dripping and custom coupons. It can be used to monetize your content and manage membership sites efficiently.