Pricing as published
MemberPress labels its first-year prices as special introductory pricing and says all annual renewals are at full price. PMPro says all its gateway integrations support recurring subscriptions and are free, either in the core plugin or as a free integration; Paystack, CCBill and Payfast are listed among its other integrated gateways.
| Plan | Price | Transaction fee | Gateways | Refund window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MemberPress Launch | $199.50 first year; normally $399 | 4.9% per successful payment | Stripe | 14 days |
| MemberPress Growth | $349.50 first year; normally $699 | None | Stripe, PayPal, Square, offline | 14 days |
| MemberPress Scale | $499.50 first year; normally $999 | None | Adds Authorize.net | 14 days |
| PMPro Free | $0, self-hosted open-source core | None stated | Stripe and PayPal recommended; built-in manual gateway | Not applicable |
| PMPro Standard | $49/mo or $499/yr, 1 site | None stated | Same, plus premium add-ons | 100 days |
| PMPro Max | $99/mo (listed as regularly $149) or $999/yr; includes PMPro hosting | None stated | Same | 100 days |
The MemberPress Launch fee break-even
At normal prices, Growth costs $300 a year more than Launch ($699 versus $399). Launch's 4.9% fee equals $300 at about $6,122 of annual member revenue. Above that, Growth is cheaper even before counting its extra features.
Worked example: 100 members at $30 a month is $36,000 a year. On Launch the fee alone is $1,764, so Launch at renewal costs $2,163 in plugin and fee, against $699 for Growth. On PMPro the plugin cost is $0 on the free core or $499 on Standard. Card processing applies on top in every case; Stripe lists 2.9% + 30 cents for US domestic cards.
Course features compared
| Feature | MemberPress | Paid Memberships Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Courses and lessons | Unlimited courses and lessons from Launch, with a drag-and-drop curriculum builder | Free Courses add-on: lessons, lesson completion tracking, access by membership level |
| Quizzes and assignments | Growth and Scale; gradebook on Scale only | Not mentioned on the Courses add-on page; pair with an LMS plugin |
| Certificates | Growth and Scale | Via an integrated LMS plugin |
| Drip | Growth and Scale | Not stated on the pages read |
| LMS integrations | Not covered on the pricing page | Courses add-on works with LifterLMS, LearnDash and Tutor LMS |
Which suits which business
| Scenario | Better fit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Simple paywall: a few courses behind one membership | PMPro free core plus Courses add-on | No plugin fee; Stripe and PayPal included |
| Quizzes and certificates without a separate LMS | MemberPress Growth | Built into Growth with no transaction fee |
| Multi-tier membership with a full LMS | PMPro with LearnDash, LifterLMS or Tutor LMS | PMPro handles levels and billing; the LMS handles learning |
| Very small revenue, testing demand | PMPro free or MemberPress Launch | Launch is cheap up front but its 4.9% fee grows with you |
| Need Authorize.net | MemberPress Scale | Only Scale lists Authorize.net |
| Want a long refund window to test | PMPro | 100-day guarantee against MemberPress's 14 days |
Questions to answer before buying
- What will your annual member revenue be in year two? Above about $6,100, avoid MemberPress Launch.
- Do you need quizzes, certificates and drip, or only gated lessons? Gated lessons alone fit PMPro's free Courses add-on.
- Which gateway does your business already use? MemberPress Launch is Stripe only.
- What happens when the licence lapses? PMPro says the core and installed add-ons keep working but premium add-ons stop updating.
- How heavy will logged-in traffic be? Read our guide on MemberPress and slow logged-in users before sizing hosting.
Questions before you decide
Is Paid Memberships Pro free?
The core plugin is free and open source. Paid plans start at $49 a month or $499 a year for one site and add premium add-ons and support.
Does MemberPress charge transaction fees?
Launch charges 4.9% per successful payment. Growth and Scale list no transaction fee.
Can PMPro work with LearnDash?
Yes. PMPro's free Courses add-on page lists LearnDash, LifterLMS and Tutor LMS as compatible LMS plugins.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- MemberPress: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Paid Memberships Pro: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Paid Memberships Pro: Payment gateways Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Paid Memberships Pro: Courses add-on Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Stripe: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.