# Memberful vs Paid Memberships Pro (2026): Free Alternative to Memberful

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/vs/memberful-vs-paid-memberships-pro
Last updated: 2026-08-10

Compare Memberful ($49/mo) vs Paid Memberships Pro ($0/mo open source GPL-2.0 alternative to Memberful). Side-by-side breakdown of pricing, self-hosting setup, data storage, and practical trade-offs.

## Side-by-Side Comparison Matrix

| Feature / Metric | Memberful | Paid Memberships Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $49/mo | $0.00 / month |
| 1-Seat Annual Cost | $588/yr | $0.00 / year |
| 5-Person Team Annual Cost | $2,940/yr | $0.00 / year |
| 10-Person Team Annual Cost | $5,880/yr | $0.00 / year |
| License Model | Proprietary Commercial SaaS | GPL-2.0 |
| Hosting / Runtime | Vendor Cloud | Self-host |
| Data Ownership | Stored on vendor servers | WordPress users/usermeta plus PMPro membership, order and discount tables; card credentials remain with the payment gateway |
| GitHub Stars | Closed Source | ★ 528 |
| Code Repository | None | https://github.com/strangerstudios/paid-memberships-pro |
| The Catch / Trade-off | Recurring subscription cost | Paid Memberships Pro adds WordPress, plugin, gateway, webhook and server upkeep that Memberful manages as a service. |

## About Paid Memberships Pro
A WordPress membership paywall with recurring Stripe and PayPal billing; free software, paid in plugin upkeep.

- **Installation**: Install the WordPress plugin, create membership levels/pages, then connect a supported payment gateway
- **Setup Notes**: A maintained WordPress/HTTPS site, payment gateway, webhooks and reliable email delivery are prerequisites
- **Data Storage**: WordPress users/usermeta plus PMPro membership, order and discount tables; card credentials remain with the payment gateway
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, self-host, real ops
- **The Catch vs Memberful**: Paid Memberships Pro adds WordPress, plugin, gateway, webhook and server upkeep that Memberful manages as a service.

## Cost Savings Breakdown
Switching from Memberful to Paid Memberships Pro eliminates ongoing per-seat subscriptions:
- **Solo / 1-seat**: Save **$588/year**
- **5-person team**: Save **$2,940/year**
- **10-person team**: Save **$5,880/year**

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is Paid Memberships Pro a good free alternative to Memberful?
Yes. Paid Memberships Pro is a verified open source (GPL-2.0) replacement for Memberful. A WordPress membership paywall with recurring Stripe and PayPal billing; free software, paid in plugin upkeep.

### What is the catch when switching from Memberful to Paid Memberships Pro?
Paid Memberships Pro adds WordPress, plugin, gateway, webhook and server upkeep that Memberful manages as a service.

## Related

- [All Memberful Alternatives](https://caniforkit.com/memberful)
- [Paid Memberships Pro Full Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/paid-memberships-pro)
- [creator commerce Category Hub](https://caniforkit.com/category/creator-commerce)
- [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives)