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

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

Compare Memberstack ($29/mo) vs Paid Memberships Pro ($0/mo open source GPL-2.0 alternative to Memberstack). Side-by-side breakdown of pricing, self-hosting setup, data storage, and practical trade-offs.

## Side-by-Side Comparison Matrix

| Feature / Metric | Memberstack | Paid Memberships Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $29/mo | $0.00 / month |
| 1-Seat Annual Cost | $348/yr | $0.00 / year |
| 5-Person Team Annual Cost | $1,740/yr | $0.00 / year |
| 10-Person Team Annual Cost | $3,480/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 works inside WordPress rather than embedding cleanly into arbitrary Webflow, React or custom sites. |

## About Paid Memberships Pro
Authentication, member records, recurring billing and gated content inside WordPress; arbitrary-site embedding is gone.

- **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 Memberstack**: Paid Memberships Pro works inside WordPress rather than embedding cleanly into arbitrary Webflow, React or custom sites.

## Cost Savings Breakdown
Switching from Memberstack to Paid Memberships Pro eliminates ongoing per-seat subscriptions:
- **Solo / 1-seat**: Save **$348/year**
- **5-person team**: Save **$1,740/year**
- **10-person team**: Save **$3,480/year**

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is Paid Memberships Pro a good free alternative to Memberstack?
Yes. Paid Memberships Pro is a verified open source (GPL-2.0) replacement for Memberstack. Authentication, member records, recurring billing and gated content inside WordPress; arbitrary-site embedding is gone.

### What is the catch when switching from Memberstack to Paid Memberships Pro?
Paid Memberships Pro works inside WordPress rather than embedding cleanly into arbitrary Webflow, React or custom sites.

## Related

- [All Memberstack Alternatives](https://caniforkit.com/memberstack)
- [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)