Ok, so you’ve created a great online course, but you want to make sure it’s protected from unauthorized access. That’s where the best membership site software for online courses comes in handy.
An effective membership site is essential if you’re going to sell your own course or product online. But there are countless membership site solutions on the market. And choosing the right one for you can be overwhelming.
To ensure you make a perfect choice (with ease of course) for your online course needs, this article list the top-rated membership site software.
All the software on this list are designed to help keep you protected while providing your students/members with the best possible user experience.
In addition, the best membership site software for online courses in this article is flexible and easy to edit and maintain so that you can get a bigger ROI out of your membership site.
Best Membership Site Software For Online Courses
- MemberPress
- Thinkific
- Podia
- YourMembership
- Kajabi
- Mighty Networks
- New Zenler
- MembershipWorks
- Kartra
- Memberful
- Wix
- aMember
- Wild Apricot
- Teachable
- MemberSpace
- Weebly
- MemberGate
- Memberdash
- Subhub
1. MemberPress
MemberPress is hands-down one of the best membership site software for online courses. It combines ease of use with robust functionality and a great set of features.
MemberPress’s easy-to-use interface and extensive, easy-to-follow documentation have made it the most popular, actively developed WordPress membership solution in use today. It also helps you deliver an online community your audience will love, connecting you with a fantastic new source of income.
The software allows you to add user-generated content, which encourages community members to get involved, and the WordPress integration enables you to build your site with great features that are easy to use.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Also comes with all payment processors
- Suitable for online course creators
- Has custom pages created with memberships
- It also offers tons of add-ons
Cons
- A bit pricey and has no lifetime option
2. Thinkific
Thinkific is a fully hosted membership platform that gives instructors the tools needed to build outstanding online courses and provide engaging, meaningful experiences for students.
On this platform, you can create online courses and membership sites that work on any device—no coding or setup required.
Thinkific blends the best of the payment platforms with enterprise-level reliability in a single solution.
In addition, It includes everything you need for online courses: course creation, student dashboard, online testing, SEO tools, integrated social options, and a solution for payment processing.
Whether you’re launching a single course or creating an entire program with courses, memberships, and special options, Thinkific has all the tools you need.
Pros
- Offer a free option and no transaction fees
- It gives you the ability to customize
- Excellent phone support is also available
- You can also offer students payment options
- A monthly recurring subscription is also available
Cons
- No course marketplace to market your course
3. Podia
Podia is one of the best online course software for membership sites. It allows you to open a membership site in minutes—not months—with helpful education setup resources from the best provider.
Podia is an online course platform that’s specifically designed for creators and educators who want to sell online courses.
Easy setup, no tech stuff, and flexible pricing make Podia an amazing value whether you’re an entrepreneur, freelancer, or business owner.
The Podia platform combines a gorgeous, easy-to-use interface with powerful tools and enterprise-grade security.
You will love creating content, interacting with your members, building a loyal following, and making money with this best membership site software.
Pros
- Offer affordable plans
- You can also offer students payment options
- Podia’s built-in email marketing
- You can also create a custom domain
- A monthly recurring subscription is also available
Cons
- No phone support
- It also has no marketplace
4. YourMembership
YourMembership (YM) is one of the most advanced and highest-quality membership site software available today.
It combines all of the features you need to run your own membership site into one simple interface. Never worry about hosting, security, or tech support again.
Extensive features allow course owners to manage student enrolments, create advanced quizzes, and provide forum support to their students at any time from any location.
YM solves all problems that users face in managing a membership site or an online course.
You’ll be able to create subscription-based access to your courses or even to an entire website, set up multiple levels with different access privileges, create coupon codes for promotional offers for your subscribers, set up coupons for recurring billing cycles, and more.
Pros
- Intuitive dashboard
- Access to advanced reporting
- Also offer an online community feature
- Effective accounting and payment processing
- You can also automate your workflow
Cons
- User support is slow
5. Kajabi
Kajabi is the membership site software that unleashes you. With its flexible drag-and-drop builder and fact-based CRM software, you can design any membership site you want.
As an all-in-one solution for selling your digital course, memberships, products, and services, Kajabi is changing the face of online business – and only gets better with every release.
Kajabi is designed to help you attract, convert, and retain more customers. By signing up, you’ll get 24/7 access to all of Kajabi’s powerful training resources, as well as ongoing support from their friendly staff.
With Kajabi’s software and support, you can create your own membership site and make money fast with the training, courses, or online program of your choice.
Kajabi is the smart choice for educators, artists, coaches, consultants, authors, trainers, and experts of all kinds.
Pros
- Has an intuitive course builder
- Offer also excellent support
- Great marketing tools are available
- Highly integrated platform
Cons
- Offer a limited assessment customization
6. Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks’ live software is a leading platform for launching and operating membership sites. Its highly effective and beautifully designed interface, thoughtfully integrated into your website, helps you convert visitors into paying students.
You could be up and running with a membership site in just minutes, with features that allow you to create vibrant communities for your organization, company, or brand.
You can quickly create courses with short video lessons, blog entries, surveys, and assignments.
Mighty Networks will also help you engage audiences, develop compelling content, and reach new channels through integrations with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and more.
Pros
- Create quick posts, articles, polls, and events
- It also has native apps for iOS and Android devices
- Members can also personalize notifications
- You can charge for access to community and courses
Cons
- Charges a transaction fee
- It also lacks SSO integration
7. New Zenler
New Zenler is one of the best membership site software for online courses because of its all-in-one solution. Web, email, and chat support make New Zenler a premium platform option for creating membership sites.
The intuitive builder makes it easy to build your own online course without any technical experience. It is designed to cater to top-notch content providers, who have high-quality products and want to monetize them effectively.
Members can access your online course and webinars anytime, anywhere on any device using their own smartphone, tablet, or computer. The best part of New Zenler is their incredible support, they are always there when you need help.
Pros
- There are no transaction fees
- Easily setup automated emails
- Offers drag-and-drop page designers
- Create and run live classes
- You also have access to online community features
Cons
- It has no mobile app
- Limited customization options
8. MembershipWorks
MembershipWorks’ goal is to assist site owners in increasing income by automating nearly every element of their website.
This membership site software takes care of all the tedious and time-consuming aspects of setting up a membership site, therefore, allowing you to focus on what really matters: generating money.
For membership sites that need to enroll large numbers of students, MembershipWorks guarantees the student-teacher relationship and makes them feel like part of a community.
Achieve your teaching and business goals while you cut down on research time, complicated marketing programs, and hidden fees with MembershipWorks software. The software works seamlessly with WordPress, Squarespace, and Weebly.
Pros
- Smart, flexible, and easy-to-use
- Unparalleled customer service
- It also offers free support and training
- Members can signup, renew and update their profiles
- Membership emails and reports
Cons
- Does not offer one-click reports
9. Kartra
Kartra is the all-in-one platform that helps creators launch, run and grow membership sites. With a focus on education, it’s perfect for instructors, authors, coaches, and anyone creating interactive online courses.
Kartra is an online course software that puts everything you need to run your business in one place.
It is available as cloud-based software, which means that users can access their courses anywhere they want and it requires no installation. You also increase your membership retention & lifetime value by gaining insights into your members’ experience.
Whether you’re an author, teacher, consultant, coach, trainer, or expert, Kartra will help you build a beautiful membership site in minutes, not months.
Pros
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Internal video hosting capability
- Behavioral Adaptive Marketing (BAM)
- Great integrations & API
- Also offers upsells, downsells, and order bumps
Cons
- Does not offer a free trial or plan
10. Memberful
Memberful is one of the best membership site software for online courses, membership sites, and recurring revenue businesses.
Easy and powerful, Memberful helps you create an online membership site that delivers all the features you need to help you succeed at selling memberships online.
This is the online course membership site software (plugin) that makes it easy for you to build a membership site where you can easily sell courses, grow your email list, and engage with your audience. It supports both video and text courses and can handle a huge amount of traffic.
Best of all, it’s easy to set up and start selling courses. With this plugin in your WordPress site, you can create a membership site for any subject, teach your own online courses, and sell your classes online.
Pros
- Compared to others the price is reasonable
- Offers free plan with multiple advanced features
- It also comes with a free trial
- Customizable and works with multiple platforms
- A monthly recurring subscription is also available
Cons
- Charges a transaction fee
11. Wix
Whether you’re creating a membership site, a forum, a blog, an eCommerce store, or something else entirely, you can easily build and manage a professional, gorgeous website with Wix.
It’s easy to get started – just drag and drop content, customize with a gorgeous library of different stock images, integrate with social media, and more. Wix comes with a free, easy-to-use course builder, learning analytics, and marketing tools.
With Wix, you have access to a variety of website templates and widgets for fast, easy, and flexible web pages. And you can manage your online presence all from one central place.
Pros
- Easy to use for beginners
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
- You can also market your site easily
- Come also with tons of extra features
- Lots of help and support
Cons
- Tracking and analytics require a paid plan
12. aMember
Membership sites are a powerful way to build an audience and generate recurring revenue. With aMember you can create your own membership site quickly and easily, using their modular tools that are simple to use yet packed with features.
aMember is designed to allow you to create engaging online courses with ease. Whether you are a professional online course creator or an expert looking to monetize your expertise, this membership site software is perfect for you.
You can easily create and maintain a growing member community without any extra work. aMember also comes with a CRM and payment gateway that makes it easy to add members, track them, and pay on time.
Pros
- Integration into existing sites
- Full WordPress integration
- Strong focus on e-commerce use
- It also offers a built-in help desk
- You can also integrate Zendesk
Cons
- No event management
13. Wild Apricot
Wild Apricot is a one-of-a-kind membership site software for online courses. With Wild Apricot, you can build and manage your membership site effectively.
You can seamlessly integrate with other popular tools such as WordPress and Google Analytics, and access more most trusted plugins for membership sites.
All your membership data is stored safely in the cloud, allowing you to easily search, update, and share your database with teammates from any device.
Join over 50,000 organizations using WildApricot to attract, engage, and retain their customers.
You don’t need to be a programmer or a web designer to make the most out of the Wild Apricot membership site software. You’ll be able to customize your website, generate unlimited memberships, and promote your course anytime.
Pros
- Comes with nice templates
- Tons of tutorials and videos are available
- Offer great flexibility
- It also offers a free plan
- Every plan also comes with a trial
Cons
- The payment gateway is limited
14. Teachable
Looking for the best membership site software for online courses? If yes, you may want to turn to Teachable. With a beautifully designed system that can be fully customized to match your brand, you can add as much or as little to your site as you want.
You have the power of setting your own pricing and choosing between different payment gateways and categories for the best option for your business.
With unlimited bandwidth capacity and no extra charges, it’s one of the most reliable systems available and helps businesses put their content on display with ease.
With Teachable, you can easily create beautiful landing pages for your courses and share links to your membership site on any site or social media account.
It offers membership software, on-demand video hosting, and streaming, smart marketing tools, customer support, and more without any hidden fees.
Pros
- Ability to create unlimited courses
- Great customer support
- It is also an affordable platform
- A monthly recurring subscription is also available
Cons
- Charges transaction fees on all plans
- No free plan is available
15. MemberSpace
MemberSpace is online membership site software that empowers non-profits and membership sites to attract, engage, and retain members with ease.
With MemberSpace, you can create beautiful membership sites with pages, blog posts, events, donations, and more. It’s really great.
You can use all the built-in tools and hundreds of free plugins to create a community that facilitates self-development and long-term engagement.
You can also allow members to easily connect with each other by building professional networks or sharing video conferencing capabilities.
Pros
- Works on all popular CMS options
- It is easy to use
- You can also drip your content
- Amazing customer service
Cons
- Only offer basic features
16. Weebly
Love training but struggling to balance your teaching with keeping your business operations up and running? No worries. Weebly has got you covered.
Weebly offers a set of tools for creating and managing membership sites like a pro without the complexity that comes with dealing with multiple software products.
You’ll also get all the tools you need to create a professional online learning environment that you can use for recording your own videos, managing memberships, selling coaching packages, and converting customers into long-lasting affiliates—the possibilities are endless.
With Weebly’s platform, there are different integrating plugins and third-party services to choose from, such as MailChimp, PayPal, Eventbrite, and more.
Pros
- High design flexibility
- The editor is simple and easy to use
- Create & manage a membership site from your mobile device
Cons
- Weebly is less innovative than its competitors
17. MemberGate
MemberGate is the software built specifically for membership sites – with all of the features you need plus advanced features that can help your site grow to become more profitable and better connect with members.
More than a CMS, MemberGate delivers complete payment solutions for your members. Software like Membergate is easy to use, affordable and flexible to fit every level of membership site needs.
It helps you manage new member registration, class enrollment, tuition billing, payment processing, and more. It also has many useful features for instructors including online forms management, an auto-created grade book, automated email reminders, and student reports.
Pros
- Has been around for a long time
- Has excellent support
- It is also easy to use
- Highly customizable
- Seamless integration with third-party
Cons
- There’s a learning curve to using it
18. Memberdash
Memberdash is a membership site software designed mainly for the purpose of creating effective membership sites. It’s an exclusive and compact software packed with stunning features, giving you an easy time creating your content-based websites.
This is highly customizable membership site software for online courses, which is aimed at all types of businesses, both small and large. No matter if you’re a fitness instructor or a tutor – Memberdash is the ticket to making sales.
If you want to start a membership site, Memberdash is a great platform to build upon. It is user-friendly and highly flexible. What’s more? Memberdash can be easily extended with additional features like custom signup pages, widgets, and much more.
Pros
- It is easy to setup
- Works seamlessly with site builders
- Feature a powerful and intuitive dashboard
- It is also highly customizable
Cons
- Lack the functionality of upsell and dowsell
19. Subhub
Subhub is the online membership software for online courses, websites, clubs, and events. With Subhub you can easily start your own membership platform and sell access to an online course, online membership site, or online event.
This top-rated software for membership sites combines a one-click solution with a unified interface, advanced reporting, and a highly profitable campaign builder. With a limited free plan and affordable price plans, you can build a site that’s right for you and your members.
SubHub’s seamless platform integrates beautifully with third-party services to help you create a destination where students can interact, ask questions and learn from each other as well as you.
Pros
- Offer unlimited membership levels
- Secure payment processing
- Excellent member forum tools
- Exceptional customer support
- Google Analytics and other integrated reporting tools
Cons
- Limited customization opportunities
20. WishList Member
Are you a WordPress user or you’re planning to mount your online course website on the WordPress platform? WishList Member is one of the best membership site software for online courses that give you everything you need to turn your members into raving fans.
Designed for WordPress users, WishList Member makes it easy to create a membership website that offers private content and control over who pays.
Members can pay via PayPal, Credit Card, or Stripe with or without a PayPal account.
From member-only downloads to secure shopping carts and payment gateways, WishList Member is packed with features that are designed for today’s online marketplaces.
You can even create unlimited membership levels with different levels of access and tailor them to fit your business needs.
Pros
- Unlimited Membership Levels
- Many shopping cart integrations
- Easy To Setup Simple Memberships
- You can also sell access per post
- Central Content Control feature
Cons
- Can be overwhelming with all the options
What is a Membership Site?
A membership site is a Web site that offers its members benefits, recognition, and additional services.
A membership site may offer additional products, enhanced access to information, or personal interaction with other members of the organization such as forums or chat.
Why Do You Need a Membership Site?
While there are many reasons people create membership sites, here are the key benefits of having a membership site as an online course creator:
- Boost your credibility as an expert
- Benefits for higher pricing
- The ability to sell your products
- You’ll benefit from more recurring income
- You’ll have a better way to keep track of your existing customers
- Security over all of your course content
- You’ll get more leads for new products or services
- You can offer repeatable lessons
- The ability to bring potential customers back over and over again
FAQs
What kind of website builder is the best for your membership site?
The first thing to consider is what kind of website you want. If you want to create an eCommerce membership website then WordPress is the best fit.
Alternatively, if you want to create a pure membership website then Webflow is the best choice.
What is the best software for creating a membership site?
MemberPress is the best software for creating a membership site, especially if you’re a WordPress user. It’s simple and affordable, yet loaded with powerful features, giving you complete control over your website.
Are there any free membership site software options?
Thinkific has a lifetime free plan you can use if you only need the basic features. However, you may have to go for one of its paid plans in the future if your needs grow.
Conclusion
Overall, the best membership site software for online courses I will recommend that you use if you’re an online course creator is MemberPress.
MemberPress comes with a variety of features to customize your site, including newsletter services, eCommerce capabilities, forums, and links to member-only content.
In addition, you can create private pages that only members can access, interactive calendars, and events. It also features members-only registration capabilities with cookie expiration dates.
Nevertheless, if you think MemberPress is a bit expensive for you, Thinkific offers a free plan with limited features (of course). So, you might want to go for that. But be informed that you will completely be responsible for marketing your online courses.
Finally, to further help you succeed in your online course business, I have compiled the best Learning Management Systems (LMS) for you. I will encourage you to check them out and see the one perfect for your needs.
I hope you found this article helpful. Thanks for reading.
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