How much does it cost to build a membership website?

All-in-one website builders offer an easy-to-use, robust solution for launching a membership website if you have a limited budget with no coding skills.

WHY MEMBERSHIP

Don't give away your knowledge for free

You've built an online following for your niche content. A membership website solution lets you generate revenue by putting your premium content behind a paywall and only accessible to paying members.

WORDPRESS VS ALL-IN-ONE

Choosing the right membership software solution

You can either opt for a custom built WordPress website or an all-in-one membership platform.

Unless you have a large budget, bespoke needs and some technical skill, an all-in-one solution is the best option to quickly, easily and inexpensively launch your membership website with little or no headaches.

 

ALL-IN-ONE BENEFITS

3 Benefits of all-in-one membership software

While all-in-one solutions offer less flexibility in design and functionality than a self-hosted option like WordPress, the positives of lower cost, ease-of-use, customer support and security far outweigh the limitations.

Minimal costs

All-in-one solutions include the website, hosting, security and ongoing support. No plug-ins are needed.

Beginner friendly

Website builders feature user-friendly software that requires no technical skills to build a website.

Platform maintenance

Website maintenance, improvements and security are performed by the platform host.

Hosted membership platform costs are typically based on member numbers, storage and features you need

CHOOSING THE PLATFORM

Deciding what type of membership platform to use

Every platform has a best use case. Choose your platform according to the membership model you plan to offer, the content you will publish and your member needs.

What features an all-in-one membership platform typically includes:

 

> Use of a custom domain.

> Website builder.

> Integrated payment processor.

> Member management.

> Sell access to gated content.

> Dashboard analytics and metrics.

> Customer support.

Cost comparison of six of the best all-in-one membership software solutions

We highlight the positives and negatives of each platform, their best use cases and hidden costs.

KAJABI

Basic Plan $149/mo

 

While Kajabi has membership and course functionality, they are positioned as a coaching platform.

Kajabi features a full suite of built-in tools to streamline your coaching business.

Create packages, market your services, process payments, schedule meetings, host live calls, share resources and send follow-up emails are just a few of things you can do.

🖥 Best platfom for online coaching

SQUARESPACE

Personal Plan $23/mo

 

Squarespace websites do NOT include membership which must be added at an additional cost starting at $10/mo.

The Starter Member Area plan provides one member area and charges a hefty 7% transaction fee on sales in addition too  the payment processor fees.

Squarespace is an option if all you need is a basic membership program with limited video storage.

🖥 Best platform for basic membership

SUBHUB

Starter Plan $47/mo

 

SubHub specializes in membership and turning all forms of content into income. Its Starter plan lets you create unlimited subscription tiers and member levels to segment your audience and the content they can access.

Besides membership, SubHub has a course builder, e-commerce store, forum and landing page creator for your lead generation and marketing campaigns.

🖥 Best platform for robust membership

USCREEN

Basic Plan $99/mo

 

Uscreen lets you create a Netflix-style membership website to monetize your video-only content.

The Basic plan provides 50 hours of video storage, built-in marketing tools and email-only support.

Use of its community features require an upgrade to the $199/mo Growth plan.

There is also a monthly fee of .50¢ per subscriber/mo.

🖥 Best platform for video-only content

TEACHABLE

Basic Plan $39/mo

 

Teachable is a course creation platform that also lets you bundle and sell your courses in a membership model.

The basic plan lets you create 5 courses but adds a 5% transaction fee on sales.

Teachable is a good option if you plan to sell only courses. However, realistically, you will need to upgrade to the Pro plan $119/mo which allows unlimited courses.

🖥 Best platform for course creation

WILDAPRICOT

Personal Plan $48/mo

 

WildApricot is perfect for managing the membership of clubs, organizations and non-profits.

The Personal plan allows for up to 100 members.

There's a hefty 20% Payment System Servicing Fee for US and Canadian based organizations who want to use a payment system other than Wild Apricot Payments/AffiniPay.

🖥 Best platform for non-profits

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