Does managing your membership feel like you’re drowning in admin and constantly juggling multiple systems? Finding the right software is the key to helping you automate the boring tasks. It frees you up to focus on providing a valuable membership experience that your members will stick around for.
This list isn’t an endless comparison, it recommends membership platforms based on who or what they’re best suited for. We used our internal expertise, combined with online software reviews and recommendations from membership managers to bring you this list of 10 membership management software platforms.
What is membership management software?
Firstly, let’s get clear on exactly what we mean by ‘membership management software.’
Membership management software helps businesses and organizations manage members, process payments, and engage with their community. In this article, we’re talking about all kinds of different memberships, from in-person clubs and associations to online communities and products. So we’ll be focusing on different types of membership software for specific use cases.
Here at Uscreen, we fit into the video membership niche but we’re passionate about building great memberships, and seeing communities flourish, whatever shape they take. So we’re here to help you make that easier, whatever type of membership you have!
How to choose the best membership software for your organization
Before diving into the list of top platforms, let’s highlight some must-have features to look for in your membership management software.
To make managing the day-to-day easier for you:
- Automated billing: handles membership renewals and recurring payments seamlessly.
- User-friendly interface: simplifies all membership management tasks.
- Marketing tools and integrations: allows you to save time on marketing.
- Secure platform: keeps your private membership data safe.
To elevate the experience for your members online:
- Community features: enhances community engagement through interactive spaces.
- Content library: gives easy access to exclusive resources.
- Mobile accessibility: ensures smooth interaction on the go.
- Customizable platform: elevates the experience for members.
Where to start? Ask yourself these quick questions:
Use these to pinpoint what kind of platform might be right for you:
- What do your members get access to? Is it physical spaces (like gyms or clubs), digital content (like videos or newsletters), or community-based interaction?
- How big is your operation? Are you a one-person show or a small team? Or are you managing a large organization with hundreds (or thousands) of members?
- Do you need an all-in-one platform? Would it make your life easier to have billing, content, and communication tools all in one place?
- How important is community engagement? Do you want members to interact with each other, or is your offering mostly content-driven?
What’s your budget structure? Do you need pricing that scales with your membership size to avoid overpaying?
Your needs and goals will determine what you should look for in a solution, and which features are a priority.
The 10 best membership management software platforms
1. Wild Apricot
Best for: Non-profit Organizations & Charities
G2 rating: ⭐3.9 stars
Overview
Wild Apricot’s membership software is designed with the non profit model in mind, offering excellent membership management, event registration and planning, and donation tracking tools.
The member management software has features that streamline administrative tasks, allowing organizations to focus more on growing their member database and engaging with their members.
What you’ll get:
- Member database
- Website builder (with templates)
- Payment processing (including offline)
- Event management
- Text notifications
- Mobile app
- Online store
- Integrates with other tools
Why is it ideal for non-profits and charities?
Wild Apricot’s features support the unique needs of non-profits and charities, like handling volunteers, managing tiered memberships, and processing recurring donations. It offers tiered pricing based on the number of contacts, which makes it scalable and affordable for small organizations.
Wild Apricot has a support team familiar with non-profit needs, plus a large library of resources that are tailored to non-profits to help them succeed.
Reasons to buy
Wild Apricot offers all the tools you need to manage memberships, acting as a one-stop-shop for your needs. This makes it very user friendly and simple to use, with all your membership activity happening in one place.
It integrates with other tools, notably QuickBooks, WordPress and Mailchip– you can also sync your external calendars from Google or Outlook. You can also create custom apps and plug-ins with the APIs, making it more flexible than some of the other softwares on the market.
The pricing levels are determined by the number of contacts you have, which makes it more affordable for smaller organizations, and you won’t have limited feature access.
Here’s what their users have to say:
What I like best about Wild Apricot is that it is like a one stop shop where you can manage memberships, events, booking system, online payment & donations and sending out flyers and newsletters at the same time. There are also templates we can choose on and we can do something and schedule it to go out anytime.
Verified user in non-profit organization management
Reasons to avoid
There are reports of unsatisfactory customer service, with users having difficulty getting through the chat bot to a customer service agent when they need help.
While the lower pricing tiers are affordable, Wild Apricot can quickly become expensive as your organization’s membership grows, so you’d need to consider whether this will fit within your budget over time.
The online community features also aren’t as modern and engaging as some users would expect:
The biggest downside to Wild Apricot is the the lack of community style functionality. It has great basic features but lacks some of the more modern social features other member driven platforms has. This isn’t a major downside, but it is one that can deter organizations that want to build a large online community.
Daniel R., Chief Web Officer
What you can expect
You’d need to have member access to get a view of what the Wild Apricot experience looks like from the inside, but here are some examples of organizations using the software to manage their memberships:
Australian Association of Graduate Employers
Friends of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Compass Arts – Beacon NY arts school
Pricing
Wild Apricot pricing depends on the number of contacts you have in your database. They offer a 10% if you pre-pay for a year, and 15% off if you pay for 2 years:
| Number of contacts | Price (billed monthly) |
|---|---|
| 100 | $63/mo |
| 250 | $78/mo |
| 500 | $147/mo |
| 2,000 | $252/mo |
| 5,000 | $462/mo |
| 15,000 | $556/mo |
| 50,000 | $945/mo |
2. AMO
Best for: Professional associations
Capterra rating: ⭐4.7 stars
Overview
AMO is a membership management tool that’s all about cutting down the amount of admin involved in managing a membership, freeing up your time and energy to focus on the real stuff; engaging your members and providing a great experience with a professional look and feel.
Built for professional associations in mind, the features include:
- Member database
- Admin automation
- Custom website
- Event management
- Online community
- Online store
- Reporting
- Accounting and payments
- Sponsorships and ads
- Website customization and plug ins
Why is AMO best for membership associations?
Unlike general CRM or membership tools, AMO is specifically designed for membership associations, including trade groups, professional societies, and alumni networks. The tools (and language) reflect the day-to-day realities of running an association and cover everything they need.
The reporting and analytics tools give you access to detailed dashboards and customizable reports to track engagement, revenue and event performance, which is key for strategic planning and reporting to board members.
Reasons to buy
It’s a powerful set of features that AMO’s software delivers, which means you’re able to provide a professional and engaging experience for members while cutting down on the amount of manual admin work that often comes with managing a large membership.
The communication tools and community element also enhance your member’s experience, making it easy to provide updates, start discussions and share important information from one place.
They offer a free trial too, so you can test it out for yourself to see if it’s right for you before committing to it.
A lot of their reviews highlight great customer service as a major plus for AMO, in addition to the software matching the unique needs of associations:
Exceptional. Truly rare customer service, and the direct involvement of [sensitive content hidden] and team is unparalleled. They truly understand associations, and it’s so rare to find a company these days that has that depth of understanding! I highly recommend AMO to any association!
Su H., Executive Director, Non-profit management
Reasons to avoid
The main drawback for AMO is the basic website builder. Users report that it can feel clunky, and there’s limited options for customization, so you can expect limited functionality. Some also mention that it’s not straightforward to configure to your association’s needs without reaching out to their team for support.
They also don’t have standard pricing listed on their website, you need to contact them for a quote. While several user reviews call out the software as being good value for money, what you pay is likely determined by the size of your association and how many members you have.
The website builder is difficult to navigate without assistance and it would be nice to have more messaging templates/features for sending items such as newsletters, etc.
Tina B., President, Management Consulting
What you can expect
AMO doesn’t have any customer examples listed on their website, which could be partly to protect sensitive data but you can take out a free trial to test out the features.
Pricing
According to Software Advice, AMO pricing starts at $95 per month but you’ll need to contact their sales team for an accurate quote. They offer a free trial so you can try before you buy.
3. Mindbody
Best for: Fitness studios & gyms
G2 rating: ⭐3.6 stars
Overview
Mindbody is a popular booking and scheduling app that takes care of the admin involved in running classes, coaching and other in-person appointments. It makes it easy for attendees to book with you, and the software has a range of features for managing your team, accepting payments, and marketing your services, so it’s a good all-rounder for managing your studio.
What you can do with Mindbody:
- Payment processing
- Staff management
- Schedule classes & events
- Reporting
- Mindbody app & marketplace
- Marketing tools
- AI messenger
Why is Mindbody best for fitness studios and gyms?
The booking software makes it super simple for customers to book with you, and manage their payment and schedule. It’s a well-known brand that’s very popular for fitness classes, so users tend to be familiar with Mindbody and how it works, and they can find you directly from the app.
Reasons to buy
With Mindbody, businesses have access to a large number of potential customers (2.4M+ active users) through their online marketplace, giving you a greater chance of being discovered by new clients.
Another plus is the team management features. You can manage schedules, payroll and monitor performance all within the system.
You can use the built-in sales and marketing tools to automatically run campaigns and capture leads. Plus the AI assist tool can be put in place to respond to clients and messages out of hours.
You’ve also got the option of creating your own branded app to give a more personal, branded experience.
Here’s what their customers have to say about the booking experience:
I love the ease of using the platform and the fact that I have everything in one place. The most recent feature — contactless payments– has been a game changer for our business. We are able to charge students who come into our studio using the business app from our phones.
I also love that there is a marketing feature I can take advantage of to send out communications to our members, without having to pay for a separate service. Mindbody customer service has been excellent — every time, I have an issue, they are quick to solve it for me and I don’t have to wait on hold to reach an agent.
Verified user in health, wellness & fitness
Reasons to avoid
You need to contact Mindbody’s sales team for accurate information on pricing tiers. Reviews suggest that the platform is pricey if you want access to all features (approximately $549-699 a month) and there’s no free trial available to test it out before committing.
The user interface is a common drawback for Mindbody users, it’s not as intuitive and modern as other systems and this also causes negative reviews from end-users using it to book.
The branded app is limited in what it can do. It’s basically an extension of the desktop booking system and doesn’t offer any additional features or value.
Unlike other fitness software platforms, Mindbody doesn’t include a website builder. Their marketing tools are designed to capture leads from your listing in the Mindbody marketplace, so if you wanted to have a proper website that would require additional work and tools on your end.
Some recent reviews highlight issues with functionality:
Frequently plagued with bugs that go unresolved.
Verified user in health, wellnes and fitness
Tech support has gone down hill since they offshored OK could deal with that if there was a way to reach higher level support for non generic issues/ questions ~ there is not~ they have your uninformed offshore tech ” reach out” While you are on hold, to get a message back to them that is suppose to resolve issue. Oh man this does not work and can take HOURS.
What you can expect
Your listing on Mindbody looks something like this:
It’s a simple layout with the key information, and then users can see what sessions are available to book (plus the cost) in a calendar format:
Pricing
Mindbody offers 4 pricing plans: Starter, Accelerate, Ultimate and Ultimate Plus but you’ll need to contact their sales team for a quote.
4. Join It
Best for: In-person sports clubs and events
G2 rating: ⭐4.8 stars
Overview
Join It is a membership database that automates the admin-side of sports memberships, making it easier to bring your team and wider community together to practice and socialize. It handles member renewals, flexible group memberships and keeps all your data in one place.
What you’ll get with Join It:
- Member database
- Digital membership card
- Member portal
- Automations (including renewals)
- Reminder notifications
- Website builder
- Online check in
- Membership CRM
- Embeddable widget for existing website
Why Join It is best for in-person sports clubs
The simplicity of the software makes it ideal for clubs with limited admin resources who need simple, mobile-friendly tools. It’s also very affordable for small clubs, with prices starting at $29/mo.
It offers custom membership types (like family, youth, seasonal passes), easy online sign-up and renewal, plus automated renewal reminders and invoices. This helps sports clubs reduce paperwork and manual tracking, especially during busy seasons.
The member portal is also designed to be mobile friendly, making it accessible for busy players, parents, and coaches.
Reasons to buy
Join It is praised for being easy to use and offering quick and attentive customer service. They also offer a wide range of integrations including Slack, Eventbrite, Hubspot and QuickBooks to bring all aspects of membership management under one roof.
They call out Eventbrite as one of their most popular integrations, and crucially, they listen to what their users want and act on that to keep growing the platform.
Let’s see what their customers have to say:
Join It is a really intuitive platform, super easy for our whole team to use, even those who don’t regularly need to. For us, key features were the Eventbrite integration, it wasn’t the right step for us to have all our ticketing on our own website, Eventbrite has features we love and don’t want to get rid of. Then, the customer service, it’s prompt, responsive and very accommodating. Our other favourite features are the reporting capabilities and formatting of the membership profiles and the sign up page.
Join It is also constantly in development, they are actively always building and evolving the platform.
Caitlin, Non- profit Organization Manager
Reasons to avoid
Overall the user testimonials and reviews for JoinIt are positive. The main downside of the software is the limited functionality with some of the features, like the website builder and emails or missing features that users want to use. But in most cases, these features have been added to the platform over the years (like website builder and additional integrations, like Zapier.)
What I like the least is that emails to our members are very limited. It seems that the only two options are automated emails and quick/easy emails that have limited capabilities.
George, Verified reviewer
While it’s affordable to get started ($29/mo for their starter package) this doesn’t include all the features, and limits you to one admin seat, so you’d be looking at a minimum of $99/mo to make the best use of what Join It has to offer.
What you can expect
You need to be a member to see the full experience of a club membership with Join It but here’s a sneak peek of Pine Hills Country Club’s listing on JoinIt:
And the options for joining:
Pricing
Join It offers a 10% discount for annual plans, plus non-profit organizations qualify for an additional 10% off.
Starter package: $29/mo
Total package: $99/mo
Extra package: $249/mo
Enterprise package: custom
5. Ch Meetings
Best for: Church administration
G2 rating: ⭐4.8 stars
Overview
Ch Meetings is built specifically for church membership management, so it’s designed to meet your specific needs from managing member data to handling donations and volunteer activities. It’s used by over 7,000 churches, ministries and dioceses with a 4.9 overall star rating and offers a free trial to let you test it out before committing.
Key features include:
- Accounting
- People and groups management (including directory and communication tools)
- Collect and manage pledges
- Events management
- Forms
- Task management
- Member portal
- Integrations
- Mobile app
Why is Ch Meetings the best choice for churches?
The software is custom built to support the unique needs of running a church, so its features reflect all the essential tasks that you need to take care of day to day.
It has a range of pricing tiers based on the number of members you have, so it’s flexible for both smaller and large church organizations, with full access to all the features no matter what you pay.
Reasons to buy
The range of features the software offers touches on every aspect of church management, which is something often praised in user reviews and testimonials:
Chmeeting excels in offering a wide range of functionalities. From membership tracking and Sunday school management, to facilitating daily pastoral care tasks for priests, it covers all aspects of church administration seamlessly. Its push notification, email, and text communication features have significantly enhanced our outreach to members.
One of the standout features for us has been the Board of Deacon elections module. This flexible tool can be used for various voting processes within the church, whether it’s electing new priests, service heads, or gathering feedback on projects. It’s a testament to the system’s adaptability to our unique requirements.
Fr. Andrew A., Verified user
Excellent customer service is another pro that’s often called out, and the system is easy to use and get started with. They offer an onboarding process to help you get set up and configure the software to suit your church’s needs.
It’s also very affordable, with the highest pricing band coming in at $60/mo which makes it a bargain in comparison to other membership management software on the market.
Reasons to avoid
Some users cite that it’s hard to manage events across different ministries and reporting at diocese level is not yet fully developed. It’s also not possible to generate custom reports outside of the standard template.
While some custom features are lacking for users, they also mention that many of these are included in the product roadmap, and Ch Meetings are receptive to feature requests for their users.
What you can expect
The free trail lets you try out the software to test if it works for you or not before buying.
Pricing
Ch Meetings offer 6 pricing tiers, which starts as a free version. They offer a 10% discount on annual plans.
Free: $0/mo (50 people)
V. small: $12/mo (100 people)
Small: $25/mo (250 people)
Medium: $40/mo (500 people)
Large: $50/mo (1,000 people)
Unlimited: $60 (unlimited people)
6. Uscreen
Best for: Video memberships
G2 rating: ⭐4.7 stars
Overview
Uscreen is an all-in-one video membership platform. It gives video creators and businesses the tools they need to build a subscription service with their content, including a Netflix-style video catalog, mobile & TV apps and live streaming. Plus, built-in community tools to engage members and marketing tools to reach new ones.
Key features include:
- Netflix-style video catalog
- Video monetization
- Branded mobile & TV apps
- Community
- Live streaming
- Marketing tools
- Analytics
- 24/7 customer support
Why is Uscreen best for video memberships?
Uscreen is built for video, so you can expect high quality streaming that meets the expectations of paying members. As an all-in-one platform, it gives you everything you need to build and grow a video membership without needing to have any technical expertise.
It’s easy to use and the subscription model means there’s no limit to the number of members you can reach with your content and community.
Reasons to buy
Of all the membership management tools, Uscreen is a top pick for video-first businesses thanks to its exceptional video streaming quality, flexible monetization options, and powerful built-in marketing tools.
These features are perfect for businesses eager to monetize their video content and increase revenue while ensuring a smooth viewing experience for their audience.
Uscreen goes beyond a typical web-only experience, and offers branded membership apps. These customizable, feature-rich apps seamlessly connect a premium streaming experience with convenient community access for your members, allowing them to engage with your content across their favorite devices.
Reasons to avoid
Uscreen is a video-centric platform so if you’re looking for membership management software to co-ordinate in-person memberships this won’t work for you.
Uscreen also works best for creators and businesses who already have an established following and are dedicated to growing their video membership business, which means it is unsuitable for beginners who are just starting out with monetization.
What you can expect
Pilates by Leah is just one example of a successful video membership on Uscreen. Leah’s membership has achieved a 90% increase in revenue since moving to Uscreen, with an 85% increase in members thanks to the app-led membership experience.
Browse some of our other customer stories below 👇
Filmmakers Academy migrated and scaled their membership by 180% with Uscreen
Abundance+ created a Netflix-style membership community and 2X’ed their revenue with apps
Big Picture Skiing Drives $30k+ Monthly All-Year-Round with Uscreen
Pricing
There are three pricing plans available with Uscreen, with a 20% discount for annual billing:
Growth: $199/mo
App essentials: $499/mo
Build your own: Custom pricing
See the full comparison breakdown here.
7. Circle
Best for: Large online communities
G2 rating: ⭐4.8 stars
Overview
Circle brings together your online community, courses and events into one accessible hub. It has the tools to help you monetize exclusive digital content and nurture your paying community with a range of engagement tools, like live streams, DMs, group chats and scheduled check-ins.
It has a comprehensive suite of integrations, giving you everything you need to run and monetize your community.
Features include:
- Community
- Courses
- Discussions
- Events
- Live streaming
- Member profiles
- Workflows
- Analytics
- Integrations
- Email hub
Why is Circle best for large online communities?
Unlike forums or course platforms that bolt on community features, Circle is designed from the ground up for building interactive, engaged communities. Features like member directories, direct messaging and discussions make it stand out.
You can also structure it by topic for organized discussions and set up private or VIP groups, to keep things organized as you scale.
Reasons to buy
Circle is easy to use, and it has all the features you need to manage an online community. The user experience is intuitive and meets the expectations of a digital-first audience, with more comprehensive features for engaging an online community in comparison to more traditional membership management software.
It is intuitive and user friendly for both users and admins. It uses UX similar to popular social media sites to make for an easy experience. It has great community building tools, with different formats for different content types, the ability to organize folks into different spaces and groups by topics or persona, and a very well built out event hosting capability.
It has solid analytics, good customer support, and the ability to notify members of what’s happening via email and push notification.
Verified user in E-learning
Circle is highly rated for customer service, and multiple users highlight the regular roll out of new features based on what their customers want, and they offer a wide range of integrations to link your existing tools.
Reasons to avoid
Circle can quickly become pricey if you want access to all the features and the ability to scale your community, with the branded mobile apps only being available on the highest pricing tier.
It doesn’t come with a website builder, so you’ll need to create and maintain your site separately, and integrate with Circle. Several users also call out that they rely on third-party integrations through Zapier, which means juggling (and paying for) multiple tools.
Circle platform does have a few drawbacks to consider. The real-time chat can be slow and occasionally glitchy, which affects communication. Building a community can take longer than some might hope, even though Circle provides good support throughout the process. The subscription cost is relatively high compared to platforms like Patreon, Supercast, and Discord.
Updates sometimes lead to the loss of features or require entire group spaces to be updated due to design changes, causing confusion and frustration. The platform can become expensive quickly if all features are needed, and it lacks specialization in instant messaging. Additionally, direct integration with other software is limited, often requiring the use of third-party platforms like Zapier.
Islam G., Verified user
What you can expect
Here are some examples of online communities built on Circle which are visible on the Circle marketplace (Discover):
Pricing
Circle offers 4 pricing plans:
Professional: $89/mo
Business: $199/mo
Enterprise: $499/mo
Plus branded app: Custom pricing
8. Membership.io
Best for: Membership website builder
G2 rating: None
Overview
Membership.io (previously Searchie) is an affordable solution for building an online membership, with a range of AI tools to make the process simple, and fast.
You can build your membership site without needing any technical expertise, or input from a developer, by choosing from their range of ready-to-use templates that are custom built for memberships. Ideal for courses and coaching to bring together your members and foster a real community.
Features include:
- Content library
- Hubs
- AI chat plug in
- Mobile app
- Integrations
- Community
- Search
- Personalization
Why is Membership.io best for building a membership website?
If you’re just getting started and want to focus on building your website, Membership.io offers a cheap starter price making it affordable for anyone.
The AI content assistant also makes the process easier, and helps to populate your web pages with copy, saving a lot of time and work.
It supports different types of memberships, and gives plenty of flexibility to grow and scale.
Reasons to buy
One of the big pros for membership.io is the fact it’s seamless and easy to use. The AI features are one area that make it stand out; acting as a content assistant for generating titles, descriptions, summaries and repurposing– saving a lot of time and effort.
They also offer personalisation and gamification features to enhance engagement with your members and an AI chat plug-in to give a 24/7 customer service presence.
It’s also very affordable – you can get started from as little as $7/mo, making it accessible for beginners and small creators.
Searchie [now membership.io] is amazing at taking our content and making a very easy way to find what you are looking for in an audio or video session. There really is nothing else as seamless and easy to use. Now Searchie has upped the game with WisdomAI, a way for users to get specific answers based on your content, not the web’s. This way we can ensure specific and accurate information relative to the material being presented.
Scott Sturgis, Audio Engineer
Reasons to avoid
While membership.io does offer a mobile app, it requires a hefty upfront investment of $6995, making it out of reach for creators and businesses seeking an affordable option.
The community features can be limited, and it doesn’t offer any in-built marketing tools so you’ll have to rely on third-part integrations and manage multiple platforms to run your membership business.
There’s also a lack of substantial reviews available for membership.io, so there aren’t a lot of user testimonials or customer stories to draw from about their customers’ experiences with the platform.
What you can expect
See some membership.io built websites in action:
Pricing
Membership.io offers 5 pricing plans, and a 16% discount on annual plans.
Creator: $7/mo
Start: $41/mo
Grow: $99/mo
Scale: $183/mo
Business and enterprise: Custom pricing
9. Recharge
Best for: Physical product memberships
G2 rating: ⭐4.4 stars
Overview
Recharge is a platform for physical product subscriptions. It’s used by 20,000+ e-commerce brands as an all-in-one solution to find customers, retain them and grow their business, making it ideal for memberships that center around recurring product purchases.
It comes with features like:
- Subscription management
- Revenue tools
- Analytics
- Integrations
- AI messenger
- Retention tools
- Growth tools
Why is Recharge best for physical products?
Unlike general billing platforms, Recharge is optimized specifically for selling physical goods on a subscription basis. It handles:
- recurring orders
- Flexible subscription options (e.g., weekly, monthly)
- One-time and bundled products
It gives customers control over their subscriptions, reducing churn and support requests. Plus, it offers growth tools like loyalty & referral programs, upselling and first order discounts to help turn first-time buyers into recurring subscribers.
Reasons to buy
Recharge is easy to use and doesn’t involve a learning curve to get the hang of. The platform has in-built analytics tools to monitor member activity and sales, giving key insights on your business performance.
Overall, their customer service is positively reviewed, with 24 hour chat support for quick and accessible help when needed.
They are always innovating! We’ve been with Recharge for 4 years now and over time we’ve seen many changes – all aimed at making both the customer and seller experience better and more intuitive. Some changes have been small and others a bit more “earth shattering”, but in the end they continue to listen to the sellers who hear from the customers on how to make having and managing a monthly subscription better.
Another thing that is right up there with the “Best” things about using Recharge is their customer support. When we have had an issue, their customer support team has been very responsive and quick to help us acheive an acceptable resolution to the situation.
Wendi C., Small business owner
Reasons to avoid
There’s a big jump in price between the Starter plan ($99/mo + transaction fees) and the Pro plan ($499/mo + transaction fees) and the Retain add-on is only available with Pro and Custom plans, adding an extra cost for this valuable feature.
Several users mention the lack of integration with Shopify and frustration with some of the features:
There are still a lot of features that are frustrating, and they are constantly raising prices. The new app fee in January will probably force us to look at alternative subscription app options, as it’s really not affordable for small businesses.
Things like the reward program don’t automatically sync, we have to remember to log-in and refresh codes every day. Adding a free box in for a customer is extremely difficult, and modifying after renewal day requires reaching out to customer service for help. You can’t apply a discount code for a customer whose card was not processed – one way many other companies can reduce customer churn. It’s not super user friendly, and our customer service team often has issues with it.
Cassandra G., Small-business owner
What you can expect
Check out some subscriptions that successfully use Recharge:
Pricing
Recharge offers 3 pricing plans:
Starter: $99/mo plus 1.25% + 19¢ per transaction
Pro: $499/mo plus 1.25% + 19¢ per transaction
Custom: Volume based rates
10. Substack
Best for: Writing communities
G2 rating: ⭐4.4 stars
Overview
Substack is a newsletter platform built for writers. You publish your work directly onto the platform to share with your audience, where they can pay to support your work through a monthly subscription.
It’s ideal for building a membership community as it’s a reader-supported platform. Their audience wants to find and support good writing, and there’s a large community of writers on there you can connect with.
Features include:
- Website
- Email newsletter
- Community
- Subscription model
- Payments
- Customer support
- Analytics
Why is Substack best for writers?
Substack was built for writers as a publishing platform where they’re in control of their writing and how they engage with readers. Subscribers pay you directly, so there’s no gatekeeper in control of what you write, or how.
It’s also home to a large community of writers, opening up lots of opportunities to connect with peers and build up your network.
Reasons to buy
Substack is free to use, so getting started is low-risk, as you don’t pay anything until you start earning money through the revenue share model.
Another great plus for Substack is that it’s much easier to set up than a blog or website. There’s no additional infrastructure to maintain, and the newsletter format means you’re reaching your audience directly in their inbox.
It has a large growing audience; they reported 20 million active monthly subscribers in 2023, so there’s a huge potential audience base for your work. This makes it ideal if you don’t already have an audience, as 50% of subscribers come directly from discovery inside Substack.
The best feature of the substack is that it provides an easy way for writers and bloggers to make their updated blogs and content available to the audience directly without requiring technical skills.
Gulam M., G2 reviewer
Reasons to avoid
Substack charges a 10% fee plus additional Stripe and credit card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction and 0.7% for recurring payments) which can end up taking a substantial cut of your earnings.
Some users report limited features. Substack is built to be simple to use, but that means there’s little opportunity for any advanced customization. If you wanted to create a bespoke space, this might not be the place for it.
It’s also a competitive space. There are over 5 million paid subscriptions on Substack, and while there’s a large audience on the platform, it can be challenging to get noticed and gain paid subscribers among the big names and popular accounts.
While Substack provides monetization alternatives, it may be difficult for certain writers to create a sizable paying subscriber base, particularly in highly competitive sectors.
Biswayan B., G2 reviewer
What you can expect
Some examples of memberships on Substack include:
Pricing
Substack charges a 10% fee plus additional Stripe and credit card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction and 0.7% for recurring payments).
Making the most of your membership
Whichever membership management solution you choose, the key is making sure it fits the needs of your membership.
One central part of that is providing a great membership experience that your members want to keep coming back to time and time again. Whether you’re running an in-person club, professional industry association or an online community, your membership’s success hinges on its people.
Retention is one of the biggest challenges memberships face. Once you have the day-to-day management sorted, it’s time to tackle this to ensure your membership reaches the success it deserves. And we’re here for you!
We share 8 proven strategies for keeping your members, with expert insights on reducing churn. Read the article and learn how you can ensure your members stick around for the long haul.
Membership Retention: 8 Proven Strategies to Keep Your Members
