Simple Membership vs Paid Membership Subscriptions… (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Paid Membership Subscriptions…
10K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Paid Membership Subscriptions… has a higher user rating (4.7/5 from 260 reviews) while Simple Membership leads in active installations (40K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Simple Membership has accumulated 3.3M+ total downloads while Paid Membership Subscriptions… has 1.9M+. Paid Membership Subscriptions… has a higher support resolution rate (96% vs 80%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Simple Membership | Paid Membership Subscriptions… | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | ► | 4.7/5 |
| Total Reviews | 466 | ◄ | 260 |
| Active Installs | 40K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 3.3M+ | ◄ | 1.9M+ |
| Support Resolution | 80% | ► | 96% |
| Last Updated | 1 month ago | ► | 2 weeks ago |
| First Released | 2014 | 2015 | |
| Age | 12 years | 11 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.0+ | 3.1+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 7.4+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 4.7.2 | 3.0.1 |
Rating Breakdown
Simple Membership
Paid Membership Subscriptions…
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Simple Membership averaged approximately 503 daily downloads while Paid Membership Subscriptions… averaged 795.
Recent Reviews
Simple Membership Reviews
Very good plugin for membership levels and control
I have tested various plugins for creating and controlling members in various levels. This is the only plugin which I trust totally. It is very easy to create user groups/levels and users in different
PERFETTO!
Questo plugin è la soluzione perfetta per chi vuole realizzare l’accesso a vari livelli di abbonamento (gratuito ma con registrazione delle credenziali, oppure a pagamento) per i propri utenti: chi
werkt zoals het hoort
Mooie plugin voor een basis login en membership.
Paid Membership Subscriptions… Reviews
required to fix bugs
on pricing page this persisting errors when want to edit showing Updating failed. Invalid JSON body passed. and its only on pricing page never allow to update your own informations kindly fix thes
Very Promising, So Far So good!
I have been working with Paid Member Subscriptions Pro for about a year now, and although my membership site is not yet launched, it seems PMS Pro is going to play a very important part in it. In fact
Working Great
Working great so far. No complaints.Thank you for developing this! I used AI to get a few things set up, like getting my browser extension to make an API call and see if the user has an active subs
More Memberships Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Simple Membership and Paid Membership Subscriptions…
The best WordPress membership and user role editor plugin. User Roles & Capabilities editor helps you restrict content in just a few clicks.
Setup paid membership, accept payment, sell subscription & digital product, paywall, create login & registration form, user profile & member directory
Manage and display (recurring) events, memberships, locations and maps, volunteers, widgets, RSVP, ICAL and RSS feeds, payment gateways. SEO ready.
Redirect 404's when a visitor tries to access a page protected by Groups.
A simple and easy way to sell subscriptions and / or memberships with PayPal. No Coding Required. Official PayPal Partner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Simple Membership or Paid Membership Subscriptions… more popular?
Which has better ratings — Simple Membership or Paid Membership Subscriptions…?
Are Simple Membership and Paid Membership Subscriptions… free?
Which plugin has better support — Simple Membership or Paid Membership Subscriptions…?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.