Top 10 Best Membership Platforms That Help You to Make Money

It’s known that an everlasting online brand can withstand the period of testing time only with a strong community surrounded by it. 

And when you’re a content creator who wants to invest in having an online presence & video monetization strategy, the best membership platforms is the apt solution. This can help you to attract large mass and cultivate your video-based community.  

One of the most easiest ways to develop a community is with a paid membership platform, where you can broadcast content releases, offer subscriber pluses, exclusive offerings and much more. 

Furthermore did you know that studies indicate..

The global subscription economy market size is projected to upscale its growth & peaking at a scale of 1.5 trillion USD in 2025 with a CAGR of 25% – Sell Courses Online

Membership platforms allow brands to keep a control of what content their subscribers see and how much they should pay for viewing them. 

There are plenty of membership sites to ponder over. Whilst all of them offer top features for the right business need.. Some can be too exclusive for upcoming businesses, while others lack the most essential features for controlling users seeing and paying for. 

Why Should I Have a Video Membership Site?

best video membership website
video subscription website to make money

It’s well and good that you are considering to create a video membership website for your business at the first place.. Surely, you’ll find success on the right track.. 

Video membership platforms are one of the best possible sources that can support to build a steady and constant income. 

Here’s are the whys: 

It’s a known fact that the subscription business model is quite popular among end-users and content creators. 

On the user side the reason why people prefer to pay for content is because: 

  1. Quite Convenient: People are very much satisfied to pay for a one-stop solution where they come to know that they’ll find their favourite stuff. It is better option rather than shifting back & forth with endless content available in the internet feeds. 
  2. Familiar: Subscription-based services have turned out to be the new wave. In fact, the number of subscription services signed up by US respondents is almost 34% and it is expected to grow further. 
  3. More valuable: Consumers who pay for a service often in smaller amounts are most likely to engage with it in the future.
  4. Stays supportive for like-minded communities: Folks who are interested in watching content from their favorite creators will contribute significantly by investing into it which help them creating. 
  5. Making it ad-free: Users who expect to have a seamless experience can gain it effortlessly as they can have the liberty to watch their favorite content without any sorts of ads in between. 

What Makes a Membership Site Platform More Successful? 

When digital entrepreneurs initially began to ponder over membership sites, they were generally looking at a forum which was included to a wordpress blog. As a result, this created a sort of barricade for content where users needed to pay for and get access to an exclusive experience. 

successful membership website

Although the additional plugins didn’t serve the need, but still gave options to create a basic community. 

Later the rise of social media platforms specially Facebook groups, gave a new outlet to create a membership groups which induced people to start building their communities on the platform. 

They’d need to integrate payment gateway elsewhere, such as on website. After which they let people into private group in Facebook. 

Since then there were dozens of problems faced with this approach. It was especially difficult as the Facebook algorithm did not necessarily show group content and had no reliable way to add payment structure, notify members, etc. But was a temporary solution. 

Last five years, there has been a rise of numerous membership websites that make money dedicated to selling & growing a subscription-based community. They primarily focus on providing you with tools for being successful in your line of business.  

Ideally, if you are in search of a membership site builder which offers members an integrated experience is packed with variety of features under – your brand. Things that you are looking out for membership site software include: 

Makes it effortless to set things up beautifully and streamline your membership site. And you can market it to the right people. 

Offers exclusive content pieces that’s delivered regularly via organized courses, interactive features and emails.

There is an emphasis of community which gives its members multiple ways to foster connections, right from polls, Q&As to centralized activity feed or direct messaging. 

Having said that, the core features of all membership site platforms are quite similar because they all assist you to create as well as run online subscription programs. But, the difference lies in the pricing and other factors which make your selection process easier while running a membership subscription platform. 

Let’s take a glimpse at…

2024 Best Video Membership Platforms (2024 Reviews)

1. Vimeo OTT

Almost 200 individuals or brands use Vimeo OTT for streaming their content originals and share it with their platform subscribers. Nevertheless, it’s easy to know why Vimeo is aptly chosen by video creators who strive to explore this user-friendly top membership platform in a unique way. It combines video sharing with features like editing suite and video post-production tools. 

vimeo video platform

Let’s Look into Some of its Key Features 

  • Offers your subscribers with monthly subscriptions for accessing content 
  • Facility to store, stream as well as customize content in Vimeo’s cloud 
  • Deliver content in a steadfast way via internal server network & ABS 
  • Create unlimited groups, video channels and showcase your library 
  • Benefit with expanded privacy settings along with domain-level privacy

Pros

  1. Creating engaging content & sharing is easy at Vimeo
  2. Built-in API & SDKs help you stream content globally
  3. Multiple content pieces can be uploaded batch-wise

Cons

  1. Follow up on critical support tickets isn’t up to mark
  2. Pricing models are complicated and not transparent

Pricing 

As far as when monetizing memberships are concerned, Vimeo has multiple options: 

  1. Monthly memberships are set with a fee of minimum $1.99 
  2. Yearly memberships are set with annual fee of minimum $12
  3. Free memberships are provided with access for 3-30 days 

Worldwide memberships are dependent on member’s chosen currency 


2. Wix

The membership site of Wix gives the opportunity for content creators the digital space for integrating apps. This can assist with bookings and forum participation with a membership which stores and shares your exclusive content pieces. 

wix

Basically, it is built with a coding-free system for content owners for letting visitors to register and gain access to content. They also additionally, sell paid subscriptions online without any kind of third-party integrations. 

Wiz offers plenty of features for your business that include

  • A user-friendly website solution to start a membership site 
  • A blog section dedicated exclusively to publish articles 
  • Optimization for mobile sites to have high engagement
  • Creates a customized domain with inclusive SEO plans 
  • Provides feasibility analysis of ongoing content anytime

What are the pros?

  1. Creating engaging content & sharing is easy at Vimeo
  2. Built-in API & SDKs help you stream content globally
  3. Multiple content pieces can be uploaded batch-wise

What are the cons?

  1. Follow up on critical support tickets isn’t up to mark
  2. Pricing models are complicated and not transparent

Pricing 

Wix Membership prices are quite simple and all the features are served to be free. However, if you require payment processing or bookings online it might differ. 

Wix’s pricing plans start at ₹125 per month (billed annually) when it comes to Combo plan. It is ad-free and the plans include hosting, a domain name for 1 year. There’s unlimited costs ₹ 185 per month which is ideally suitable for larger sites. Although the cheapest ecommerce plans is business basic which ranges to ₹225 per month. 


3. GUDSHO

GUDSHO is an exclusive subscription membership platform which is founded to facilitate streaming solutions for content creators, vloggers, independent artists, etc. GUDSHO assists them by assisting to create their own video channel and stream limitless content across the globe. 

gudsho

The platform presents them with high monetization possibilities at par most commonly sought for video sharing. Not to forget, there is a payment system worldwide which is in place at the center of platform to upscale with video monetization goals. 

Some of its exclusive features include 

  • Gain buffer-free streaming to ensure smooth streaming experience 
  • Continuous feed of insights with regards to performance of videos 
  • With zero limitations of monetization there’s large scope to generate ROI
  • Video assets in the platform can be accounted secure with AES encryption
  • Create engaging video collective pieces & manage it all in a centralized place

What are the pros?

  1. Gain buffer-free streaming to ensure smooth streaming experience
  2. Continuous feed of insights with regards to performance of videos
  3. With zero limitations of monetization there’s large scope to generate ROI

What are the cons?

  1. Video assets in the platform can be accounted secure with AES encryption
  2. Create engaging video collective pieces & manage it all in a centralized place

Pricing 

GudSho enables flexible subscription curation based on your corporate objectives. Its SaaS methods, which include SVOD, TVOD, and Donations, enable safe payments from both local and international customers.


4. Patreon

While it takes a completely different approach to build a membership business, Patreon makes it simple for us to build one sort of it too. However, there are fairly limited options in the platform such as community options, creating courses, & much more. It can be the best place to help members to get engaged with excellent content if you’re a creator.   

patreon

Ofcourse there does come a point with patreon where, if as a creator you have been looking to give members with added perks. They would comprise of active community or an application which you probably want to be develop it from scratch.  

Here are some of its highlighted features include 

  • Deliver premium web experiences to your fans backed with smooth playback 
  • Analyze your content engaability to review performance with play state rate
  • Develop & share preview of video content to increase conversion rate
  • Get access to deep data so that you can hone on fan following easily 
  • Patreon Videos can be casted to varied devices via iOS Airplay, Chromecast 

Pros

  1. No limitations to length of videos
  2. Enhanced podcasting features
  3. Gain access to Patreon workshops

Cons

  1. There is high amount of fee charge
  2. Subscription plans are irrevocable

Pricing 

While you choose the lite package you will have to provide 5% of your monthly income and you’ll get access to Patreon workshops, communication tools, etc. For pro and premium packages you can contact the platform directly.


5. MemberSpace

MemberSpace attaches to your current website as a third-party tool, generating closed pages that only members may view. Once the gated page is operational, you can add content for members to access and regulate what they have access to based on their membership level, such as videos, courses, and tutorials.

memberspace

Get a glimpse of its eye-catchy features

  • Depending on fee set up memberspace handles payments 
  • Users can use self-service portal to pause or cancel membership
  • Unlimited members registration with automated upsells anytime 
  • Provides seamless website builder integrations within the platform 
  • Delivers content which is backed up by Instant payouts online 

Pros

  1. Assures flexibility in & around the platform
  2. Provides great support to platform users

Cons

  1. Charges 0.5%-4% transaction fee
  2. The plans are too basic

Pricing

Starter plans are from $25 / month. Whereas growing and thriving business plans range from $50 to $100 per month. Get unlimited business plans for $200 per month.


6. Memberful

For content creators with an existing WordPress website, Memberful is a straightforward plug-in option.The platform is completely configurable; based on your requirements, you can add your logo, design unique landing pages, make email templates, and even set up a white-label domain. 

memberful

Once your platform is operational, based on the type of material you’re offering, select from a variety of subscription choices like monthly memberships, VIP packages, and one-time costs.

Find attractive features from Memberful

  • Create any type of subscription plan to showcase it to the world
  • Provide your users with optimized checkout for easy payments 
  • Derive any number of realtime reports with dashboard analytics 
  • Effortless membership management since its streamlined online 
  • Users can choose what they pay for with one-time payments 

Pros

  1. While compared to other platforms price is reasonable
  2. Delivers free plans packed with multiple advanced features
  3. Trial offers features rated above 0% at par with industry standards

Cons

  1. Copouns feature is rated below 100% which is a disadvantage
  2. Customer management has been rated below 100% & is a minus

Pricing 

Plans in Memberful start at a range of $25 per month. Along with that, they provide Freemium and Subscription models to scale up your videos.

In case, you are interested to explore transaction model, charges may apply according to your business plans. 


7. Kajabi

We wholeheartedly recommend Kajabi as its the all-inclusive platform for membership sites for all users, both new and experienced.Since it comes with everything you require there is no need for you to look elsewhere for templates, hosting, or anything else.

With all that Kajabi offers, launching a membership website is simple. To get started, all you need to do is create an account.

Let’s understand some of its superlative features

  • Get hold of management tools such as reports, analytics, etc 
  • Track user progress providing insights into their behavior 
  • You can easily gain easy recurring revenue by setting up quickly 
  • Efforlessly manage content publishing with ready-to-use templates 
  • Ensure your entire collection of content is super organized 

8. Memberpress

With MemberPress, you can quickly and easily convert your current WordPress website into an online learning management system. However, you may also start from scratch and create a personalised website using MemberPress’s ready-to-use templates. 

But for easy integration, MemberPress is also compatible with thousands of 3rd-party extensions. The plugin has numerous limits, some of which are depending on membership levels.

Let’s delve more into its essential features

  • Allows to create forums for engaging interaction between users 
  • They preferably work with kind of webpage theme during design 
  • Assures to deliver flexible subscriptions across the globe 
  • No fee for transactions assured by 14-day money-back guarantee 
  • Downloadable content can be feeded in the platform 

9. WildApricot

A great tool for building membership websites for organisations is Wild Apricot. Nonprofits, associations, business directories, sports, education, and charity, to name a few, are all entirely compatible.

It is a software that runs in the cloud, making all of the data available from any location at any time. This is a significant win in our book because it gives everyone on the team rapid access to the database.

After all, the practical and user-friendly website builder serves as the foundation for everything.

Let’s have a look at these stunning features 

  • You can deliver your content with predefined themes with built-in tools 
  • Allows to integrate payment gateways with automatic invoicing 
  • Wild Apricot comes with iOS and android apps for site administrators 
  • Provisions the facility to do advanced search around the platform 
  • Email marketing is another option that is facilitated in the site 

10. MembershipWorks

A nice plug-and-play option to incorporate a membership platform is MembershipWorks if you host an existing site on a CMS like WordPress, Weebly, Wix, etc. Because of the built-in ticketing and calendar features, MembershipWorks is ideal for brands that host a large number of events and live streams. 

Members can register and pay for events on the site, and they will receive an automated calendar reminder and any important information they require before the event begins. 

Some of its path-striking features include

  • One-page member signup with membership form template 
  • Readily collect dues of membership from Paypal or Stripe 
  • Provide multiple subscription billing options lifetime or offline
  • Group your platform members by industry, area, languages,etc
  • Quickly locate member name, profile, notes with smart search 

Conclusion

Membership sites are an excellent way to cultivate a loyal community of engaged subscribers and engage them in your brand. Offering online tutorials or exclusive events is an excellent way to reach subscribers all over the world and monetize existing content to generate additional revenue for your company.

To be honest, there is no such thing as a perfect membership platform. The one you buy will be determined by the features and customization options you want and what you can afford on your budget.

FAQ For USA Software Companies

1.Which membership platform is best?

Some of the best and most popular membership site platforms that allow you to create and market membership programs include Kajabi, Mighty Networks, MemberPress, MemberSpace, Kartra, Thinkific, New Zenler, Wix, Uscreen, and Podia. 

However, the best platform for you may depend on your business needs and goals. Therefore, consider factors like secondary features and pricing when making your decision.

2.How do I create a membership website for free?

You may create a free membership website with Thinkific. However, you may also choose the below steps to make your website creation simpler:

  • Opting for the right membership model for your website
  • Buying hosting and domain address
  • Signing up in WordPress
  • Creating a membership theme and downloading plugins
  • Following the WordPress guide for building one.

3.How do I create a paid membership site?

You can easily create a paid membership site with any of the leading membership platforms like Kajabi, Uscreen, MemberPress, MemberSpace, and Mighty Networks. All these will help you create the right site for your business. 

4.How much does it cost to create a membership website?

The cost to create a membership website depends largely on the domain name and web hosting account used, along with features and functionalities to add. However, you can easily launch a highly-functional site for a minimum of $25 with Mighty Networks or Wix, as the latter may seem to be a cost-effective option. 

5.What should be included in a Membership Site?

Below are some of the most common data that many top membership sites include, like:

  • Blog posts
  • Videos and vlogs
  • Live streams
  • Digital products
  • Online communities and
  • Online courses

6.What is a membership site platform?

A membership site platform is a software application that helps businesses or individual entities to create membership sites and market content to users by offering paid memberships. Usually, such platforms are developed for building membership communities. 

7.How do I create a subscription-based membership site?

Here’s how you can create a subscription-based membership site:

  1. Select the right membership platform like Kajabi or Mighty Networks
  2. Create your website by choosing your desired theme and template
  3. Establish membership tiers by choosing your subscription plans
  4. Deliver exclusive content on your choice of platform and setup payment method
  5. Finally, launch your site to the end users, or promote it on social media.

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