Patreon vs Simple Membership Plugin
Patreon
patreon.comSimple Membership Plugin
simple-membership-plugin.comSide by side
| Figure | Patreon | Simple Membership Plugin |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · Membership Site Platforms | 9.4 (#1) | 8.3 (#30) |
| Content gating | post | page |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | The app directory lists integrations and partners including Vimeo, Discord, ConvertKit, Discourse, Wix, and Zapier. | The addon directory lists integrations including MailChimp, Zapier, bbPress, WooCommerce, ConvertKit, MailerLite, and AWeber; it separates free and premium addons. |
| Payments | Patreon says its payments infrastructure handles chargebacks, disputes, fraud, and most applicable tax collection and remittance. | The plugin supports one-time and recurring membership payments, and its homepage names PayPal, Stripe, and Braintree gateways. |
| Subscription billing | both | both |
Plans
Patreon
- StandardPrice not published
- Standard Patreon pricingFree
- Free to startFree
- Patreon platform fee$10 a month
Simple Membership Plugin
- Core Simple Membership PluginFree
- Paid support$39, paid once
- Two-Factor Authentication Addon$39.95, paid once
- Form Builder Addon$47, paid once
In their own words
Patreon
Patreon lets creators build communities, share work, and earn through memberships or digital shops. Creators can offer monthly or annual subscriptions, tiers, one-time payments, and free work before adding paid options. Content tools cover audio, images, rich text, video, livestreams, and email newsletters. Community features include chats, direct messages, comments, and exportable email lists; growth tools include analytics, free trials, discounts, and sales. Podcast tools support importing, syncing, multiple podcasts, Spotify, Synced Feeds, and RSS. Patreon offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, and its app directory lists integrations including Vimeo, Discord, ConvertKit, Discourse, Wix, and Zapier. It is free to start. Patreon charges 10% of income earned on the platform, with payment processing, currency conversion, payout fees, and applicable taxes potentially added. Patreon says it handles chargebacks, disputes, fraud, and most applicable tax collection and remittance. Its public API v1 is scheduled to stop working on October 7, 2026, with integrations directed to API v2.
Simple Membership Plugin
Simple Membership Plugin has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.