Patreon vs WP-Members
Patreon
patreon.comWP-Members
rocketgeek.comSide by side
| Figure | Patreon | WP-Members |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $2.42/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 9 |
| Spec score · Membership Site Platforms | 9.4 (#1) | 7.8 (#56) |
| Content gating | post | post |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Security controls | Patreon says it uses TLS for sensitive information, HTTPS for traffic, two-factor authentication, and CAPTCHA checks for suspicious activity. | The WP-Members Security plugin includes controls for concurrent logins, registration spam, password rules, login error logging, and limiting login attempts. |
| Subscription billing | both | both |
Plans
Patreon
- StandardPrice not published
- Standard Patreon pricingFree
- Free to startFree
- Patreon platform fee$10 a month
WP-Members
- Free pluginFree
- Salesforce Integration$29 a year
- WP-Members extensions$49 a year
- Priority Support$59 a year
- Pro Bundle$125 a year
- WP-MembersFree
- Advanced Options Extension$49 a year
- WP-Members Support$59 a year
- Pro Bundle$125 a year
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.
WP-Members
WP-Members has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.