5 Best Membership Website Builders: Grow Your Community in 2026

For a quick round-up of our five best membership builders and the main differences between them, refer to the table below:

Swipe right to see more

0 out of 0

• backward
• forward

BEST IN TEST (2025)
Wix	Squarespace	GoDaddy	Shopify	IONOS
Overall Rating 4.8	Overall Rating 4.6	Overall Rating 4.2	Overall Rating 4.2	Overall Rating 3.3
Today's best price $17 $15.30 with code “TAKE10”	Today's best price $16 $14.40 with code “WBE10”	Today's best price $10.99	Today's best price $29 $1/mo for 3 months	Today's best price $1
Free Plan	Free Plan	Free Plan	Free Plan	Free Plan
Number of templates 2,000+	Number of templates 190+	Number of templates 200+	Number of templates 1,000+	Number of templates 30+
Apps 800+	Apps 40+	Apps No app store	Apps 8,000+	Apps No app store
Recommended for Businesses promoting their online presence	Recommended for Creatives, portfolios and service-based businesses	Recommended for Tech novices and side hustlers	Recommended for Online stores	Recommended for Businesses that need to market their website
Start Free Trial	Start Free Trial	Try GoDaddy	Try Shopify	Visit IONOS
See our Wix Review	See our Squarespace Review	See our GoDaddy Review	See our Shopify Review	See our IONOS Review

• Wix starting price: $17 per month (Use code “TAKE10” for 10% off)
• More info: read our Wix review

Editor's Choice

Wix

Best tools for managing a membership site

Outstanding

4.8

out of 5

• Most tools on the market
• 900+ templates
• Useful AI features

Free plan available

Paid Plans: $17 - $159 / month

Pros

• Best membership tools on market
• Customizable member pages
• Seamless membership page integration

Cons

• Overwhelming dashboard
• Unlimited storage on priciest plan only
• Editor can be slow at times

Wix Review

Use code TAKE10 for 10% off

Try Wix

For another year, we’ve crowned Wix the top membership website builder as a result of our 2025 research. But why is it the best? Mainly, it’s the platform’s outstanding built-in features that can help you easily manage your website and its members. For example, you can organize your members directly from your dashboard, or seamlessly add password protection to VIP pages.

Which Wix Plan Will Let Me Monetize My Membership Website?

To accept payments from your members, you’ll need to be on one of Wix’s ecommerce plans. These begin with the Core plan, costing $29 per month (billed annually).

• For more info on key costs, refer to our Wix pricing page

Key Wix Membership Website Features

Wondering if Wix is the right choice for you? These are the platform’s key membership features you may be interested in: 

• Customize membership pages – I could tweak key aspects of my membership site, which included the login and signup forms, private members pages, and the layout of profile pages.
• Manage members directly from the dashboard – I could approve and remove website members when necessary, and view important details like names and email addresses.
• Create customizable badges – If you want to reward members for their customer loyalty, I loved that I could create customizable badges they can display on their profile.
• Distribute members only emails – You can use Wix’s email marketing tool to send emails to your website’s members (on the free plan, you can send up to 200 emails per month).

💡 One thing I noticed during testing...

When testing Wix, I was impressed by the scope of tools available that could enhance a membership website. I was able to create a page for each member so they could easily manage their account, track member details from the Wix dashboard, and manage payments without a hitch using the integrated payment options provided. I didn’t have to worry about installing apps to add extra functionality to my page, since Wix had already considered all bases!

Holly Choules Writer

How Do You Set Up a Wix Membership Website?

You may get a member’s area included with your chosen Wix template or AI-generated website design. For example:

• If you use Wix’s AI website builder… the AI chatbot will ask you questions about your website, and can add a member’s area depending on your responses.
• If you pick a Wix template… many of its templates, like “running club” or “yoga studio”, will come with a members area.

If you can’t find a member’s area already included, you can add it manually in the Wix editor with these four easy steps:

1. On the left-hand sidebar, select the plus sign
2. Tap “Community” in the navigation bar
3. Select “Members” and click “Add to Site”
4. Wix will load the member’s area on your website!

Once you have a member’s area on your Wix website, you can start using Wix’s membership tools. For a quick onboarding experience, I could go through the “Discover Member’s Area” pop-up that first appears on the screen to learn more about key membership features.

For example, I learned that I could:

• Create new membership pages, like profile pages where members can edit their details
• Track membership data with Wix Analytics
• Let members upload, view, and share files 

What To Watch Out for With Wix

Though Wix is our number one membership website builder, it does come with some significant downsides to be aware of:

• Squarespace starting price: $16 per month (Use code “WBE10” for 10% off)
• More info: read our Squarespace review

Squarespace

For selling online courses

Excellent

4.6

out of 5

• AI site design available
• Great design tools
• High-quality features

Free trial available

Paid Plans: $16 - $99 / month

Pros

• Easiest editor to use
• Stylish membership templates
• Excellent booking integration

Cons

• Need to pay extra for add-ons
• Slow site load speeds in testing
• No autosave when editing

Read Review

Try Squarespace

Need to offer online courses through your memberships? Squarespace is the best option. This membership website builder specializes in helping businesses sell premium content, enabling users to easily set up paywalls and create a stylish landing page to promote their content with.

Our 2025 round of testing revealed that Squarespace is the easiest website builder to use, so it’s ideal for businesses that are just starting out. It also has an outstanding scheduling tool, Acuity Scheduling, to help you arrange and manage classes or meetings with your members.

Which Squarespace Plan Will Let Me Monetize My Membership Website?

To set membership fees or sell digital courses, you can choose any of Squarespace’s premium plans, ranging from $16 to $99 per month (billed annually).

• Read our Squarespace pricing page for more info on key costs

Key Squarespace Membership Website Features

If you choose Squarespace as your membership website builder, these are some of the key features you’ll come across: 

• Customizable membership fees – I could easily set up membership fees, whether it was a recurring payment, a one-off payment, or a plan that’s totally free!
• Membership-specific Squarespace templates – Though I only found seven membership-specific templates during our 2025 round of research, they were all stylish and responsive.
• Seamless integration with Acuity Scheduling – You can sync Acuity Scheduling with your membership website, making it easy for customers to create appointments and view bookings.

How Do You Set Up a Squarespace Membership Website?

Like Wix, many of Squarespace’s templates come with built-in membership features. 

However, if you’d like to choose a template that doesn’t automatically come with a member’s area, or use Squarespace Blueprint to AI-generate a unique design instead, here’s how I manually added a Squarespace membership area to my website.

From the editor:

1. I clicked “Pages” from the sidebar panel
2. Then selected the + icon next to “Main Navigation” to add a new page
3. Lastly, I scrolled down and clicked on “Member Site”

Squarespace offered me only two distinct page designs to choose from for my membership site, which I could then customize on the editor.

With my design sorted, Squarespace instructed me to “Add a Pricing Plan”. This was so I could place my membership website behind a paywall and give only paying customers access to each webpage.

Pricing details I could tweak included:

• Key membership details: the name, description, and key benefits of a plan.
• Pricing: how much a plan costs and whether it’s a fixed amount, a recurring payment, or free to access.
• The included products: the digital products that are included with my membership plans, like certain online courses or other digital resources.

What To Watch Out for With Squarespace

Though Squarespace’s user-friendly interface and professional designs are impressive, here’s why it might not be a suitable fit for your membership website.

• GoDaddy starting price: $10.99 per month
• More info: read our GoDaddy review

GoDaddy

For speedy membership site setup

Very Good

4.2

out of 5

• Beginner-friendly
• Can set up with AI
• Good for simple sites

Free plan available

Paid Plans: $10.99 - $23.99 / month

Pros

• Quickest setup times
• Straightforward editor
• Useful marketing tools

Cons

• No membership specific templates
• Limited membership tools
• Generic site designs

Read Review

Try GoDaddy

Though GoDaddy is one of the cheaper platforms we’ve tested, it’s still a dependable membership website builder, especially if your business is looking for a quick and easy setup process.

Which GoDaddy Plan Will Let Me Monetize My Membership Website?

From its editor, you can create a professional membership website in a few minutes. You can start monetizing your website on its Premium plan costing $15.99 per month (billed annually).

• Learn more about the website builder’s key costs with our GoDaddy pricing page

Key GoDaddy Membership Website Features

Because GoDaddy offers a back-to-basics approach to website building, you won’t have a huge range of membership features to work with. However, these are the key tools at your disposal:

• A straightforward editor – The editor comes with simple customization tools for your membership website, like different color, font, and button options.
• Useful marketing features – For example, you can create customized emails for members, increasing visitor engagement on your website and nurturing relationships.

How Do You Set Up a GoDaddy Membership Website?

Since last year’s testing, GoDaddy’s setup process hasn’t evolved much, so the manual process of adding membership pages to your website remains the same.  It’s split into two beginner-friendly stages: creating a private page and granting access to members wanting to view that page.

Here’s how I made a page private from GoDaddy’s editor:

1. I went to the “Site Navigation Tab” located in the right-hand sidebar
2. I clicked on the settings cog next to a page I wanted to make private
3. Next, I tapped “Page Settings”
4. From there, I could enable the “Private Page” toggle

After I’d completed these steps, only logged-in website members could access my private pages.

But you can’t stop there. Next, you need to add the specific members who can view that private page.

For this step, I:

1. Went back into my GoDaddy dashboard and found the “Customers” dropdown
2. Went into “Settings” and toggled member accounts on

What To Watch Out For With GoDaddy

To help you decide if you should build a website with GoDaddy, here are the platform’s biggest downsides to consider:

• Shopify starting price: $29 per month (Get first three months for $1 per month)
• More info: read our Shopify review

Shopify

For selling digital products

Very Good

4.2

out of 5

• For online stores
• Has an AI suite
• Large app store

Free trial available

Paid Plans: $29 - $299 / month

Pros

• Best sales tools on the market
• AI tools to help make member's content
• Great built-in blogging feature

Cons

• No built-in membership tools
• Limited customization
• Confusing interface

Read Review

Try Shopify

If ecommerce capability is a priority for your membership website, Shopify is an ideal option. Because the platform is known for its streamlined inventory management tools, it’s a great platform for selling many digital products to your members.

However, Shopify doesn’t have built-in membership functionality. Instead, you’ll need to browse the Shopify App Store and find an app that enables you to add membership functionality to your website. I’ll explore this later in the setup section!

Which Shopify Plan Will Let Me Monetize My Membership Website?

You can monetize your membership website from Shopify’s cheapest plan that costs $29 per month (billed annually). However, this is the most expensive option on this list, so I only recommend paying this price if your membership site has an ecommerce focus.

• Our guide to Shopify’s pricing has more info on total costs

Key Shopify Membership Website Features

Though Shopify doesn’t have built-in membership functionality, here are a couple of the ecommerce builder’s features you may find useful:

• Shopify Magic – This AI suite helped me easily create content for my membership site. I could generate product descriptions for my digital products, and create engaging copy for my member’s area.
• Blogging features – If you’d like to create exclusive content for your store’s members, I was impressed by Shopify’s blogging tools that came with commenting, scheduling, and the ability to create content categories.

How Do You Set Up a Shopify Membership Website?

To create a Shopify membership website, I had to install an app from the official Shopify App Store. The builder doesn’t come with a built-in members feature, so this was a necessary step.

Many Shopify apps require a payment to use; however, our research identified several popular options that offer a free plan or trial period. Below, I’ve shared two Shopify-recommended membership apps that enable you to lock content on your website:

• Locksmith (from $12/mo, with a 15-day free trial): You can reveal locked website areas based on customer location, customer tags, and passcodes.
• EasyLockdown (from $9/mo, with a seven-day free trial): I liked that this platform lets you hide prices from the general public with a “Login to See Price” feature.

As a warning, Shopify app prices do add up, especially if you have multiple apps installed on your website. Make sure that you calculate the potential price of these apps alongside your Shopify pricing plan first. This will help you decide if it’s right for your budget or not.

Once I found an app I was interested in, I clicked the “Install” button on the app’s listing page (I used EasyLockdown for this example). From here, I was redirected to my dashboard where I could complete the installation.

If you choose a paid app, you’ll be asked to confirm your price plan before having access to its features. Because each app is unique, you’ll need to follow your app’s unique instructions to fully set up your member’s area. 

💡 One thing I noticed during testing...

As you set up your membership website, you might find it tricky to familiarize yourself with Shopify’s dashboard at first. During testing, I found that it was easy to get lost in the dashboard. The interface doesn’t have many clear visual indicators that guide you in the right direction (it’s very gray!), so you will need to spend a bit of time getting used to Shopify and working out where the key tools you need are.

Holly Choules Writer

What To Watch Out for With Shopify

Shopify might be amazing for selling digital products, but there are some key downsides to the platform. Keep these cons in mind:

• IONOS starting price: $1 per month
• More info: read our IONOS review

IONOS

Best for marketing your membership site

Above average

3.3

out of 5

• AI website builder
• Suited for basic sites
• No payment processing fee

Paid Plans: $1 - $30 / month

Pros

• Great social media integration
• Cheap sign up deals
• Speedy AI site builder

Cons

• Can't customize member areas
• No blogging feature
• No free plan or trial

Try IONOS

Though IONOS doesn’t offer an exhaustive range of features like Wix or Squarespace, it does excel in one area: marketing. To promote your membership website and acquire more customers, IONOS comes with a streamlined social media suite including an AI-post creator, post scheduling, and the ability to advertise on Facebook and Instagram.

Which IONOS Plan Will Let Me Monetize My Membership Website?

If you have a limited budget, IONOS is also the cheapest membership website builder on this list, with plans starting from as little as $1 per month (billed annually). However, the platform doesn’t have a free plan or free trial, so you can’t give its features a test beforehand.

Additionally, you need to choose from one of IONOS’ four ecommerce plans to monetize your membership website. Luckily, the cheapest Plus plan also starts from $1 per month.

Key IONOS Membership Website Features

Though IONOS’ membership website features are limited in comparison to other platforms, there are still some useful features you should know about, including:

• Protected Directories – To password protect your website with IONOS, you’ll need to create a Protected Directory allowing you to restrict different webpages.
• An AI tool suite – IONOS also comes with AI tools to help you generate content for your membership website. This includes its AI website builder, AI text improver, AI SEO text generator, and an AI color palette generator.

How Do You Set Up an IONOS Membership Website?

Unfortunately, I found that setting up a membership website with IONOS is more technical than the other builders on this list. According to its Help Center, you need to set up a Protected Directory that will allow you to password protect an area of your website. This involves adding what’s called a “.htaccess” file to your website through SSH (secure shell).

For more information on how to do this, you can read IONOS’ guide to setting up Directory Protection.

If you need a more user-friendly experience, I suggest setting up with a platform like Squarespace or GoDaddy instead, since they have an accessible dashboard and editor that makes it much easier to add a member’s area to your website.

What To Watch Out for With IONOS

IONOS does have some limitations which may prevent you from creating your ideal membership website. I’ve listed key concerns alongside the most suitable alternatives:

Before you finally create your membership website, double check that you’ve chosen a website builder that comes with all of the features you need. Not sure what exactly you’re looking for? Use these pointers to help:

• Password-protected pages: to keep your website secure and exclusive to subscribed members only.
• Monetization options: to help you cash in on the loyalty of your website visitors (e.g. different subscription plans or membership add-ons).
• Customization options: to have the freedom to decorate your membership website how you want to (e.g. exclusive blog pages or unique membership page designs).
• Email marketing integration: to keep your members in the loop (e.g. by sending business updates or news on the latest membership features).
• Community features: to build a bustling community online, you may be looking for community tools like built-in forums (e.g. Wix comes with Wix Groups and Wix Forums that lets members communicate with each other).

💡 If you need more inspiration for your page, I recommend checking out our list of outstanding membership website examples too!

How Do Membership Website Builder Prices Compare?

If total costs play a significant role in your decision, use the table below to compare costs from the different providers.

What About Using WordPress for a Membership Website?

You can use WordPress, the popular content management system (CMS), to create a membership website. It has a Paid Content Block enabling users to accept subscriptions, as well as a “paying subscribers-only” newsletter setting.

However, I don’t recommend WordPress for beginners. To run an advanced membership website, you’ll likely need to research, find, and install a suitable plugin yourself. Plugins are essentially apps that add additional functionality to your website, but it can be overwhelming finding a reputable third-party plugin that is safe to use.

Most importantly, I’ve omitted WordPress from the list since it’s not a website builder. The platform isn’t all-in-one and you will need some technical expertise to get the most out of your site.

Curious about how we shortlist the best membership builders? Our recommendations are based on our thorough in-house website builder research, which consisted of over 300 hours of data collection. 

When researching the different membership platforms, our team identified six core categories that were weighted based on their importance to businesses. I’ve outlined these six categories for you below:

• Website functionality (30%) – key website features like member’s areas and marketing
• Design features (25%) – the quality of a builder’s website designs
• Pricing (15%) – whether the builder is good value for money or not
• User experience (15%) – how easy the platform is to use
• Help & support (10%) – if a builder has strong support lines and a useful help center
• Reputation (5%) – how a builder is viewed online by customers

On top of the website builder research, I’ve personally tested out each platform myself too. Throughout this article, I’ve added my firsthand insights to help you make the right decision for your business.

After reviewing our shortlist of the best membership website builders on the market, Wix is the best choice overall. With its range of powerful tools, from customizable membership pages to member’s only emails, the platform makes it easy to manage a long list of sign-ups.

However, that doesn’t mean Wix will be the best for your needs. Before we finish, let me recap the other contenders for your membership website:

• Squarespace is ideal for selling online courses, while its Acuity Scheduling tool can help you easily create bookings with members.
• GoDaddy’s interface is quick and easy to grasp, so it won’t take you long to create a fully functional membership website. Just be aware that its designs aren’t as sophisticated as other builders.
• Shopify’s unbeatable sales features make it suitable for selling digital products. However, memberships aren’t built into the platform – you’ll need to download an app instead.
• IONOS can help you market your website to find new members, though you will need some technical skills to know how to build your member’s areas first.