5 no-code tools to help create a membership site
In a previous post, we talked about why, as a founder, you don’t need a technical co-founder to launch your startup. Now, we’re taking that message one step further and exploring the best no-code tools to use if you’re looking to create a membership site.
Whether you’ve got a large social media following, a connected network of experts or you’re looking to share your expertise, a membership site can support you in reaching the right audience.
Membership sites are often based on access to experts, online content or community and their popularity has gone through the roof thanks to 2020 sending up all indoors and online. That popularity means that there’s now a load of no-code tools out there to help you build your very own. And so if you were thinking of doing it, it’s never been easier.
To help you out, we’ve taken the most popular ones and broken them down into pros, cons, pricing and how techy you need to be to get it up and running👇.
Memberstack
If it’s flexibility you’re after, or you think you’ll need more support for more nuanced use cases, then take a look at Memberstack.
Pros
One of the more popular no-code tools with over 400,000 people using the platform. That kind of popularity can only mean one thing - it works. Oh, and that there’s plenty of troubleshooting tips available online.
It’s becoming known as the must-have membership tool for those working in Webflow.
Transaction fees start from 3 percent.
You get unlimited members, plus support.
It’s super-flexible. Pricing plans are varied and support one-time payments as well as recurring or free plans. This means it can be adapted to suit whatever you (and your audience) need from the membership.
Stripe integration.
Free trial while you set up your membership - pay only when you launch.
Cons
A little bit more technical than many of the others.
Level of expertise:
Need to be more of a mid-level or expert techy to integrate
Price
Start off with a free trial and then move into the right payment option when you’re ready to launch.
Memberspace
Comes recommended for founders looking to securely lockdown files or those wanting to create a member directory.
Pros
Easy to integrate, especially if you’re using Squarespace. Worth noting that while Memberstack was originally focused on Squarespace and WordPress it’s now matured to include most platforms, including Webflow.
Stripe integration.
Customizable templates.
Much the same as with Memberstack, all plans include support for unlimited members, but Memberspace charges a bit more - transaction fees start at 4 percent. Might not sound like much but it all adds up.
Pricing flexibility is similar to that of Memberstack – you can create free, one-time payment or recurring membership plans – but with Memberspace you can give certain plans access to certain content.
All member login and billing details are secured using modern SSL encryption and with Memberspace you get 3 security options.
Cons
With transaction fees starting at 4 percent, it’s not the cheapest option.
Level of expertise
No experience needed, super easy to integrate
Price
Starts at $25 (US) a month
Memberful
Acquired by Patreon in 2018, Memberful’s focus is exclusively on membership websites, which makes it easy to use but not the right fit for everyone. However, it does have a custom WordPress plugin making it the ideal solution for those working with that platform. ProsHighly configurable.
Works well across many use cases, including gating access articles, private podcast feeds, and multiple forum types.
All plans include support for unlimited members. They offer a free plan with a 10 percent transaction fee, then 4.9 percent on other plans making it the most expensive no-code membership site on the list.
On their free plan, you can create 2 plans but free members are not supported. On their paid plans, you get flexible plans including support for free members
Cons
Memberful doesn’t pretend to be for everyone. In fact, it lays out its limitations on the website.
Level of expertise
WordPress users will find this the easiest to integrate. If you’re on another platform, you might need a developer to help you out.
Squarespace Members
A natural progression for the behemoth that is Squarespace. Squarespace Members gives Squarespace users the opportunity to monetize content with Member Areas.
Pros
Easy to integrate with your Squarespace email campaigns.
A large variety of templates.
Squarespace membership offers you the possibility of having up to 10 different member areas.
Depending on which plan you choose, the costs can be as low as 1 percent of the membership.
Unlimited members.
24/7 customer support.
If you pay for a membership plan Squarespace removes all of its branding.
Excellent security.
Cons
Gotta be using Squarespace
Level of expertise
Like all things Squarespace, this is a no-code tool that’s incredibly easy to integrate with an existing Squarespace site. And also easy to create from scratch.
Price
$12 - $47 a month
Pico
Easily installed on any website with just a couple of lines of JavaScript. If you’re working in WordPress, Pico has a WordPress Plugin for an even faster setup.
Pros
Built-in account management interface, so free and paid users can manage email newsletter preferences and payment information on-site.
Built-in CRM that stores free and paid users side-by-side.
Integrated landing pages mean you can offer different plans to different audiences via URL.
Supports Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP).
Stripe integration.
Cons
Only works with Mailchimp natively. Other ESPs supported via Zapier.
Level of expertise
Some advanced setup requires knowledge of HTML.
Price
Free until you hit 501 contacts
Other alternatives: