Pick a replacement by where your members already spend time. If they read your website, a plugin or publishing platform keeps them there; if they come for community or learning, a hosted community or course platform suits better. Before you commit, check how members join, renew and sign up for events, and what you can export.
Who are your members, and what do they come back for? A writer's readers want the next issue. A club wants event dates and a place to talk. A coach's clients want lessons. The same membership tool rarely serves all three well, which is why this list of Memberful replacements runs in no particular order and groups the options by what members get.
Eight membership platforms, A to Z
Alphabetical and unranked. Every description reflects the vendor's own account of its product.
Circle
Best for: Groups that want community spaces, events and courses together under their own brand, which is how the vendor describes its product.
Ghost
Best for: Writers and small publishers running a site, email newsletter and member subscriptions in one place, all built in per the vendor.
MemberPress
Best for: WordPress site owners adding subscriptions, paywalls, courses and communities to the site they already run, as the vendor's plugin is built for exactly that.
Patreon
Best for: Creators and podcasters building a community of supporters around exclusive work, on a platform the vendor runs for them.
Podia
Best for: Solo creators wanting courses, a community, coaching and email under one login, which the vendor lists together on its homepage.
Substack
Best for: Independent writers, video makers and podcasters wanting newsletter and podcast hosting with subscriptions built in, per the vendor.
Teachable
Best for: Educators and businesses selling courses, coaching and digital products; the vendor names a free plan to start on.
Thinkific
Best for: Course businesses building courses and communities with a drag-and-drop builder, payments and learning tools, according to the vendor.
How the membership platforms line up
| Tool | Platform type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Circle | Branded community platform | Community, events and courses under your own brand |
| Ghost | Publishing with memberships | Newsletters and member subscriptions from your own site |
| MemberPress | WordPress membership plugin | Turning an existing WordPress site into a members area |
| Patreon | Creator membership platform | Creators sharing exclusive work with supporters |
| Podia | Creator storefront | Courses, community, coaching and email in one account |
| Substack | Newsletter and subscriptions app | Independent writers with built-in subscriptions |
| Teachable | Online course platform | Selling courses, coaching and digital downloads |
| Thinkific | Course and community platform | Course businesses wanting a drag-and-drop builder |
Grouped by what your members come for
Reading and listening
Ghost and Substack are built around publishing: newsletters, posts and, in some cases, podcasts, with subscriptions sitting on top. Patreon is closer to a supporter community for creators who share exclusive work. All three suit people whose members mostly consume what they make.
Learning
Teachable, Thinkific and Podia start from courses and coaching, then add community or email. If your members join to learn something, these give you lesson structure that a newsletter tool won't.
Belonging
Circle centres on community, events and courses under your own brand, which is the closest fit here for clubs and groups that meet. MemberPress turns a WordPress site you already own into a members area, so it suits associations with an established site and someone comfortable with plugins.
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Joining, renewing, events and leaving
Memberful's own homepage talks about selling subscriptions and sharing content on your own website or app. Any replacement needs to handle the full member life cycle, not only the sign-up page. Walk through it as a member would: join, get the welcome email, register for an event, renew, then cancel. Each step should work without you stepping in.
Events deserve their own check. Some platforms here handle events natively; others expect you to bolt on a separate tool, which means two logins for members and two lists for you. If your club or association runs regular meetups, test event sign-up with a real member before you move anyone.
Then look at the exit. Find out what you can export if you ever leave: member names and emails at the very least, ideally renewal dates and content too. A platform that makes leaving hard is one to think twice about. These tools split by who they're built for and how much you set up yourself, so run the same real member journey through each.
My advice for clubs and creators changing platforms
Keep your members where they already are. If your website is the centre of everything, a plugin keeps them there. If you've never had much of a website, a hosted platform saves you the upkeep. Don't pick on features you might use one day; pick on the two or three things members do every month. For more ideas, see my roundup of course creation tools and my guide to running courses on Squarespace.
Moving members across without a gap
- Export your full member list with join dates, renewal dates and plan names before you change anything.
- Find out whether existing subscriptions can move to the new platform or whether members have to sign up again.
- Set the new platform up in full, including welcome emails and event pages, while the old one is still live.
- Email members in plain words about what's changing, when and what they need to do, if anything.
- Keep the old account open until the last renewals have moved over, then close it.
Do you make membership or community software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move existing subscriptions to a new membership platform?
Sometimes. It depends on the payment provider each platform uses and whether it supports importing active subscriptions. Ask the new vendor directly before you announce a move.
Should my membership live on my own website?
If your website already gets regular visits, keeping members there makes sense. If it doesn't, a hosted platform is less work and still lets you use your own branding on many plans.
Do membership platforms handle events?
Some include events and some expect you to use a separate tool. If events are central to your club or association, test registration with a real member first.
What should I be able to export?
At minimum, member names, emails and renewal dates. Ideally you can export content and history too, so you're never locked in.
Do I need to charge VAT or sales tax on memberships?
Requirements vary by country and by what you sell. Check the tax authority's guidance where you and your members are, or ask an accountant before you launch.
