Verdict. Pick Memberful if you already have an audience and a website and want members paying you through your own Stripe account under your own brand. Ownership is the best in this group. The price only makes sense at scale, since $49 a month plus 4.9% is steep for a small membership. Around $1,000 a month you hand over about 9.8% before Stripe, similar to Patreon but with far more control.
- Founded
- 2013 (Acquired by Patreon in August 2018 and still run as a separate brand.)
- Best for
- Publishers and podcasters who want a fully branded membership
- Plans from
- $49/month
- You keep from $1,000
- $843 on Standard
Who can join. Any business with a Stripe account in a supported country. Stripe covers 45+ countries, but Memberful cannot support businesses in Brazil, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand or Stripe's extended network.
Memberful pricing and fees
Memberful costs $49 a month plus 4.9% of every charge, and Stripe adds its own processing fee, typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
| Plan | Price | Fee on sales | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $49/mo | 4.9% of each charge | Billed month to month, no contract. Free in test mode until you go live. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Volume pricing, success management and migration help. |
On $1,000 of monthly sales at $10 each, the cheapest option is the Standard plan. You'd pay about $157 in platform and card fees, 15.7% of revenue, and keep $843. Compare that with every other platform.
Payment processing. Stripe only. You connect your own Stripe account, and Stripe charges its standard rate on top, typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction depending on country. Memberful supports no other processor.
Payouts. Stripe deposits member payments straight into your bank account on Stripe's normal payout schedule. Memberful does not hold a balance for you, and disputes and tax documents run through your Stripe dashboard.
What you get with Memberful
- Subscriptions, one-time payments and group plans
- Free and paid trials
- Private podcast feeds
- Hosted newsletter and website builder
- Custom domains
- WordPress plugin
- Discord, Mailchimp and Kit integrations
- Global tax collection
- CSV export of members and orders
- Referral program and retention discounts
Memberful pros and cons
What we like
- Payments run through your own Stripe account, so billing data stays yours if you leave.
- Custom domains and branded checkout keep members on your brand, not a marketplace.
- Private podcast feeds work in regular podcast apps, including Spotify.
- Free test mode with no time limit before you pay anything.
- Unlimited members on the one plan.
What gets in the way
- $49 a month before your first sale makes it expensive for small memberships.
- At $1,000 a month in sales you pay $98 in Memberful fees before Stripe.
- Stripe is the only processor, and creators in Brazil, India, Malaysia, Mexico and Thailand are excluded.
- No built-in audience or discovery. You bring every member yourself.
- If your $49 bill fails, the transaction fee jumps to 12.5%.
Who should skip Memberful
If you are starting from zero or earn under a few hundred dollars a month, Ko-fi or Patreon will cost you less.
Memberful alternatives
| Platform | Score | Keep from $1,000 | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ko-fi | 7.9 | $929 | Artists and streamers who mostly take tips and commissions |
| Fourthwall | 6.8 | $891 | YouTubers and streamers selling merch alongside memberships |
| Buy Me a Coffee | 6.4 | $886 | Writers and makers who want a simple tip jar |
| Patreon | 6.1 | $841 | Video creators, podcasters and artists with loyal fans |
Head to head: Patreon vs Memberful.
See all 6 membership platforms ranked.
Memberful questions
How much does Memberful cost?
Memberful's Standard plan costs $49 a month plus a 4.9% transaction fee on every purchase and renewal. Stripe charges its own processing fee on top, typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. You can use test mode free for as long as you want and only start paying once you go live.
Does Memberful have a free plan?
No permanent free plan is listed on its pricing page. You can build and test everything in test mode for free with no time limit, but live payments require the $49 monthly Standard plan. Larger businesses can ask for custom Enterprise pricing. Older reviews mentioning a free 10% Starter tier are out of date.
Is Memberful owned by Patreon?
Yes. Patreon bought Memberful in August 2018 and kept it as a separate brand. Unlike Patreon, Memberful runs on your own Stripe account and your own website, so members pay you directly and you can export member and order data as CSV files whenever you want.
Sources
We checked these pages on October 20, 2026. Platforms change fees often, so confirm on the official page before you commit.