The 7 Best Memberful Alternatives
1. Talkspresso (Best for Live Session Monetization)
Talkspresso takes a completely different approach to creator monetization. Instead of gating static content behind a membership wall, it lets you sell direct access to your expertise through live video sessions.
This is not a membership platform. It is a session-based platform. Clients pay per session (or per workshop seat), not per month. For many creators, this model is more profitable and sustainable than memberships.
What sets it apart:
- Built-in HD video for 1:1 calls, group coaching, and workshops (up to 500 people)
- Scheduling with availability management and automatic time zone conversion
- Payments processed directly on the platform
- Automatic session recording with AI-generated summaries and action items
- Digital product sales (PDFs, templates, recordings)
- Professional booking page (no website required)
- Client management with session history and intake forms
What it does not do: Talkspresso is not a membership or content gating tool. It does not offer recurring subscriptions for content access. If you need to gate blog posts or courses behind a paywall, Memberful or another membership tool is better.
The alternative model: Instead of "pay $20/month to read my posts," Talkspresso enables "pay $150 for a 1:1 coaching call" or "pay $30 to attend my live workshop." Many creators find the per-session model more lucrative because each transaction has higher value.
Pricing: Free to start. 10% platform fee on paid transactions. No monthly subscription.
Best for: Coaches, consultants, and creators who monetize through live interaction rather than content gating.
2. Patreon (Best for Fan-Based Memberships)
Patreon is the most well-known membership platform for creators. Fans pay monthly for exclusive content, community access, and perks at different tier levels.
What makes it different:
- Tiered memberships with different perks per level
- Built-in community features (posts, polls, DMs)
- Large established platform with millions of patrons
- Multiple content types (text, audio, video, downloads)
- Discord and other integrations
- No monthly fee for creators (percentage-based only)
Drawbacks:
- 5-12% platform fee depending on plan tier
- Patreon owns the billing relationship with your members
- No live video calls or scheduling
- Requires constant content creation to retain members
- Limited customization
- Discovery is limited (most growth happens off-platform)
Pricing: Free to start. 5% (Lite), 8% (Pro), 12% (Premium) platform fee on earnings.
Best for: Entertainment creators, podcasters, and artists who want tiered fan memberships with community features.
3. Ghost (Best for Publishers with Built-In Memberships)
Ghost is an open-source publishing platform with memberships built directly into the CMS. If you want to run a newsletter or blog with paid subscriptions, Ghost gives you full ownership with zero platform fees.
What makes it different:
- Publishing platform with built-in membership billing
- Full ownership of content and subscriber data
- Complete design customization with themes
- 0% platform fee (only Stripe processing fees)
- SEO-optimized with custom domains
- Open source (self-host or use Ghost Pro)
Drawbacks:
- More technical setup than Memberful
- Ghost Pro starts at $9/month (self-hosting is free but requires server management)
- No marketplace or discovery features
- No live video, scheduling, or session tools
- Primarily for written content (not ideal for video or product-based creators)
Pricing: Self-hosted (free). Ghost Pro from $9/month to $199/month.
Best for: Newsletter publishers and bloggers who want memberships with full ownership and zero platform fees.
4. Buy Me a Coffee (Best Budget Membership Tool)
Buy Me a Coffee started as a tipping platform and has grown into a lightweight membership and digital product tool. It is the simplest way to accept support and offer membership perks.
What makes it different:
- Extremely simple setup
- One-time tips and recurring memberships
- Digital downloads and exclusive posts
- No monthly fee (5% transaction fee only)
- Shop for digital products
- Mobile-friendly member dashboard
Drawbacks:
- Very basic membership features
- Limited customization
- No live video or scheduling
- No gated content on external websites
- Not suitable for professional services
- Branding is casual ("buy me a coffee" positioning)
Pricing: Free. 5% transaction fee on all payments.
Best for: Small creators who want simple tipping and basic memberships without monthly fees.
5. MemberSpace (Best for Adding Memberships to Squarespace)
MemberSpace is similar to Memberful but focuses on Squarespace integration. It lets you add membership gating to Squarespace, Webflow, and other website builders.
What makes it different:
- Works with Squarespace, Webflow, WordPress, and more
- Content gating for any page or section
- Free trials and coupon codes
- Member directory and community features
- Multiple membership tiers
- Single sign-on
Drawbacks:
- Starts at $29/month plus 4% transaction fee
- Requires an existing website
- No content hosting
- No live video or scheduling
- Less integration depth than Memberful for WordPress
Pricing: $29/month (Starter, 4% fee), $49/month (Professional, 3% fee), $199/month (Premium, 1% fee).
Best for: Squarespace and Webflow users who want to add membership gating to their existing site.
6. Kajabi (Best All-in-One Platform)
Kajabi is the most comprehensive creator platform, combining courses, memberships, email marketing, landing pages, and a mobile app in one tool. It is the "everything" option.
What makes it different:
- Course builder with video hosting
- Membership sites with gated content
- Email marketing and automations
- Landing pages and sales funnels
- Podcast hosting
- Branded mobile app
- No transaction fees
Drawbacks:
- Starts at $149/month (most expensive option by far)
- No live video calls or session scheduling
- No workshop hosting
- Steep learning curve
- Overkill for simple memberships
Pricing: Basic at $149/month. Growth at $199/month. Pro at $399/month.
Best for: Established creators who want courses, memberships, and email marketing in one premium platform and can justify the cost.
7. Whop (Best for Digital Product Memberships)
Whop is a marketplace for digital products, communities, and subscriptions. It is popular with creators selling access to tools, bots, Discord servers, and educational content.
What makes it different:
- Built-in marketplace with discovery
- Supports software, communities, courses, and downloads
- Discord and Telegram integration
- Subscription and one-time payments
- Affiliate program tools
- No monthly fee
Drawbacks:
- Marketplace-dependent (competing with other sellers)
- Platform fee on all sales
- No live video or scheduling
- Reputation skews toward "side hustle" products
- Less suitable for professional services
Pricing: Free to start. Transaction fees vary.
Best for: Creators selling digital products and community access who want marketplace distribution.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Memberful | Talkspresso | Patreon | Ghost | Buy Me a Coffee | MemberSpace | Kajabi | Whop |
|---|
| Memberships | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Content Gating | Yes |
Memberships vs Sessions: Which Model Fits You?
Before choosing a Memberful alternative, consider whether memberships are even the right monetization model for your creator business.
Membership model (Memberful, Patreon, Ghost, etc.):
- Recurring monthly revenue (predictable)
- Requires ongoing content creation to retain members
- Lower price per transaction ($5-50/month)
- Members expect constant new content
- Churn is a constant challenge (typical 5-10% monthly churn)
- Revenue scales with subscriber count
Session model (Talkspresso):
- Per-transaction revenue (variable but higher per sale)
- Requires availability, not ongoing content creation
- Higher price per transaction ($50-500 per session)
- Clients book when they need you
- No churn problem (clients pay per use)
- Revenue scales with session volume and pricing
Which is more profitable?
Let's compare:
Membership: 200 members at $20/month
- Gross: $4,000/month
- After Memberful fees ($100/month + ~3%): ~$3,780
- Requires: Weekly or biweekly content updates, community management
- Time investment: 15-20 hours/month on content creation
Sessions: 15 coaching calls at $200 + 2 workshops at $50/seat with 25 attendees
- Gross: $3,000 + $2,500 = $5,500/month
- After Talkspresso fee (10%): $4,950
- Requires: 15 hours of calls + 4 hours of workshops + prep time
- Time investment: 25-30 hours/month on sessions
Sessions generate more revenue per hour of your time, and you do not have to create content between sessions. The trade-off is that session income is less predictable than membership revenue.
Many creators find the best approach is combining both: a free or low-cost membership for community and light content, plus paid sessions for premium monetization. Use a tool like Patreon or Ghost for the membership, and Talkspresso for live sessions.
How to Choose the Right Alternative
You want memberships on your own website:
- Memberful (WordPress, Ghost, custom sites) or MemberSpace (Squarespace, Webflow)
You want a standalone membership platform:
- Patreon (fan-based, tiered, community-focused)
- Buy Me a Coffee (simple, budget-friendly)
You want publishing + memberships:
- Ghost (newsletter/blog with built-in memberships, 0% fee)
You want everything in one platform:
- Kajabi (courses + memberships + email + funnels, but $149+/month)
You want to monetize through live interaction:
- Talkspresso (video calls, workshops, group sessions, digital products, no monthly fee)
You want marketplace distribution:
- Whop (digital products and communities with built-in discovery)
The Bottom Line
Memberful is a good tool for adding membership gating to an existing website. If that is exactly what you need, it works.
But if you want a standalone platform, Patreon is simpler and has no monthly fee. If you want publishing plus memberships, Ghost gives you more for less. If you want the cheapest option, Buy Me a Coffee takes 5% and nothing else.
And if you are questioning whether memberships are even the right model, consider session-based monetization through Talkspresso. Higher revenue per transaction, no content treadmill, and no monthly fees. Just you, your expertise, and the clients who value it.
For more on pricing your sessions, see our guides on setting rates as a new coach and the psychology of pricing coaching sessions.
For a full breakdown, see our 9 best platforms for paid video calls or read how creators sell paid video calls to their followers.
For a full breakdown, see our 9 best platforms for paid video calls or read how creators sell paid video calls to their followers.
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