Paid Memberships Pro and FlexWoo Memberships have something rare in common: both have a genuinely useful free version. Beyond that, they are built very differently. Paid Memberships Pro (PMPro) is a standalone membership plugin with its own checkout and a large library of add-ons. FlexWoo Memberships runs inside WooCommerce and bundles more features into the plugin itself.
This FlexWoo Memberships vs Paid Memberships Pro comparison covers pricing, checkout, recurring billing, features and the kind of site each one suits best.
Disclosure: we make FlexWoo Memberships. PMPro facts come from paidmembershipspro.com (pricing and add-on pages, checked October 2026), and we say where PMPro is the better fit.
Key takeaways
Quick Verdict
Choose Paid Memberships Pro if you do not run a WooCommerce store, want monthly or yearly billing for free, or value a mature open-source plugin with many add-ons. Choose FlexWoo Memberships if your membership lives in a WooCommerce store and you want memberships, subscriptions, gifts, boxes and member pricing in one checkout, at a lower paid price.
Pricing
PMPro’s core plugin is free and open source, with 25 or so free add-ons (the pricing page mentions both 25 and 29). Standard costs $49 a month or $499 a year for one site and unlocks all premium add-ons (listed as 54) and support. Max, which includes managed hosting, is $99 a month or $499 for the first year, then $999 a year. Purchases are backed by a 100-day money-back guarantee.
FlexWoo Memberships is free to start, with Pro at $99 a year for one site (also $199 for 10 sites, $349 for 100 and $599 for unlimited), renewing at the price you paid, with a 30-day guarantee. Over three years on one site, that is $297 for FlexWoo Pro against $1,497 for PMPro Standard.
The Free Versions Compared
Both free versions can run a real paid membership, but they draw the line in different places:
If you need free monthly billing and do not sell products, PMPro’s free core is hard to beat. If you sell weekly classes or boxes on WooCommerce, FlexWoo’s free version fits.
Checkout and WooCommerce
PMPro uses its own checkout. Its free WooCommerce Integration Add On lets you give members discounts on WooCommerce products (a global percentage or per-product prices) and can sell PMPro memberships through the WooCommerce checkout. That works, but you are connecting two systems.
FlexWoo is built on WooCommerce from the ground up. Memberships are WooCommerce products, renewals are WooCommerce orders and members manage everything from My Account. Coupons, taxes and reports work the same for memberships as for everything else you sell.
Features
| Feature | FlexWoo Memberships | Paid Memberships Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Content restriction | Free | Free |
| Drip content | Pro | Premium add-on |
| Member discounts on products | Pro | Free WooCommerce add-on |
| Gift memberships | Pro | Premium add-on |
| Subscription boxes | Pro | No |
| Gateway-run subscriptions | Stripe Billing, PayPal, Razorpay | Depends on gateway |
| Advanced analytics (MRR, churn, LTV) | Pro | Reports in core; more via add-ons |
The pattern is clear: PMPro gives you a lean core and lets you pick add-ons; FlexWoo puts the features in the plugin and switches the Pro ones on with a licence. Neither approach is wrong. Add-ons keep the core light; bundled features mean fewer things to install and keep compatible.
Community, Track Record and Support
PMPro has been around for many years, has a large developer community and extensive documentation. Its free plan does not include technical support; paid plans do. FlexWoo is younger with a smaller community, with WordPress.org forum support for the free plugin and priority e-mail support for Pro.
Which Should You Choose?
| If you… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Run a WooCommerce shop and want memberships in the same cart | FlexWoo Memberships |
| Want subscription boxes, gifts and member pricing in one plugin | FlexWoo Memberships |
| Want the lowest paid plan for one site | FlexWoo Memberships |
| Need free monthly or yearly billing on a non-shop site | Paid Memberships Pro |
| Want a long money-back window | Paid Memberships Pro (100 days) |
| Are a developer who likes picking add-ons | Paid Memberships Pro |
For more options, see the best WordPress membership plugins.
FAQ: FlexWoo vs Paid Memberships Pro
The Bottom Line
Paid Memberships Pro is a proven, flexible choice for standalone membership sites, especially if you want free monthly billing. FlexWoo Memberships is the natural fit for WooCommerce stores, bundling subscriptions, boxes, gifts and member pricing into one plugin at a lower paid price. Both have free versions, so the best test is to try the one that matches how your site already sells.
