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Restrict Content Pro vs Paid Memberships Pro
Paid Memberships Pro is the better choice for most new membership sites in 2026: the core plugin is free, the paid tier (Standard, $499 a year) includes every premium add-on, and it is still sold as a standalone product. Restrict Content Pro is being renamed Kadence Memberships and its paid version is now bundled into the Kadence Pro ($299 a year) and Elite ($499 a year) plans from Liquid Web, which makes it the better deal only if you already build on Kadence.
Both plugins do the same core job: create membership levels, restrict posts, pages and custom post types, take recurring payments, and email members. The differences that matter are pricing model, ownership, how they handle front-end templates, and where you get support. This comparison was re-checked in August 2026 and covers all of that.
What Is Restrict Content Pro?
Restrict Content Pro started life at Pippin’s Plugins, was bought by iThemes in 2020, and now sits inside the Kadence product line at Liquid Web (the StellarWP and Nexcess brands). In 2026 the free version on WordPress.org has already been renamed “Kadence Memberships” (version 4.0.2, updated August 2026, around 9,000 active installs), and the official documentation carries the notice that “Restrict Content Pro is becoming Kadence Memberships”. Expect both names for a while.
Feature-wise it is the same product. You get unlimited membership levels, free and trial memberships, restriction of posts, pages, media, custom post types and REST API requests, drip content schedules, member emails, CSV export and reporting. Payment gateway integrations (Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Braintree and others) and the “30+ pro add-ons” come with the paid tier, which is now part of the Kadence Pro and Elite bundles rather than a separate RCP licence.
Also Read: Build a Social Network With These Paid Membership Plugins
What Is Paid Membership Pro?
Paid Memberships Pro (PMPro) is the membership plugin from Stranger Studios. The core plugin is 100 percent open source and free, and it is on version 3.8.4 as of August 2026. One thing to know: PMPro left the WordPress.org plugin directory in October 2024 at the author’s request, so you now download it from paidmembershipspro.com (a free account is enough) and updates come from their servers rather than WordPress.org.
PMPro gives you membership levels, content restriction, recurring payments, free or paid tiers, member directories and profiles, automated emails and reports, plus 25 free add-ons and a free companion theme (Memberlite). The paid plans add 54 premium add-ons and support. It is a common choice for membership-based websites of every kind: paid newsletters, online courses, associations and premium communities.
Also Read: Ultimate member vs Restrict Content Pro
Comparison Table
| Feature | Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships) | Paid Memberships Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Liquid Web (Kadence / StellarWP) | Stranger Studios (independent) |
| Current version | 4.0.2 (free plugin, Aug 2026) | 3.8.4 (Aug 2026) |
| Free version | Yes, on WordPress.org as Kadence Memberships | Yes, downloaded from paidmembershipspro.com |
| Paid pricing | Bundled in Kadence Pro $299/yr or Elite $499/yr | Standard $499/yr (1 site, all add-ons); Max $999/yr includes hosting |
| Ease of use | Simple, clean admin; quickest to set up | More settings, more screens; a short learning curve |
| Membership management | Unlimited levels, trials, drip schedules | Unlimited levels, trials, multiple memberships per user |
| Payment gateways | Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Braintree and others | Stripe, PayPal, Braintree, Authorize.net and others |
| Content restriction | Posts, pages, categories, tags, CPTs, media, REST API | Posts, pages, categories, CPTs, per-post control |
| Add-ons | 30+ pro add-ons and integrations | 25 free plus 54 premium add-ons |
| Customisation | Hooks and filters; tight Kadence Blocks integration | Template overrides, blocks, large hook library |
| Support | Ticket support via Liquid Web, Nexcess docs | Docs, community, tickets on paid plans |
Restrict Content Pro vs Paid Memberships Pro
Restrict Content Pro and Paid Memberships Pro are both long-running WordPress plugins for memberships and content restriction. Here is how they compare point by point in 2026.
Ease of Use
Restrict Content Pro: Still the simpler of the two. The admin is a handful of screens, levels take minutes to set up, and the interface gets out of your way. If you use Kadence Blocks, restriction controls now appear directly in the block editor.
Paid Memberships Pro: More capable, and it shows in the number of settings. The setup wizard helps, but expect an afternoon rather than an hour to get checkout, emails and levels right.
Also Read: Setup WooCommerce Membership To Create A Membership Community Using BuddyPress & BuddyX
Membership Management Features
Restrict Content Pro: Unlimited levels, free and trial memberships, drip content, member emails, CSV export and reports. Solid, with no surprises.
Paid Memberships Pro: Everything above plus multiple memberships per user (since version 3.0), member directories and profiles, approval workflows and proration add-ons. For associations and multi-tier sites this is the deeper toolkit.
Payment Gateways
Restrict Content Pro: Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net and Braintree via the paid payment gateway integrations, with Stripe the best supported.
Paid Memberships Pro: Stripe and PayPal in the core plugin, with Braintree, Authorize.net and regional gateways as add-ons. PMPro also supports pay-by-check and offline payments through a free add-on, which matters for associations.
Content Restriction
Restrict Content Pro: Posts, pages, categories, tags, custom post types, media files and REST API requests. The REST and media restriction are stronger than most competitors offer.
Paid Memberships Pro: Posts, pages, categories and custom post types with per-post control, plus add-ons for drip content, BuddyPress and bbPress restriction and address-based restriction.
Add-ons and Extensions
Restrict Content Pro: Around 30 pro add-ons and integrations, including WooCommerce, Mailchimp and the Kadence theme and blocks.
Paid Memberships Pro: 25 free add-ons and 54 premium ones covering email marketing services, affiliate platforms, LMS plugins, BuddyPress and gateways. It has the wider ecosystem.
Customization Options
Restrict Content Pro: Good hook coverage for developers and basic template control. The Kadence integration is its real design advantage: you build restricted layouts with blocks instead of templates.
Paid Memberships Pro: Full template overrides, blocks for every front-end page, and a very large hook and filter library. If you want to change how checkout or account pages work, PMPro gives you more room.
Support and Documentation
Restrict Content Pro: Documentation now lives in the Nexcess knowledge base and support runs through Liquid Web tickets. Quality is fine, but you are one product among many in a hosting company’s catalogue.
Paid Memberships Pro: Extensive documentation, video tutorials, an active community and ticket support on paid plans. Support is the company’s core business, and it shows.
Cost
Restrict Content Pro: The free Kadence Memberships plugin covers basic restriction. Paid features require Kadence Pro ($299 a year) or Elite ($499 a year), which also include the Kadence theme and blocks. There is no longer a standalone RCP licence.
Paid Memberships Pro: Free core plugin. Standard is $499 a year for one site with all premium add-ons and support. Max at $999 a year adds managed hosting and a “do it for me” service; Max 2x at $2,999 a year scales that up. Check the PMPro pricing page for current figures.
Also Read: Restrict Content Pro vs MemberPress
Which Plugin Is The Best And Why?
For a new site in 2026, we lean toward Paid Memberships Pro. It is independently owned, still actively developed (version 3.8.4 shipped in August 2026), has the larger add-on catalogue, and the free version is genuinely usable for a small paid newsletter or course. Its main drawback is cost once you need premium add-ons: $499 a year is more than most rivals.
Restrict Content Pro wins on simplicity and on price if you are a Kadence user. For $299 a year Kadence Pro gives you the theme, the blocks and the membership plugin, which is hard to beat for a designer-led site. The caution is the rebrand: RCP is mid-transition to Kadence Memberships under a hosting company, and the standalone product you may remember no longer exists. If you run an existing RCP site, keep it updated and watch for the licence changes rather than migrating in a hurry.
Either plugin works with BuddyPress for community sites. If that is your plan, our guide to adding paid memberships to a BuddyPress community covers the setup, and BuddyPress Private Community Pro handles gating by membership level. For a wider field, see our best WordPress membership plugins comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Is Restrict Content Pro still available?
Yes, but under a new name. The free plugin on WordPress.org is now called Kadence Memberships, and the paid features are sold inside the Kadence Pro and Elite bundles from Liquid Web. restrictcontentpro.com redirects to the Kadence add-ons page.
Why is Paid Memberships Pro not on WordPress.org?
Stranger Studios closed the WordPress.org listing in October 2024 at their own request. The plugin is still free and open source; you download it from paidmembershipspro.com and updates are delivered from there.
Which is cheaper, RCP or PMPro?
For premium features, Restrict Content Pro via Kadence Pro at $299 a year is cheaper than PMPro Standard at $499 a year. Both have free versions that cover simple content restriction.
Can I migrate from Restrict Content Pro to Paid Memberships Pro?
Yes. Export your members from Restrict Content Pro to CSV and bring them into PMPro with its free Import Members add-on. Active subscriptions at the gateway usually need to be re-created or mapped, so test on a staging site first.
Do either of them work with BuddyPress?
Both do. PMPro has an official BuddyPress add-on, and RCP has long supported BuddyPress profile restriction. Pair either with a community theme such as BuddyX for a member-only social network.
Final Thought On Restrict Content Pro vs Paid Memberships Pro
Where to start: if you already use Kadence, or you want the simplest possible setup, go with Restrict Content Pro (Kadence Memberships). If you want the larger ecosystem, an independent vendor and room to customise checkout and account pages, go with Paid Memberships Pro and start on the free version. Either way, install on staging, set up one level and one test payment in Stripe test mode, and only then decide whether to pay for add-ons.
Updated August 2026
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