MemberPress vs Piano (2026): Which Pays Better?
Both are popular paywall & subscription tools. Here is how MemberPress and Piano stack up on requirements, what you keep, payout terms, strengths and weaknesses, and which one we would pick.
MemberPress
WordPress membership plugin: paywalls, subscriptions, courses and drip content with no revenue share.
7.9 /10
Pricing: Paid from $179/mo
Pros
- Complete membership stack on your own WordPress site
- Courses, coupons, corporate accounts and Stripe billing
Cons
- You maintain WordPress and handle tax
- Annual licence
Piano
Enterprise subscription, paywall and audience platform used by major publishers.
7.4 /10
Pricing: Free plan, pay as you go
Pros
- Dynamic paywalls, offers, analytics and identity for large newsrooms
- Proven at scale
Cons
- Enterprise pricing and implementation
- Overkill below a large subscriber base
MemberPress vs Piano at a glance
| MemberPress | Piano | |
|---|---|---|
| Editor score | 7.9 / 10 | 7.4 / 10 |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | $179/mo | Free |
| Web rank | #116k | #3.9k |
| Minimum traffic | None | None |
| Revenue share / fee | From $179/year; no per-sale cut | Custom enterprise pricing |
| Commission | – | – |
| Payout | Via your gateway | Via your gateway |
| Methods served | paywall premium content, memberships subscriptions, paid newsletter, online courses | paywall premium content, memberships subscriptions |
| Niches accepted | General, Tech & SaaS, Finance & Insurance, Health & Supplements, Gaming & Esports, E-commerce & Retail | General, Tech & SaaS, Finance & Insurance, Health & Supplements, Gaming & Esports, E-commerce & Retail |
| Reader upvotes | 0 | 0 |
| Best for | wordpress, membership plugin, paywall | enterprise paywall, subscriptions, newsrooms |
Our pick
MemberPress edges it with a score of 7.9 versus 7.4. MemberPress is the better fit if you value: complete membership stack on your own wordpress site, courses, coupons, corporate accounts and stripe billing. Choose Piano instead if you need: dynamic paywalls, offers, analytics and identity for large newsrooms, proven at scale.
Other paywall & subscription tools to consider
Full ranking →Paid Memberships Pro 🧰 PlatformFreemium
Open-source WordPress membership plugin with a free core and paid add-ons.
Leaky Paywall 🧰 PlatformPaid
Metered paywall for WordPress publishers: free article counts, registration walls and subscriptions.
Poool 🧰 PlatformPaid
Dynamic paywall and registration wall platform for mid-sized publishers, with audience scoring.
Supertab 🧰 PlatformFree
Micropayments and time passes for articles: readers pay per piece or per hour without a subscription.