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Wondering about the investment needed to create a membership website?
We’ve conducted an extensive cost analysis study to address this frequent inquiry. Our research indicates that building a membership site in 2025 requires between $10 and $1,345 for initial setup, plus ongoing expenses of $65 to $772 per month for maintenance.
Keep in mind that your specific membership website expenses may differ considerably based on several variables. Throughout this guide, we’ll provide a comprehensive cost breakdown and offer practical strategies to minimize your investment.
Ready to explore the details?
Creating a membership site begins with choosing the right software platform.
You have three distinct pathways when making your selection: self-hosted platforms, hosted solutions, or comprehensive all-in-one systems. Each approach offers unique advantages and limitations, with notable differences in financial investment.
WordPress stands as the dominant self-hosted platform for membership sites. While WordPress itself costs nothing to implement, you will need to invest in a premium membership plugin to unlock full functionality.
We suggest utilizing MemberPress. This comprehensive plugin delivers all essential membership capabilities, including a complete learning management system.
MemberPress operates on an annual subscription model; standard pricing ranges from $179 to $399 per year.
Alternatively, you might consider adopting a hosted membership platform. In contrast to self-hosted solutions, these platforms provide comprehensive hosting services for both your website and all content materials.
We particularly recommend two excellent options: Thinkific and Kajabi.
Thinkific functions as a dedicated standalone platform, primarily delivering robust features for content hosting and meaningful member engagement.
Thinkific requires an investment of $99/month; this grants you access to unlimited student enrollment and unrestricted course and content hosting capabilities. For enterprise-level needs requiring advanced scalability, the Premier package is available at $499/month.
In contrast, Kajabi delivers comprehensive all-in-one functionality. This platform extends well beyond essential membership capabilities; it integrates powerful tools for content marketing, sales funnels, email automation, and more, enabling you to operate your entire business ecosystem within a single platform.
The investment structure for Kajabi begins at $149/month and ranges up to $399 per month for advanced features.
For the majority of creators, hosted membership platforms represent the superior choice for two fundamental reasons:
Discover additional insights by exploring our comprehensive membership platform comparison guide.
All membership sites require a unique domain name and appropriate website hosting.
Regarding hosting infrastructure, platforms like Thinkific and Kajabi (hosted solutions) include hosting within their service packages. Only WordPress implementations necessitate purchasing separate website hosting services.
While basic shared hosting packages for WordPress begin at approximately $10/month, these entry-level options prove inadequate for membership website requirements.
Membership platforms demand more sophisticated infrastructure than standard websites, which is why we strongly recommend partnering with CloudWays. An appropriate hosting configuration will typically cost $50 or $96 per month, based on your specific performance and capacity needs.
Beyond hosting considerations, securing a unique domain name remains essential across all three platform options. You can acquire a suitable domain for approximately $10 through reputable domain registrars like NameCheap, followed by an annual renewal commitment of $10 to maintain your web address.
Establishing the appropriate visual identity and user experience stands as a critical component for any membership website.
For those without development expertise, acquiring a quality website theme and intuitive drag-and-drop page builder will facilitate your design process. Available options vary significantly depending on your chosen membership platform.
WordPress provides virtually limitless possibilities. Countless WordPress themes and page builders exist in the marketplace. However, based on extensive testing and implementation, we recommend implementing Astra as your foundational theme paired with Elementor as your visual page builder, priced at $59 and $49 per year, respectively.
These complementary tools enable straightforward website construction without specialized technical knowledge.
Regarding Thinkific and Kajabi, both platforms incorporate built-in design templates and visual editing tools. Neither requires additional purchases, as these design capabilities come integrated within your subscription package.
However, standard themes and builder functionality can only achieve certain design parameters. For truly distinctive visual presentation, commissioning a custom theme becomes necessary.
Custom theme development provides comprehensive control over every design element throughout your site, though the investment for bespoke website design significantly exceeds template-based approaches. Typically, custom design services begin around $3,000.
A vibrant online community represents an essential component within any successful membership website.
To effectively create this interactive environment, you’ll need dedicated community platform software.
For WordPress implementations, we strongly recommend integrating BuddyBoss. The primary benefit of implementing BuddyBoss lies in its expandability—allowing you to progressively enhance member experiences through additional plugins and functionality as your community grows.
Regarding financial considerations, this solution requires an investment of $228/year. Note that no monthly payment option exists.
Users of Thinkific or Kajabi enjoy the advantage of integrated community functionality without requiring additional software purchases. Both platforms incorporate native community features that enable comprehensive membership community development.
Nevertheless, you might consider implementing a dedicated community solution like Circle, which delivers enhanced capabilities for community cultivation and member engagement beyond standard platform offerings.
Video content stands as the predominant medium for delivering valuable information within membership environments. Whether developing structured online courses or providing standalone training resources, video elements will feature prominently in your strategy.
When utilizing WordPress for your membership platform, you’ll require a dedicated video hosting service.
While technically possible to upload videos directly to your WordPress installation, we emphatically discourage this approach. Professional video hosting encompasses numerous technical complexities, making specialized services significantly more advantageous.
We recommend implementing Vimeo as your comprehensive video hosting solution.
Although entry-level plans begin at $7 monthly, most membership creators require at minimum the Pro subscription, priced at $240/year, which accommodates up to 20GB weekly storage capacity. The more robust Business tier—requiring an investment of $600 per year—expands storage capabilities to 5 TB of video content.
When implementing Kajabi or Thinkific for your membership ecosystem, the concern of acquiring separate video hosting services becomes entirely unnecessary, as both platforms incorporate unlimited video hosting capabilities for all membership levels within their core offering.
Email marketing represents a fundamental component for any digital business operation.
Whether crafting sophisticated email campaigns or distributing regular newsletter communications, implementing a robust email marketing platform becomes essential.
Among the three platform options discussed, both WordPress and Thinkific lack native email marketing capabilities within their core offerings, necessitating integration with external solutions.
Our recommended provider in this category is ActiveCampaign. Subscription pricing begins at $15/month, accommodating up to 500 subscriber profiles.
As your subscriber base expands, corresponding subscription costs increase proportionally. With a database reaching 10,000 contacts, anticipated monthly investment rises to approximately $174/month.
Regarding Kajabi, this platform incorporates comprehensive email marketing functionality, including sophisticated automation capabilities. Their entry-level subscription package accommodates 10,000 contact records and provides unlimited marketing email distribution.
Given the prevalence of mobile devices, content creators increasingly seek mobile-optimized methods for delivering membership experiences.
Naturally, developing a dedicated mobile application represents the preferred approach, with various solutions available depending on your chosen platform architecture.
For WordPress-based membership sites, BuddyBoss offers capabilities to implement a complete membership application. Within this service framework, BuddyBoss creates custom-branded iOS/Android applications specifically tailored for your membership ecosystem.
This functionality exists separately from their web-based community platform and requires additional investment. Their comprehensive Done For You service requires a $2,348 initial payment followed by $219 monthly ongoing fees.
For organizations already utilizing BuddyBoss community infrastructure, selecting their application development services creates natural integration advantages with enhanced compatibility between components.
For hosted platform solutions, the mobile application landscape presents different considerations.
At present, Thinkific lacks integrated mobile application functionality, leaving custom development as the only viable path forward for mobile implementation.
Custom application development involves substantial financial commitment, typically requiring initial investments exceeding $10,000, plus significant ongoing expenditure for essential updates and maintenance services.
Conversely, Kajabi distinguishes itself by providing native mobile applications for both iOS and Android ecosystems. These applications remain free for your membership base and can be implemented through straightforward activation procedures.
It’s important to note, however, that these applications carry Kajabi branding rather than offering white-label functionality. Creating truly custom-branded applications for your membership community still necessitates pursuing bespoke development solutions.
The comprehensive membership website investment encompasses two distinct financial categories—initial annual commitments and recurring monthly expenses. We address both components thoroughly in this analysis.
Furthermore, we present cost ranges to accurately reflect the diverse requirements and varying scales of membership operations you might manage.
As a self-managed implementation, the preliminary financial commitment required to establish a membership website using WordPress with MemberPress represents substantial upfront investment, typically ranging between $765 and $1,345 (billed annually).
However, the continuing monthly operational expenses remain comparatively modest since most service providers require advance payment. The ongoing monthly expenditure for maintaining a WordPress membership ecosystem generally falls between $65 and $270.
| Service | Upfront Cost (Paid Yearly) | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
Membership Plugin (MemberPress) | $179 – $399/y | $0 |
| Domain Name | $10 | $0 |
| Website Hosting | $0 | $50 – $96 |
| Website Design | $108 | $0 |
| Online Community Platform | $228 | $0 |
| Video Hosting | $240 – $600 | $0 |
| Email Marketing | $0 | $15 – $174 |
| Total Cost | $765 – $1,345 | $65 – $270 |
As a comprehensive hosted platform, Thinkific integrates all essential functionality required for operating a thriving membership website. The platform incorporates website hosting, video content delivery, and community engagement features within your monthly subscription package.
Consequently, your initial financial commitment remains remarkably minimal—approximately $10. Instead, you’ll encounter higher recurring monthly expenses, typically ranging between $114 and $772.
This substantial cost variation directly reflects your specific requirements and the overall scale of the membership ecosystem you’re establishing.
| Service | Upfront Cost (Paid Yearly) | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Thinkific Subscription | $0 | $99 – $499/mo |
| Domain Name | $10 | $0 |
| Website Hosting | $0 | $0 – included in the plan |
| Website Design | $0 | $0 – included in the plan |
| Online Community Platform | $0 | $0 – $99/mo |
| Video Hosting | $0 | $0 – included in the plan |
| Email Marketing | $0 | $15 – $174 |
| Total Cost | $10 | $114 – $772 |
Kajabi represents the most extensive all-in-one solution for developing a membership website within a unified platform environment. Consequently, this solution delivers a broader range of integrated features alongside corresponding premium subscription pricing.
With Kajabi implementation, your preliminary setup investment remains minimal at just $10, while ongoing operational expenses range between $149 and $498 monthly.
| Service | Upfront Cost (Paid Yearly) | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Kajabi Subscription | $0 | $149 – $399 |
| Domain Name | $10 | $0 |
| Website Hosting | $0 | $0 – included in the plan |
| Website Design | $0 | $0 – included in the plan |
| Online Community Platform | $0 | $0 – $99/mo |
| Video Hosting | $0 | $0 – included in the plan |
| Email Marketing | $0 | $0 – Included in the plan |
| Total Cost | $10 | $149 – $498 |
It’s clear that membership website expenses fluctuate substantially based on which membership platform you select.
When choosing hosted platforms (Thinkific and Kajabi), you benefit from minimal upfront costs while accepting higher monthly subscriptions. Their straightforward setup process and zero technical expertise requirements make these platforms particularly compelling membership website options.
Meanwhile, WordPress demands greater technical proficiency and higher initial investment, but rewards you with enhanced flexibility regarding functionality and design customization capabilities.
| Option | Upfront Cost (Paid Yearly) | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | $765 – $1,345 | $65 – $270 |
| Thinkific | $10 | $114 – $772 |
| Kajabi | $10 | $149 – $498 |
Although the previously mentioned expenses apply to most membership sites, these figures can differ dramatically when selecting custom-built solutions.
For instance, commissioning a fully custom-designed membership platform will typically require an investment ranging from $2,500 to $4,000.
Likewise, if your business needs branded applications for your membership service, prepare to invest a minimum of $2,000 upfront, plus additional recurring monthly maintenance fees.
That concludes our comprehensive analysis addressing the question, “how much does it cost to build a membership site in 2025?“
Should you have any inquiries or require further guidance selecting appropriate tools, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Daniel NicFounder, SellingOnliceCoursesGuide.comis an entrepreneur and digital education specialist who founded sellingonlinecoursesguide.com, a platform dedicated to helping creators and educators successfully navigate the online course marketplace. Through his website, he shares insights and strategies for developing, marketing, and monetizing online educational content. His work focuses on empowering course creators to build sustainable online businesses while effectively sharing their knowledge with students worldwide.
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Copyright © 2024 by SellCoursesOnline
Daniel Nic is an entrepreneur and digital education specialist who founded sellingonlinecoursesguide.com, a platform dedicated to helping creators and educators successfully navigate the online course marketplace. Through his website, he shares insights and strategies for developing, marketing, and monetizing online educational content. His work focuses on empowering course creators to build sustainable online businesses while effectively sharing their knowledge with students worldwide.
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