Memberstack alternatives: 3 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
Los cuatro conceptos están presentes, pero el sitio web se convierte en una publicación de Ghost en lugar de mantener su stack actual.
licenseMIT
runsyour machine or their cloud
installRun Ghost-CLI on supported Ubuntu/MySQL hosting; the official Docker path is available but still documented as preview
dataPosts, members and settings in MySQL; images under Ghost's content directory by default or through a configured storage adapter
the catch vs MemberstackGhost cannot attach auth, member records and billing to an arbitrary existing stack; the site becomes a Ghost publication.
setupSelf-hosting needs a server, domain, DNS, TLS and transactional/newsletter mail, plus Ghost upgrades
facts verified 2026-08-10
Autenticación, registros de miembros, facturación recurrente y contenido restringido dentro de WordPress; se pierde la inserción en sitios arbitrarios.
licenseGPL-2.0
runsyour server
installInstall the WordPress plugin, create membership levels/pages, then connect a supported payment gateway
dataWordPress users/usermeta plus PMPro membership, order and discount tables; card credentials remain with the payment gateway
the catch vs MemberstackPaid Memberships Pro works inside WordPress rather than embedding cleanly into arbitrary Webflow, React or custom sites.
setupA maintained WordPress/HTTPS site, payment gateway, webhooks and reliable email delivery are prerequisites
facts verified 2026-08-10
Usuarios alojados, suscripciones y contenido restringido para un sitio pequeño de membresías; trasladas el sitio a su ecosistema.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup
dataContacts, funnels, course/community content, orders, emails and uploaded files in systeme.io's vendor-managed cloud; the underlying storage format is not published
the catch vs Memberstacksysteme.io cannot drop authentication and billing into an arbitrary existing site the way Memberstack can; the site moves into systeme.io.
setupSelling requires connecting a payment gateway; the free plan is capped at 2,000 contacts, three funnels, one course, one community and one custom domain
facts verified 2026-08-10
last updated 2026-08-10 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
MedusaIt handles commerce primitives, not drop-in site authentication, member data and content gating.
SupabaseAuth and data are there, but this is a developer backend, not a membership product a non-builder installs.
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | MIT | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 54,500 | 2026-08 |
| Paid Memberships Pro | GPL-2.0 | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 528 | 2026-07 |
| systeme.io | proprietary, free | they host it | web | — | — |
Memberstack: Creators pay to outsource payments, tax complexity, disputes, deliverability, moderation, and the trust needed to convert strangers. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $348 a year.
Is there a free alternative to Memberstack?
Yes: Ghost, Paid Memberships Pro, systeme.io. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own Memberstack?
Our verdict is PARCIAL. The visible website memberships loop is buildable, but a credible replacement needs more than the first screen. Memberstack earns its keep through payments, network, compliance, so expect a weekend or multi-day build and a narrower personal scope. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at puedovibecodearlo.app/memberstack.
