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Which Plugins Should You Choose to Use With the Membership Plugin? -

Apr 4, 2022

If you are creating an online course using WordPress it is likely that you'll discover there are often several ways to get there.

WordPress is the perfect tool for creating and selling online classes because it's versatile and also because you own the platform. There are so many available plugins that it is sometimes somewhat confusing.

Maybe you're facing this dilemma for your own online course , and aren't sure of how to proceed. If you decide to host your own WordPress site, you will end up making the following choices for your courses:

  1. Make sure you only use it for your classes.
  2. Only use a membership plugin
  3. Make use of both

The answer to this question will depend on the details of your particular project. Therefore, it is not possible to give you a hard-set rule as to when to apply every. However, let's explore some common examples.

1. Use Only

If you're looking into then the truth is that you aren't need a membership plugin for content protection. Our LMS can protect your content, without the use of a membership plugin . It's all in our Access Settings.

Let's take for instance that you want to sell three distinct classes. Content of the courses (lessons and quizzes, for instance.) can not be seen by those who have not yet registered. Only those who have registered to take the course have access to the content. If someone buys one course, they don't get access to other courses. Only access is granted to only one course.

If your class isn't free then you may be looking for a way to include a pay-gate to your courses. integrates with the following top shopping carts

  • Easy Digital Downloads
  • SamCart
  • ThriveCart (beta)

It is important to note that the WordPress shopping carts (1 and 2 above) integrate with many payment processors. It comes with three payment options if you want to not utilize a shopping cart:

  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • 2Checkout

There is no problem using any of these options for accepting payments. This will safeguard your course's information without the requirement of an additional membership plug-in. The people who opt for this method will appreciate the simplified process of designing their courses as it cuts back on having to learn another solution.

2. Use a Membership plugin (Only)

It's crucial to keep in mind that there may be instances where using an LMS plugin, such as this one, isn't needed.

If the project you are working on only demands that you protect a couple pages, posts or even assets that are on your WordPress site, then a membership plugin is what you really need. Using a learning management plugin is in this instance too much.

A good example of this is when there is a website that offers a community forum as well as perhaps some valuable downloads for the members. If this is the case, you don't need an a plugin like because there's no need for courses, or quizzing. badges, certificates or points and reports.

3. Using Both and a Membership Plugin

Although a membership-based plugin isn't essential, there can be advantages to using with a membership plugin depending upon your needs.

In the case of instance, if you're looking to add additional metrics on your members , then installing the Membership plugin can be a great value addition. Most membership platforms offer the ability to report on their members. Utilizing this in conjunction will give you more information about your members.

Another scenario where you can use each is when you own a membership site already and just want to add the course features with a formal, well-organized manner. It is easy to increase the value of your membership website through the creation of classes that your members can learn. There is no need to change how you manage your members either since the case is that you're still with your membership plugin.

has direct integration with the following membership solutions:

A word of warning Avoid locking in vendors!

Learning programs can vary in the requirements, and occasionally these demands are changed. You can begin your learning program using one of the above options and switch to another program as you need.

One thing I know after nearly a decade working within the world of online learning is that learning programs and online classes are not one-size-fits all. Learners change and the same goes for expectations.

Whether you use or not If you do or not, I recommend strongly encourage you to avoid any solution that advocates using a single e-commerce platform or solution for protecting content. In the same vein, be cautious of the products that advertise by the name of "all-in-one". Rarely is this even true, but assuming it is the case, then you're bound too. Don't be taking this risk. This has caused many people major problems in the past.

Still confused? Check out this video!

In this webcast, we will discuss the most common scenarios where employing a membership-based plugin in conjunction could make sense.