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Memberful alternatives: 7 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Memberful: monthly fee plus a transaction percentage, and you bring your own audience; there is no marketplace. We ranked 7 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Memberful, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Patreon currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Ghost logoGhostOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted5 of 562.6
  1. Ghost logo

    1. GhostTop pick

    Best for: Independent publishers who want their own branded site, newsletter and memberships

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Memberful

    Website, newsletter and memberships in one open-source platform with no payment fees.

    Pros

    • No transaction fees from Ghost on paid memberships
    • Open source and self-hostable for full control
    • Custom themes and a large integration marketplace
    • Fast sites with strong SEO defaults

    Cons

    • No discovery network to bring in readers
    • Starter plan lacks custom themes and paid subscriptions
    • Self-hosting needs a server and some sysadmin work
    Visit Ghost Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Ghost a good Memberful alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Starting price
    $18/month (Starter, billed yearly)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghost.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Publisher plan
    $29/month, billed yearly
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghost.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Transaction fees
    0% from Ghost (processor fees apply)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghost.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes, Ubuntu or Docker
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghost.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghost.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Memberful alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Patreon logo

Best Memberful alternative for most people

Patreon

Hosted marketplace page with discovery and payments handled, if you don't need your own brand.

Ghost logo

Best Memberful alternative for a free option

Ghost

Website, newsletter and memberships in one open-source platform with no payment fees.

Steady logo

Best Memberful alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Steady

Commission-only pricing with no monthly fee, handy before revenue is steady.

Ghost logo

Best Memberful alternative for open source

Ghost

Website, newsletter and memberships in one open-source platform with no payment fees.

Ghost logo

Best Memberful alternative for self-hosting

Ghost

Website, newsletter and memberships in one open-source platform with no payment fees.

Circle logo

Best Memberful alternative for Mac

Circle

Hosted community with courses and events instead of bolting memberships onto a site.

Circle logo

Best Memberful alternative for Windows

Circle

Hosted community with courses and events instead of bolting memberships onto a site.

Substack logo

Best Memberful alternative for iPhone and Android

Substack

Free to run and simpler, for memberships that are mostly a newsletter.

beehiiv logo

Best Memberful alternative for working in the browser

beehiiv

Newsletter platform with paid tiers and no revenue share on paid plans.

Memberful alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Memberful?

Patreon ranks first right now. Hosted marketplace page with discovery and payments handled, if you don't need your own brand. Ghost and Steady follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Memberful?

Yes. Patreon (free plan + paid), Ghost (open source), Steady (free plan + paid) and Substack (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Memberful?

Yes: Ghost. Ghost can also be self-hosted.

Why do people switch from Memberful?

The complaints we hear most: monthly fee plus a transaction percentage; you bring your own audience; there is no marketplace; needs a Stripe account.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Memberful, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.