Introduction
Creating membership sites and gated content on Webflow requires specialized tools. Two popular solutions—Memberstack and Webflow's native Memberships—offer different approaches to user authentication, content gating, and member management.
This detailed comparison helps you choose the right solution based on your use case, budget, technical requirements, and long-term scalability needs.
"Webflow Memberships offers native simplicity. Memberstack provides advanced flexibility. Your choice depends on complexity."
Webflow Memberships Overview
What It Is
Webflow Memberships is the platform's native solution for user authentication and content gating:
- Built directly into Webflow
- No external scripts or dependencies
- Designed for simplicity
- Integrated with Webflow CMS
Key Features
- User accounts: Registration and login flows
- Access groups: Control who sees what
- Gated content: Restrict pages and CMS items
- User profiles: Basic account management
- Email verification: Confirm user emails
Pricing
Available on CMS plan and higher ($23+/month). No additional per-member fees.
Memberstack Overview
What It Is
Memberstack is a third-party membership platform:
- Add via JavaScript integration
- Works with any Webflow plan
- Advanced feature set
- Separate dashboard management
Key Features
- Advanced authentication: SSO, social logins
- Paid memberships: Integrated with Stripe
- Member management: Comprehensive user data
- Custom fields: Collect additional user information
- Webhooks and API: Advanced integrations
- Content gating: Granular access control
Pricing
Starts at $25/month (50 members), scales based on member count. Professional plan $60/month (500 members). Enterprise pricing for larger sites.
Feature Comparison
User Authentication
Webflow Memberships:
- Email and password login
- Password reset functionality
- Email verification
- Basic user profiles
Memberstack:
- Email and password login
- Social login (Google, Facebook, etc.)
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Multi-factor authentication
- Advanced security features
Content Access Control
Webflow Memberships:
- Page-level gating
- CMS collection item gating
- Access group assignment
- Simple visibility rules
Memberstack:
- Page-level gating
- Element-level gating
- Time-based access
- Multiple membership tiers
- Complex access rules
Payment and Subscriptions
Webflow Memberships:
- Free memberships only
- No native payment processing
- Can integrate external payment tools
Memberstack:
- Built-in payment processing via Stripe
- Subscription management
- One-time payments
- Free trials
- Discount codes
- Revenue analytics
"If you need paid memberships, Memberstack's native Stripe integration is a major advantage."
User Management
Webflow Memberships:
- Basic member directory
- Manual user approval
- Access group management
- Simple member data
Memberstack:
- Advanced member dashboard
- Custom profile fields
- Member segmentation
- Usage analytics
- Bulk operations
Customization and Flexibility
Webflow Memberships:
- Customizable signup/login forms
- Native Webflow styling
- Limited custom workflows
Memberstack:
- Fully customizable UI
- Extensive JavaScript API
- Webhook integrations
- Custom member flows
Use Case Scenarios
Choose Webflow Memberships For:
- Simple content gating (free access)
- Basic member communities
- Resource libraries with access control
- Internal team portals
- Client-only content areas
Best for: Teams wanting native simplicity without external dependencies.
Choose Memberstack For:
- Paid membership sites
- Online courses with tiered access
- SaaS products with subscription tiers
- Premium content platforms
- Complex access hierarchies
Best for: Businesses monetizing memberships or needing advanced features.
Integration and Technical Considerations
Setup Complexity
Webflow Memberships:
- Easier setup: Native to Webflow
- Configure in Webflow Designer
- No external accounts needed
- Minimal technical knowledge required
Memberstack:
- More complex setup: Requires JavaScript
- Separate Memberstack account
- Additional configuration steps
- Some technical understanding helpful
Maintenance
Webflow Memberships:
- Maintained by Webflow
- Automatic updates
- No external dependencies
Memberstack:
- Requires script updates
- Monitor third-party service
- Potential for integration issues
Performance and SEO
Both solutions handle SEO reasonably:
- Webflow Memberships: No additional JavaScript overhead
- Memberstack: Minimal performance impact with optimized loading
For public content SEO, both allow proper indexing of non-gated pages.
Conclusion
Webflow Memberships excels at simplicity for free membership sites without external dependencies. It's perfect for teams wanting straightforward access control with native Webflow integration.
Memberstack provides enterprise-grade features for businesses building paid membership platforms, courses, or complex access hierarchies. The added complexity and cost are justified when you need payment processing and advanced customization.
Choose based on your needs: free vs. paid memberships, simple vs. complex access rules, native simplicity vs. advanced flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I migrate from Webflow Memberships to Memberstack?
Yes, but you'll need to migrate user data manually and reconfigure access rules. Plan for development time and test thoroughly.
Does Memberstack work on all Webflow plans?
Yes, Memberstack works on any Webflow plan, making it accessible even for Starter plan users wanting membership functionality.
Which has better user experience?
Both offer good UX when implemented properly. Webflow Memberships feels more integrated, while Memberstack offers more customization for specific UX needs.
Can I use both simultaneously?
Technically possible but not recommended due to potential conflicts. Choose one solution and commit to it for consistency.
