{"licence":"CC BY 4.0","licenceUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","citation":"Ambera Forge, Memberships and paywalls, September 2026","report":"https://forge.ambera.app/sectors/membership-sites/2026-09","note":"Counts are over the companies Forge read in this sector during the month, each with its denominator. Themes and capabilities are the words the reading listed; a theme with no declared match shares no word with anything a company declares, which is not the same as no product doing it. Carried market-size figures are their publishers’ and are not redistributed here.","version":1,"monthKey":"2026-09","sector":{"slug":"membership-sites","name":"Memberships and paywalls","scope":"Charging a recurring fee for access to content or a community."},"coverage":{"entities":6,"readEntities":6,"neverRead":0,"readInMonth":6,"lastReadAt":"2026-09-30T23:46:48.723Z"},"withheldReason":null,"declaredCapabilities":[{"name":"Affiliate program","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]},{"name":"API / MCP server access","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3by00cdofmy31xapjcu"]},{"name":"API and webhook access","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"Apple Pay and Google Pay support","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]},{"name":"audio and rich-text posts","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"Authentication & user management","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3by00cdofmy31xapjcu"]},{"name":"Automatic failed-payment recovery","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]},{"name":"branded mobile apps","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"Built-in member portal with folders, search, and bookmarks","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]},{"name":"community & chat","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"community spaces and discussions","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"content gating/paywall","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"Coupon codes","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"courses and events","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"creator discovery","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"CRM for SaaS","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3by00cdofmy31xapjcu"]},{"name":"Custom branding","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"custom domain/branding","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"digital product sales","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"discovery / recommendation placement","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"Drip content over time","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]},{"name":"Email marketing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3by00cdofmy31xapjcu"]},{"name":"email marketing integration","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"email newsletters","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"Embeddable widgets (any site/Webflow/Framer)","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3by00cdofmy31xapjcu"]},{"name":"Gate any page on the site","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]},{"name":"Help desk","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3by00cdofmy31xapjcu"]},{"name":"live streaming","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"media hosting (video/audio)","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"member analytics","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"Members-only newsletter","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"membership/subscription payments","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"mobile apps (iOS/Android)","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"native video & livestreaming","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"one-time payments / digital commerce","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"One-time, multiple, and subscription payments","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]},{"name":"podcast RSS/Spotify distribution","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"Private podcasting","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"Protected content","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3by00cdofmy31xapjcu"]},{"name":"Referral program","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"Stripe-based payment processing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"subscription billing","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"Subscription billing (Stripe-based)","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3by00cdofmy31xapjcu"]},{"name":"tiered membership access","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"tiered memberships","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"tiered rewards","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"WordPress/Ghost integrations","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"Works with any website platform (Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, Webflow, etc.)","listing":1,"denominator":6,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]}],"complaintThemes":[{"name":"Checkout page structure inflexible","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"discovery/algorithm changes","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"fee increases eroding creator income","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"forced creator/fan profile merge","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"hidden/compounding transaction fees at scale","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"high effective take-rate (platform fee + processing)","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"lack of integrated course or cohort tools","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"Lacks built-in email marketing/courses/community tools","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"layoffs affecting platform stability","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"limited branding/customization on payment-first platforms","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"Limited branding/typography customization","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"Limited reporting/analytics (improving)","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]},{"name":"low anchor pricing limiting revenue potential","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"No all-in-one marketing automation","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]},{"name":"no data/subscriber ownership portability between platforms","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"No member grouping for multi-level access control","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]},{"name":"Patreon's weak native community/discussion tools","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"percentage-based fees cutting into creator revenue","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw"]},{"name":"platform owns the customer relationship, not the creator","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"Pricing perceived as high vs. alternatives","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"regressive fee impact on small pledgers","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]},{"name":"Single logo/favicon per account","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go"]},{"name":"small-charge processing penalty on low-price tiers","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo"]},{"name":"Transaction fees on top of subscription cost","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy"]},{"name":"unpredictable policy enforcement","listing":1,"denominator":5,"entityIds":["cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3"]}],"whiteSpace":{"rows":[],"unansweredCount":0,"belowFloor":25},"entities":[{"id":"cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go","slug":"memberful","name":"Memberful","kind":"competitor","site":"https://memberful.com","lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T23:37:34.352Z","addedBy":"definition"},{"id":"cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy","slug":"memberspace","name":"MemberSpace","kind":"competitor","site":"https://memberspace.com","lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T23:37:34.352Z","addedBy":"definition"},{"id":"cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo","slug":"patreon","name":"Patreon","kind":"competitor","site":"https://patreon.com","lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T23:37:34.352Z","addedBy":"definition"},{"id":"cmuohg3by00cdofmy31xapjcu","slug":"outseta","name":"Outseta","kind":"competitor","site":"https://outseta.com","lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T23:37:34.352Z","addedBy":"definition"},{"id":"cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3","slug":"platform-cut-on-memberships","name":"Platform cut on memberships","kind":"discourse","site":null,"lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T23:37:34.352Z","addedBy":"definition"},{"id":"cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw","slug":"creators-with-a-paying-audience","name":"Creators with a paying audience","kind":"segment","site":null,"lastWatchedAt":"2026-09-30T23:46:48.723Z","addedBy":"definition"}],"entrants":{"placed":[{"id":"cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go","name":"Memberful","kind":"competitor","addedBy":"definition","addedAt":"2026-09-30T19:12:52.446Z"},{"id":"cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy","name":"MemberSpace","kind":"competitor","addedBy":"definition","addedAt":"2026-09-30T19:12:52.535Z"},{"id":"cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo","name":"Patreon","kind":"competitor","addedBy":"definition","addedAt":"2026-09-30T19:12:52.633Z"},{"id":"cmuohg3by00cdofmy31xapjcu","name":"Outseta","kind":"competitor","addedBy":"definition","addedAt":"2026-09-30T19:12:52.728Z"},{"id":"cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3","name":"Platform cut on memberships","kind":"discourse","addedBy":"definition","addedAt":"2026-09-30T19:12:52.827Z"},{"id":"cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw","name":"Creators with a paying audience","kind":"segment","addedBy":"definition","addedAt":"2026-09-30T19:12:52.921Z"}],"sighted":[]},"entries":{"observed":31,"inference":1,"sourceBroken":2,"byTag":[{"tag":"FACT","count":12},{"tag":"COMPANY CLAIM","count":12},{"tag":"USER OPINION","count":7}],"byCategory":[{"category":"PRICING","count":11},{"category":"PRODUCT","count":9},{"category":"COMPLAINT","count":6},{"category":"BASELINE","count":2},{"category":"DISCOURSE","count":1},{"category":"PEOPLE","count":1},{"category":"POSITIONING","count":1}]},"pricing":{"readEntities":6,"withPricing":6,"changesInMonth":11,"companiesChangedInMonth":6,"withheldReason":null,"companies":[{"entityId":"cmuohg3hg00chofmyxt8e1nmw","name":"Creators with a paying audience","kind":"segment","site":null,"changesInMonth":4,"latest":{"claim":"As of August 2025, Patreon charges a flat 10% commission for all creators who joined on or after that date, while pre-existing creators remain on legacy Lite (5%), Pro (8%), or Premium (12%) tiers.","tag":"FACT","sourceUrl":"https://casrai.org/guides/patreon-pricing","observedAt":"2026-09-30T23:46:48.723Z"}},{"entityId":"cmuohg34800c7ofmybmtb21go","name":"Memberful","kind":"competitor","site":"https://memberful.com","changesInMonth":1,"latest":{"claim":"Memberful's current plan structure is Starter/Free (0/month, unlimited members, website-integration only, ~10% transaction fee), Pro ($25/month, 4.9% transaction fee, custom branding, private podcasting, newsletters, referral program, API/webhooks), and Premium ($100/month, 4.9% fee, adds group submissions/priority support).","tag":"COMPANY CLAIM","sourceUrl":"https://www.getapp.com/website-ecommerce-software/a/memberful/","observedAt":"2026-09-30T23:37:34.352Z"}},{"entityId":"cmuohg36l00c9ofmy9cjgnoiy","name":"MemberSpace","kind":"competitor","site":"https://memberspace.com","changesInMonth":2,"latest":{"claim":"Third-party pricing aggregators report MemberSpace on a tiered structure: an entry tier around $39-49/month with a 5% transaction fee, a mid tier (Premium) around $199-249/month with a 3% fee and multi-site support, and a custom Enterprise tier with a 1%+ fee and a dedicated customer success manager.","tag":"COMPANY CLAIM","sourceUrl":"https://www.bloggingtips.com/assets/listings/memberspace","observedAt":"2026-09-30T23:37:34.352Z"}},{"entityId":"cmuohg39g00cbofmy9q6u18mo","name":"Patreon","kind":"competitor","site":"https://patreon.com","changesInMonth":1,"latest":{"claim":"Since August 4, 2025, all new Patreon creators are placed on a single flat 10% platform fee plan covering the full feature set (memberships, tiers, one-time payments, video/livestreaming, audio/rich-text posts, newsletters, analytics, discovery, podcast distribution), replacing the old 'pay less, get less' tiered model. Creators who signed up before that date may remain on legacy Lite (5%), Pro (8%), or Premium (12%, $300+/month, invite-only) plans.","tag":"FACT","sourceUrl":"https://casrai.org/guides/patreon-pricing","observedAt":"2026-09-30T23:37:34.352Z"}},{"entityId":"cmuohg3by00cdofmy31xapjcu","name":"Outseta","kind":"competitor","site":"https://outseta.com","changesInMonth":2,"latest":{"claim":"Outseta's entry-level Founder's Plan is listed at $47/month, usage-based, covering up to 1,000 contacts and bundling payments, authentication, protected content, CRM, email, and help desk.","tag":"COMPANY CLAIM","sourceUrl":"https://www.capterra.com/p/160753/Outseta/","observedAt":"2026-09-30T23:37:34.352Z"}},{"entityId":"cmuohg3eo00cfofmyx49wnaq3","name":"Platform cut on memberships","kind":"discourse","site":null,"changesInMonth":1,"latest":{"claim":"Patreon consolidated its old Pro (8%) and Premium (12%) tiers into a single standard 10% platform fee for any creator publishing a new page after August 4, 2025; creators with pages published on or before that date keep legacy rates (5%, 8%, or 11%) indefinitely.","tag":"FACT","sourceUrl":"https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/11111747095181-Creator-fees-overview","observedAt":"2026-09-30T23:37:34.352Z"}}]},"funding":{"quartersConsidered":8,"readQuarters":1,"totalRounds":0,"currencies":[],"withheldReason":"Withheld: something was read in 1 of the last 8 quarters. A series needs at least 2 to say anything a single reading does not.","quarters":[]},"marketSize":{"readAt":null,"publishers":[]}}