Online community membership options and pricing

Here, we’ll break down the different types of membership pricing models, help you figure out which one fits your community, and share tips for thoughtfully rolling it out.

Pricing strategies for online communities

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to pricing memberships for online communities. Different communities thrive with different models—and the best choice depends on your goals, audience, and the value you’re offering. Let’s explore some of the most popular membership models. 

1. Free membership: Free memberships are often used to drive growth—they’re a great way to launch a new community or support an audience that’s already contributed in another way, like alumni or employees. Note: “free” doesn’t mean there’s no ROI. We’ve seen some organizations leverage free membership pricing to create better segmentation in their mailing list based upon member profile data.
   
2. Freemium membership: Freemium models offer basic access to a community, with optional paid tiers that unlock premium content or features. Freemium memberships can be used to attract and grow an audience, while creating opportunities for monetization. For example, some communities offer access to the general community and member directory, but introduce subscription tiers for exclusive benefits like mentor matching or topic-specific groups.
   
3. Paid membership: Members pay a recurring fee—monthly or annually—for full access to the community. This model works well when you have an established audience and demand for content, events, or other resources. Another common variation is the “association model,” where organizations cover the costs of group memberships, giving their members free access. This model works well for industry-specific communities—like the IOT focused Connectivity Standards Alliance—that seek to attract a large member base through partnerships.
   
4. Tiered membership: Similar to the freemium model, tiered membership offers multiple pricing levels, each with varying degrees of access, benefits, or exclusivity. This allows you to serve a broader audience—providing an easy entry point while offering premium options at a higher price. Another Hivebrite customer, the GTM-leadership community Pavilion, uses a tiered pricing model based upon member career seniority and location, offering benefits across categories like education, events, and career services.
   
5. Lifetime membership: Members pay a one-time fee for unlimited, lifetime access to the community. In many ways, a lifetime model is similar to free memberships as it can be a good solution for alumni programs. However, while one-time payments can minimize churn, they can also lead to stagnation within the community. You’ll need to consistently offer new resources, events, and engagement opportunities.

How to launch a membership pricing plan for your community

Before you explore different membership pricing models, the first step is to revisit the purpose of your community. What does success look like for your members—and for you? Ideally, you’ve already defined these outcomes while developing your onboarding and engagement strategies. The outcomes you’re aiming for—whether it’s connection, support, or learning—should guide how you select membership options.

Choosing the best membership pricing model

Once you’ve decided to introduce a paid plan, the next step is choosing the best membership pricing model for your community. Here’s how to get started:

1. Determine your community’s value: Start by listing all the membership benefits you offer—like educational content, virtual events, or expert access—and estimate the value of each to understand your total offering.
2. Factor in your operating costs: This includes time spent creating content, managing the community or events, and any platform hosting fees. A solid pricing model should reflect both the value you deliver and the resources required to sustain it.
3. Research competitor pricing: As you develop your pricing strategy, research how similar organizations structure their membership model. You don’t need to match their pricing, but you should clearly explain why your membership options are priced the way they are. Whether you choose a flat rate or subscription tiers, your fees should align with the unique experience you provide.

An example membership launch

To give you an idea of what this looks like in practice, let’s examine the fictional community Founders Central. Their mission is to support early-stage startup founders via online networking, business resources, and mentoring. They’ve decided to introduce subscription tiers to their community. Here’s how they structured it:

Basic plan – $9.99 per month

• Access to the Founders Central community Live Feed and People Directory
• Monthly virtual networking event
• Curated monthly newsletter with tools, tips, and stories
• On-demand access to business resources

Pro plan – $19.99 per month

Includes everything in Basic, plus:

• Bi-monthly live Ask Me Anything sessions with subject-matter experts
• Access to industry and subject-matter groups
• Opportunity to join instructive workshops
• Access to collaborative Projects for feedback and even funding

Premium plan – $29.99 per month

Includes everything in Pro, plus:

• Mentor matching with experienced advisors
• Self-guided courses on funding and business development
• Premium visibility in the community newsletter

Pivoting from free memberships to paid plans

Let’s face it—no one likes paying for something that used to be free. If you’re shifting to a paid model, plan ahead to ease the transition. Many communities find success when they launch with fewer membership benefits, enabling them to introduce features as added value later. Here are a few things to keep in mind when restructuring your membership model:

• Consider using a freemium model or subscription tiers to give members more choices, making it feel like they’re gaining something—rather than losing access to it.
• Offer pricing incentives or promotions to existing members. This allows you to acknowledge their role in helping you grow a successful community, while offering them re-entry at a reduced rate. 
• Underscore your community’s value at every opportunity. Using testimonials, success stories, or even community celebrations, remind members of the value they receive.

Increasing membership renewal rates

Raising your community’s rates doesn’t have to be scary— after all, we’ve all experienced a price hike before! A thoughtful approach is all it takes to effectively raise your rates without losing members.

• Realign your community benefits with your members’ changing needs. Delivering consistent value is the key to membership retention. Use a mix of qualitative data—like NPS scores and community analytics—paired with direct feedback to identify your members’ top pain points. Track the features that are most popular, most costly, and least used—so you can focus on what matters most. And never underestimate the power of talking to your members personally and asking which features they love, those they could do without, and what they’d like to see more of.
  
• Look at your community data. Identify and re-engage “at-risk” members before launching your renewal campaign. Focus on members with low engagement, as they’re the most likely to skip renewing. A targeted outreach effort can help reconnect them with your community’s value—especially important if you’re planning a rate increase.
• Offer discounts and multiple-year memberships. Let’s talk FOMO! You can use limited-time discounts to encourage members to renew—at your new rates—or offer price incentives on multi-year subscriptions. This saves your members money in the long run and ensures a regular revenue stream.

How you can leverage Hivebrite for membership and monetization

Whether you’re introducing lifetime memberships or subscription tiers with advanced membership options, Hivebrite helps community managers monetize their platforms. Our monetization platform and features allow you to manage memberships and facilitate subscriptions directly, creating various option levels for your members to choose from. Request a demo to explore how we can help you drive revenue generation with your community.