The 10 Best Paywall Providers For Your Content Business in 2025

Monetizing your digital content requires a crucial decision: Should I set up a paywall?

Monetizing digital content remains a strategic priority for publishers in 2025. While digital advertising revenue saw a rebound in 2024, with increases ranging from 3.8% to 12.8% for publishers like IAC, Gannett, and The New York Times, digital ad spending is expected to slow down in 2025, growing by only 8.4% compared to the 14.3% jump we saw last year. This change highlights the importance of diversified revenue streams, particularly through paid subscriptions.

When you shift to monetizing content, your focus pivots to delivering a better reader experience and creating digital products that drive revenue. Unlike ads, which can feel disruptive, paywalls put the spotlight on your audience. 

The good news is you can do both—serve high-quality content to subscribers while offering advertisers access to a premium, engaged readership. (but that is another story).

So which paywall software is the right choice for you?

Most paywall and membership software will offer a way to restrict and charge for access to your article content. But there are a number of paywall types with different approaches.

Every publisher’s audience and content are different, and so are their paywall needs. That’s why choosing the right paywall can feel overwhelming. To make it easier, we’ve rounded up the best paywall options for content creators. 

If you are a publisher and are ready to get serious about building your audience and subscription revenue, what features are you really looking for? Let’s break down paywall offerings into three main areas that are important to know about when making a decision.

1. How paywall types restrict access

Metered Paywall

A metered paywall is the most popular way to build subscription revenue today. It lets readers sample a set number of articles each month before asking them to sign up for a subscription.

This is a great option for publishers that produce original premium content, as it draws in readers by offering a taste of what’s behind the paywall.

It also gives readers more control over what they want to read, which takes much of the burden off publishers when it comes to deciding which articles are free and which are paid.

Metered paywalls also have the critical benefit of keeping your content visible to search engines (so your articles rank in search) and shareable on social media sharing, which helps drive new visitor traffic to your website.

Hard Paywall 

A hard paywall (like the Wall Street Journal’s) locks your content behind a subscription wall and is the least common paywall today. Most publishers will hand-pick which articles are free vs. paid. This may be a good option for publications  who produce fewer but highly valuable, in-depth articles.

Publishers with strong brands and marketing can also build subscriptions even if they lock out search and social sharing traffic.

Google can still index locked articles, but they’re less likely to be shared on social media. While there are ways around this, they often create friction for readers. That’s why many publishers focused on brand growth are forced to produce a good deal of free content to build their audiences.

Dynamic Paywall

Dynamic paywalls are similar to metered paywalls, but with added specific targeting and restriction options. They can ask casual website visitors to create a free account to access a limited number of articles.

It also allows publishers to tailor subscription prompts based on specific factors, like content category, reader subscription level, location, or other rule-based metrics. This flexibility lets publishers lock, unlock, or meter content based on user behavior, creating a more personalized approach to content access.

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The way a paywall software integrates with your site can vary, and that affects both how your data is managed and the overall experience your readers get.

The first is a paywall that is part of a content management system (CMS).

A CMS can either be open source to the software developer (WordPress, Drupal, etc.,) or proprietary for the publisher (Blox, etc.,). This is a bigger, more comprehensive decision than just choosing a paywall: it will determine the online presence and interface of your entire publication.

A CMS with advertising, paywall, and editorial features may be a good fit for publishers looking for a one-shop stop for their website content, subscription, and ad platform.

The downside of using a proprietary CMS solution is they are typically rigid in their featureset which may not match your publishing needs. Content migration into a new CMS poses challenges and may be more difficult to move off the platform down the road.

The second software type is a SaaS/JavaScript paywall.

This Software as a Service option usually provides HTML code that is dropped into your existing website. This restricts content and sends subscriber data to the externally-hosted paywall software. This option can be a good choice for publishers seeking a quick setup.

It may be less reader friendly as externally hosted paywalls can be more limiting with their website customization options. SaaS based solutions also suffer from reader login complexities. Since the login system must be verified from a 3rd party external database it generally causes a higher level of reader login issues and time spent on handling these issues with subscribers. On the flip side, some enterprise level SaaS options are more integrated with your CMS which offers more customization options but ups the  complexity and cost of the integration.

Bottom line: Managing subscriber access to your article content can be challenging if subscriber data is stored on an external system. SaaS based subscription solutions typically have fairly basic features.

The final type is a native paywall, one which is built specifically for a CMS such as WordPress.

Native software integrates more seamlessly with the CMS and typically has more flexibility in how it is customized for the publisher’s content and audience. This gives the publisher more control over the reader experience and also more control over subscriber data since it stays on their website.

Another plus is native software can handle different server caching configurations with your hosting company.

A possible downside is that setting up native software can be more complex and may require more developer knowledge.

Choosing the right paywall isn’t just about restricting content, it’s about understanding what features will help you grow your revenue and keep readers engaged. Here are some key features to consider:

Does your software choice allow you to set up, create, change, and monitor a paywall campaign?  A good paywall software lets you create targeted campaigns, run A/B tests, and monitor how different strategies perform. This gives you valuable insight into user behavior and your subscription funnel. 

Some paywall platforms keep it simple, while others let you tailor every detail. Think about how much flexibility you need—whether that’s syncing with existing software, tapping into custom databases, or creating a fully branded experience.

How many third-party integrations does your paywall software make available?  A solid paywall platform should connect effortlessly with your existing tools. Does it connect to your favored payment gateway, or CRM? Does it interact easily with your free and subscriber only email campaigns or your e-commerce shop? Does it offer integrations with iOS or Android apps? SMS and WhatsApp messaging? The more seamless the integration, the easier it is to keep everything running smoothly.

For print publishers, it’s crucial that your paywall software plays nice with your circulation system. Does your chosen paywall software send subscriber data to your circulation software?

Paywalls aren’t just about subscriptions, there are plenty of ways to diversify your revenue streams and maximize your content’s earning potential. Look for software that supports:

• Member-level access
• Pay-per-article options
• Group and corporate subscriptions
• Paid newsletters
• Donation support
• Ad-free experiences
• Blocking incognito browsing
• Multi-site access with a single subscription

Trying out these extra revenue options can really add up. Look for paywall software that offers more ways to monetize your content and keep those earnings flowing.

Who is triggering the recurring subscription payments? This is an often overlooked but critical aspect to know about a payment platform. Does the paywall software run the recurring charge (Ex: Woo Subscriptions, Piano) or does the payment gateway run the subscription charges (Stripe, Authorize.net, PayPal)?

You need the payment gateways (Ideally Stripe) to run the payment intents. As an example Stripe does the best job in the industry at re-charging failed payments according to their AI. Also there is a robust third party marketplace for churn mitigation (and other) solutions that plug straight into Stripe subscriptions. Additionally, when Stripe is actually running the subscriptions, switching to a new paywall down the road is much smoother since you can simply tie the Stripe subscription to the paywall software subscriber.

Article content caching is important for page load speed. It stores bits of your articles so pages load faster, but can cause paywall restrictions to not load. Most hosting providers use it, and you can set it up with plugins too.

Make sure the software you choose works with your hosting and caching setup.

Is your chosen software a long term subscription solution for your publication? Or is it designed to provide access services to membership-based organizations?

Membership software can work for publishers but tends to offer limited customization ability and doesn’t offer publisher-specific features.

Learn more about what the difference is between a metered paywall and membership software.

Now that you know what to look out for, let’s take a closer look at the software. We’ve rounded up a list of paywall platforms that focus on the specific needs of the content publisher.

• Paywall type: Dynamic 
• Software type: WordPress native
• Print circulation: Yes
• Features: Deep WordPress integration, high level of customization, many publisher specific integrations, reader targeting options, A/B testing, pay-per-article, iOS & Android apps
• Pricing: Starts at $199/mo
• Best fit: News and magazine publishers using WordPress

Leaky Paywall’s focus is on engaging publisher audiences and serving up a seamless subscription experience to grow revenue. It offers many ways to monetize content.

Built natively for WordPress, it keeps all subscriber data on your site and works with your preferred payment gateway. It also plays nicely with CRMs, circulation software, and a wide range of WordPress plugins. 

It’s highly customizable, and with a good WordPress developer, it can be tailored to fit your exact publishing needs.

Want to learn more? Get in touch

Let’s talk paywalls

Want to learn more about growing your audience and subscriptions with your paywall? Get in touch with Pete.

Let’s talk

2. Zephyr

• Paywall type: Dynamic
• Software type: SaaS/JavaScript
• Print circulation: Yes
• Features: Intelligent paywall, identity and access management, corporate subscriptions, multi-site access
• Pricing: Custom
• Best fit: Enterprise-level publication

Zephr, now part of Zuora, focuses on building, testing, and optimizing digital subscription journeys to create personalized experiences aimed at revenue growth. It offers robust identity and access restrictions to manage logins effectively.

3. Pelcro

• Paywall type: Dynamic
• Software type: SaaS/JavaScript
• Circulation software integration: No
• Features: A/B campaigns & testing
• Pricing: Starts at $450+/month
• Best fit: Generalized membership and e-commerce businesses, publishers looking for a quick start with basic customizations

Pelcro self-describes as an “all-in-one subscription and membership management” software. They serve publishers, media, wellness, and e-learning. They offer imited customization options to align with a publication’s branding.

4. Pigeon Paywall

• Paywall type: Metered
• Software type: SaaS/JavaScript
• Print circulation: Yes
• Features: Print management, incognito browser blocking, pay-per-view
• Pricing: $1500+ set-up fee + $99+ monthly cost +10%  transaction fees
• Best fit: Newspaper publishers looking for a simple paywall with print management

Pigeon was originally built for digital newspapers and includes an option for managing your print circulation. They present themselves as a simple plug-and-play option. They offer a number of options for monetizing your content, including limited subscriptions, corporate memberships, or location-based access.

They manage your data, take transaction fees, and applies additional charges for print publications and high-traffic sites. 

5. Piano

• Paywall type: Dynamic
• Software type: SaaS/JavaScript
• Print circulation: Yes
• Features: API integrations, A/B testing, additional revenue opportunities, in-depth reporting and analytical tools
• Pricing: Custom
• Best fit: Enterprise-level publication or membership business

Piano provides an end-to-end subscription and analytics solution for large publishers, combining advanced digital analytics with personalized advertising and commerce solutions. They capture data, track user behavior, and offer up suggestions based on what they find.

Their ideal use case is large, sophisticated marketing teams for enterprise-level publishers and membership businesses. 

6. Evolok

• Paywall type: Dynamic
• Software type: SaaS/JavaScript
• Print circulation: No
• Features: Segmentation and personalization, multiple subscription products, ad-blocker detection
• Pricing: Custom
• Best fit: Larger publications and media groups

Evolok promotes their many data-points and dynamic targeting strategies. Evolok is a CRM, managing content access, user data, and payments all at once. The segmentation and consultancy targets publishers who want all their data and payments managed for them.

Note subscriber and payment data is managed by their platform. Integrations with other platforms are limited.

7. Paywall Project

• Paywall type: Metered
• Software type: WordPress CMS
• Print circulation: Yes
• Features: Turnkey subscription website for local news publishers
• Pricing: Starts at $499/month
• Best fit: Local news publishers that need a fully managed website 

Paywall Project offers a turnkey WordPress and subscription solution for local news publishers who don’t want to deal with the tech. It allows publishers to focus on their content while Paywall Project manages all the complexities of website development and digital subscriber management.

May not be ideal for publishers with custom design and development needs.

8. Blox/Town News

• Paywall type: Metered
• Software type: Proprietary CMS
• Print circulation: Yes
• Features: All-in-one CMS and paywall
• Pricing: Custom
• Best fit: News sites with print

Blox (formerly TownNews) is a content management system (CMS) and paywall that allows you to publish, manage and monetize your news site. It’s an all-in-one website and paywall solution for creating content and managing your website with their Blox CMS.

As a proprietary system, customizations may be limited.

9. Admiral

• Paywall type: Metered
• Software type: SaaS/JavaScript
• Print circulation: No
• Features: Ad Blocker, Free registration, Subscription, Donation
• Pricing: Starts at $120/mo with revenue share
• Best fit: Publishers looking for a quick and simple paywall

Admiral offers a one-tag installation for a quick paywall setup, as well as multi-site subscriptions. Its ad blocker detector ensures that your site’s content is displayed without interruption. Limited configuring options.

10. MemberGate

• Paywall type: Metered
• Software type: Proprietary CMS
• Print circulation: No
• Features: Fully hosted website and paywall
• Pricing: Starts at $97/month
• Best fit: Publications with minimal needs

MemberGate is a content publishing platform that can be used to monetize content through paywalls and subscription services. It allows content creators to build blogs, forums, and image galleries, using built-in tools to drive readers to their site.

MemberGate is proprietary and hosts and manages the website for publishers.

Conclusion

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to paywalls. Start by figuring out what you really need—something lightweight and simple, or a full-featured system that handles content, subscriptions, ads, and more. Think about the features that matter most to your team and whether you’ve got the tech support to manage it all.

Once that’s clear, the next step is to determine how much customization you need for your content and audience as well as monetization options.

Contact Pete today if you want to discuss your approach—he’s always happy to see if he can help!