6 best membership site platforms for food creators

It’s important to choose the right platform for your membership program.

The problem is — whilst there are some amazing platforms — only a few work well for food and nutrition content.

In this article, we explore some popular options and summarize which we think is the best membership site platform for food creators.

The best membership platforms for food creators at a glance

Member Kitchens – best for food creators (yes, we’re biased).

MemberPress – best for creating a membership site on WordPress.

Kajabi – best all-in-one platform for digital entrepreneurs.

Uscreen – best for video creators.

Podia – best for selling digital downloads.

Mighty Networks – best for community-based memberships.

What to look for in a membership site platform

A membership platform should allow you to host your members-only content, make it easy for your members to engage, and automate the payments stuff.

Some important features include:

Content creation: You should be able to create and share your foodie content in a variety of formats and allow your members to interact with it.

Ease of use: It should be easy for you to set up and for your members to use it.

Monetization: You should be able to sell access to your membership with different pricing options, offer free trials, and allow members to edit their subscriptions.

Integrations: You should be able to integrate with your existing set up like your email software (e.g. ConvertKit).

Online community: You should be able to create a membership community to improve membership retention (or link to an existing group).

Mobile apps: An advanced feature. The platform should ideally have an option to create your own mobile app so members can access your content on the move.

You may have additional requirements so make sure to check those when deciding which membership platform is right for you.

Now, let’s examine some of the popular options.

Member Kitchens

Member Kitchens is a membership platform built for food creators.

As well as having the features you need to launch a membership site like a sales page builder, subscriptions, integrations, and a mobile app option, it has specialist features like:

A recipe builder so you can create and/or import recipes from your website.

An interactive meal planner, which allows you to share meal plans with your members or they can create their own.

A searchable recipe catalog so that members can easily find, save, and cook their favorites.

And other optional features like a news feed so you can post updates to your members.

Pros: Member Kitchens is made for food creators with features that other platforms don’t have. It has everything you need to run your membership out of the box OR you can integrate with your existing set up (e.g. for payments).

Cons: Member Kitchens is still a relatively new platform so doesn't have some features like a course builder.

MemberPress

‍MemberPress is popular option to create a WordPress membership site.

You can install the plugin on your existing WordPress site to start selling access to gated content, one-time purchases, and more.

If you already use WordPress to host your recipes and other foodie content, then MembersPress can be a good way to explore ad-free experiences and gated content.

Here’s how 40 Aprons uses MemberPress for their foodie membership site:

‍Pros: Easy integration with WordPress. Simple pricing with an annual fee. Some useful functionality for food content. Range of options for access, payments, and integrations.

Cons: Limited to WordPress sites. It has a steep learning curve for new users. No mobile app option (that I am aware of).

Did you know? You can also use MemberPress with Member Kitchens, see the detailed guide here.

Kajabi

Kajabi is a true all-in-one platform with a mountain of features from course builders, memberships, and community to a website builder with analytics.

The main drawback is that it's limited when it comes food content – for example, you can host recipe videos and static PDFs but your members will not be able to customize them, and will have a hard time searching for content tucked away in PDFs.

Common complaints we hear from people using Kajabi for food content is that their members want to be able adjust servings, save their favorite recipes, and customize shopping lists. With Kajabi, these are either super clunky or just not possible.

Pros: Virtually unrivalled in terms of total functionality – you could run your entire online business with Kajabi. Simple to use with a ton of support documentation. Has a mobile app option.

Cons: Limited options for hosting and interacting with food content (e.g. recipes). Starting price can feel a bit steep.

Uscreen

‍Uscreen is a popular option for content creators who focus solely on video content.

With Uscreen, you can create a “Netflix-style viewing experience” and sell access as subscriptions and one-time purchases. They also have other important features like community and a mobile app option.

Like Kajabi, the main drawback of Uscreen is that if you want to host and share foodie content that is not in video format, then you are severely limited. If that is the case, then it might not be the right platform for you.

Pros: Best-in-class for video memberships and apps. A range of monetization options from recurring subscriptions to one-time purchases.

Cons: Limited if you want to host content that is not a video (like recipes).

Podia

Podia is an easy-to-use platform, which has evolved from a place to sell your digital products to products to include features like a course builder, memberships, and community.

Their platform may not be as mature as Kajabi, for example, but their pricing is more accessible for creators and entrepreneurs who are earlier in their journey.

For food creators, however, the main drawback (now a common theme) is the same as Kajabi and Uscreen — there are limited options for hosting food content and even fewer ways for your members to meaningfully interact with it.

Pros: An easy-to-use product with accessible pricing and a range of features.

Cons: Some features are basic compared to other platforms. Limited options for hosting and interacting with food content (e.g. recipes). No mobile app option.

Mighty Networks 

‍Might Networks is a powerful membership community platform that offer similar features to Circle. You can create posts, polls, live events, courses and more.

Mighty Networks also offer a free mobile app option (under their brand) with the ability to upgrade to your own-branded app supporting in-app purchases.

Again, there are limited ways to share and interact with recipes and food content. For this reason, we often see Mighty Networks being used alongside another platform.

Pros: Feature-rich platform that is great for building memberships around community. Accessible pricing and a free mobile app option.

Cons: Limited functionality if you want to offer other types of content to your members. Lacks some of the food-specific features that Member Kitchens has.

Best membership platform for food creators: the verdict

This article has reviewed a few popular options that we see food creators using to launch and grow their memberships.

Ultimately, the best membership site platform for you will depend on your unique requirements, however, we believe Member Kitchens is the best option if you want to host and share food or nutrition content, and allow your members to engage with it.

MemberPress is another option that you might want to explore for things like ad-free experiences on your WordPress website.

I hope you found this guide useful. If you have any questions, then get in touch today.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best membership site software?

The answer depends on your unique requirements. For example, if you are a food creator then we recommend Member Kitchens. If you are a video creator, then Uscreen is a great option. For community-based memberships, we recommend Mighty Networks or Circle. And for an all-in-one platform, Kajabi.

What is the best WordPress membership plugin?

In our experience, MemberPress is the most popular WordPress membership plugin so is a good place to start. Memberful is another popular option that you might want to explore.

How do I get my own membership app?

If you want your own membership app, then we recommend choosing a membership platform that includes a mobile app as an option. Some examples include Member Kitchens, Kajabi, Uscreen, and Mighty Networks.

Where can I find membership website examples?

The best place to find examples of membership websites is by going visiting the membership platforms themselves. For example, Uscreen lists a ton of video membership examples on their website. If you are a food creator, then check out Member Kitchens. You can also visit Kajabi, Thinkific, Podia, and others.