Restrict Content Pro (RCP) is a membership plugin focused on content restriction and subscription management. You create membership levels with different pricing and access rules, restrict content by level, and manage recurring payments through Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net. The plugin supports discount codes, free trials, and content dripping — where you schedule content release over time after a member signs up. RCP is developed by Sandhills Development, the same team behind Easy Digital Downloads, making it particularly well-suited for sites that sell digital products alongside memberships. The plugin’s content restriction system works at the post, page, category, and custom post type level, with shortcodes for fine-grained control within content. It competes with MemberPress and Paid Memberships Pro, offering a clean admin interface and built-in content dripping.
The plugin uses custom database tables for subscriptions and payment data, with webhook-based payment processing for reliable subscription lifecycle management.
Competitive Features
- Content restriction — restrict by membership level, user role, or individual user with global and per-content rules
- Recurring payments — Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net with automatic subscription billing
- Discount codes — percentage and fixed discounts with expiration dates and usage limits
- Trial periods — free trial access before billing starts, with configurable trial length
- Content dripping — schedule content release by days or weeks after signup
- Email templates — customizable notification emails for welcome, renewal, expiry, and more
- Member management — add, edit, search, and export members with subscription history
Key Features
- Membership levels — unlimited levels with custom pricing, duration, and access rules
- Content restriction shortcodes —
[restrict]and[is_user_logged_in]for inline content control - Subscription management — view, edit, cancel, and reactivate subscriptions from admin
- Payment history — complete order log with status tracking and refund processing
- Reports — revenue, signup, and membership growth reports with export
- REST API — full CRUD for memberships, subscriptions, payments, and discounts
- Add-on integrations — Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Zapier, BuddyPress, and more
Comparison with Competitors
Restrict Content Pro vs MemberPress
| Aspect | Restrict Content Pro | MemberPress |
|---|---|---|
| Content dripping | Yes (built-in) | Yes |
| Trial periods | Yes | Yes |
| Discount codes | Yes | Yes |
| Payment gateways | Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net | Stripe, PayPal |
| Developer API | Extensive | Extensive |
Bottom line: Restrict Content Pro is more affordable and offers built-in content dripping. MemberPress has a larger add-on ecosystem and more third-party integrations.
Recommended Stack: RCP handles memberships and content restriction. For combining membership access with online courses, pair it with LearnDash — the content-dripping feature works well for gating course lessons to subscribers.
Official Changelog
Version 4.0.3
Release Date: September 3, 2026
- Fix: Stripe subscription renewals now record a renewal payment and extend the membership expiration.
- Fix: Stripe payments in a currency with a different number of decimals than the store currency were recorded with the wrong amount.
- Fix: Free trials on paid membership levels were processed as free memberships, so no Stripe subscription was created and access ended with the trial.
- Fix: A declined card no longer leaves a duplicate pending membership behind on the next attempt.
- Fix: Stripe card declines were rejected by their own security check, so failed registrations were never recorded as failed.
- Fix: Resolved PHP warnings that could occur when another plugin using Composer was active on the same site.
Version 4.0.2
Release Date: August 6, 2026
- New: Added Chinese Yuan to the list of available currencies.
Version 4.0.1
Release Date: May 26, 2026
- Security: Strengthened security measures for password recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drip content with RCP?
Yes. RCP includes built-in content dripping where you schedule content release based on the time since a member signed up. You can set daily, weekly, or monthly release schedules.
What payment gateways does RCP support?
Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net for recurring payments. Manual payment options are also available for offline payments.
Does RCP support discount codes?
Yes. You can create percentage or fixed discount codes with expiration dates, usage limits, and per-level application.
Can I offer free trials?
Yes. RCP supports free trial periods for any membership level. You set the trial length, and members are billed when the trial ends.
What integrations are available?
RCP integrates with Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Zapier, BuddyPress, bbPress, and more through official add-ons.
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