Below is a basic overview the minimum hosting requirements to support a membership site with ecommerce functionality.

Please refer to our complete guide on hosting recommendations to support Paid Memberships Pro for more details on hosting compatibility.

Minimum Requirements

WordPress Version

Paid Memberships Pro should work on any host that supports WordPress 5.2 or higher.

Server Type

We recommend a Linux-based server at the equivalent of a “Virtual Dedicated Server” or higher when choosing a hosting plan. Shared hosting plans that rely heavily on caching are not a good fit because membership sites cannot be cached as aggressively as standard sites.

PHP Version

We strongly recommend a hosting environment that uses PHP version 7.4 or greater. We have new installs using PHP version 8.3 with very few issues. An occasional warning may appear if your wp_debug is active. Once reported, our team is working to correct these as they come in.

MySQL Version

While lesser versions will work, we recommend using MySQL version 8.0 or greater.

SSL

To enable SSL, you will need a dedicated IP address and an SSL certificate [docs].

CURL

This command line tool is needed for several of our gateway integrations. In most cases you can ask your host to enable CURL for you if it is not enabled by default.

Note: Windows-based hosting platforms should be able to run PMPro, but we do not do extensive testing on that setup. If you have issues, please contact us to work them out.

WordPress Hosting Company Compatibility

Below is a list of hosting companies we have worked with through our customers. Each host has specific recommendations and guides to set up a successful membership site.

Hosting CompanyRecommended Plan to ChooseSpecial Setup Docs
NexcessThe Maker plan is the best option for a growing membership site. The “Spark” plan will work for smaller sites.No special setup steps needed
SiteGroundThe GoGeek plan offers strong performance with caching disabled.SiteGround + PMPro Set Up Guide
BluehostThe Plus or Choice Plus plans are our recommended options for Bluehost. Bluehost + PMPro Set Up Guide
WP EngineAny WP Engine plan will properly run Paid Memberships Pro.WP Engine + PMPro Set Up Guide
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