PaywallProject

PaywallProject is a WordPress paywall and membership service built for local news publishers. Its metered paywall lets publishers set free article allowances by day, week, or month, and apply those limits by post type or section. The meter tracks anonymous and free registered visitors by IP address, including when cookies are cleared or a private window is opened. A dashboard manages digital subscriptions, print subscriptions, and donations. Publishers can create and send newsletters from WordPress with automated segmentation, manage advertising inventory through Ads Glue, and offer payment options through a WooCommerce integration. E-editions present archived, searchable page-flip issues without requiring a separate reader login. An AI-powered calendar gathers and organizes events from a publisher’s region. Hosting is included with the fully managed service; the FAQ says BigScoots monitors sites every 60 seconds. The listed Free plan is $10 a month and includes unlimited subscribers and e-editions, while Standard is $995 a month. The maker says launch takes about two weeks or less on average.

PaywallProject combines metered access with subscription, newsletter, e-edition, and advertising tools for local news sites. Plan details matter: its listed Free plan is paid and leaves hosting and setup to the publisher.

PaywallProject is aimed at local news publishers managing reader access, subscriptions, donations, and advertising in WordPress. Publishers wanting hosting included should consider the fully managed service.

Overview

PaywallProject is a WordPress paywall and membership platform built for local news publishers. It is best suited to outlets that want reader-revenue and publishing tools centered on WordPress; publishers should weigh the low-cost self-managed option against the higher cost of a managed setup.

Its scope extends from metered access and subscriptions to newsletters, e-editions, and advertising, giving local publishers several ways to build reader revenue without stitching together every function themselves.

For more options, see Paywall Software.

Key features

Access and subscriber management

Publishers can set free article allowances by day, week, or month, then tune them by section or post type. Tracking anonymous and free registered visitors by IP address, even after cookies are cleared or a private window is opened, makes the meter less reliant on browser storage. A dashboard covers digital subscriptions, print subscriptions, and donations. Registration walls, one-time payments, and entitlement rules also let publishers support more than a single recurring-subscription path.

Publishing and audience tools

E-editions use page-flip issues that can be archived and searched without a separate reader login or third-party platform. Publishers can create and personalize newsletters in WordPress, with automated segmentation. The AI-powered local events calendar gathers and organizes regional events, which can give local outlets another way to serve their communities. Ads Glue provides tools to sell, schedule, and track ad inventory.

Payments and operations

Stripe is the listed payment processor, while WooCommerce integration can provide additional gateways and payment options. The technology stack also includes WordPress, BigScoots, Newsletter Glue, Advanced Ads, Broadstreet, Plausible Analytics, and WPForms. The managed service includes hosting, and BigScoots monitors sites every 60 seconds. Launch takes about two weeks or less on average, according to the maker.

Pricing

PaywallProject’s pricing is presented as freemium, but its plan called Free costs $10 a month. It includes unlimited subscribers, e-editions, documentation, and email support; publishers handle their own hosting and setup. That makes it a narrow fit for outlets prepared to manage their own infrastructure, rather than a no-cost entry point.

Standard costs $995 a month and includes unlimited subscribers, e-editions, newsletters, ad management, and priority email support. It is the more complete core plan for publishers wanting those tools together, but the price is a substantial step up from the self-managed plan. The pricing note says paid plans start at $299/mo, while the listed Standard plan is $995 a month.

Three add-ons are available with any plan: Priority Slack support for $100 a month, a shared Slack support channel; Managed service for $200 a month, covering site design, build, hosting, and maintenance; and Branded mobile apps for $300 a month, with iOS and Android apps, push notifications, and ads. The managed-service add-on is the route for publishers who want hosting and site work handled; the mobile-app add-on adds branded apps but increases the monthly commitment.

Platforms

PaywallProject supports web, Android, and iOS, and its supported CMS is WordPress. Stripe is listed as a payment processor, with WooCommerce integration offering additional payment options.

Who it's for

PaywallProject is aimed at local news publishers seeking recurring reader revenue alongside publishing and advertising tools. The metering controls suit outlets that want to balance free access with paid readership, while integrated e-editions, newsletters, donations, and ad management broaden its usefulness beyond a basic paywall. Publishers who need a fully managed website can add hosting and maintenance; those looking for a free plan or a low-cost managed service should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Detailed metering controls let publishers vary free article allowances by time period, section, or post type.
• Pros: Subscription, print, donation, newsletter, e-edition, events, and ad tools address several local-publisher needs in one WordPress-centered platform.
• Pros: Unlimited subscribers are included in both core plans.
• Cons: The plan named Free costs $10 a month and leaves hosting and setup to the publisher.
• Cons: Standard costs $995 a month, a steep increase for publishers who need its bundled newsletters, ad management, and priority email support.
• Cons: Hosting and site maintenance require the $200 a month add-on unless the publisher handles them independently.

Alternatives

Cleeng may suit publishers seeking a free tier with global payment processing, automatic local tax calculation, and fraud and chargeback management; its free Merchant Basic plan is billed up to 10k subscribers.

Pelcro is another freemium option, with a Free plan for 100 customers and an Advanced plan at $450 a month for up to 2,000 customers. It may fit publishers whose customer scale and budget align with those limits.

InPlayer offers custom pricing that scales from one subscriber to millions, making it an option for publishers seeking a plan tailored to audience scale.

Paywall Plus uses custom pricing based on requirements, so publishers should consider it when they want to discuss a tailored scope and cost.

Leaky Paywall is a paid alternative with a Pro plan at $299 a month, a $750 one-time setup fee, and a 5% revenue share on new subscribers; its plan includes 50+ premium revenue extensions and Stripe.

Poool is another paid option for web, iOS, and Android.

codoc may appeal to publishers seeking a freemium option with a free tier, a free trial, and a 9,800 JPY per month Pro plan.

Milkie is a free, open-source, MIT-licensed web option.

Verdict

PaywallProject is a strong fit for local news publishers that want metered access alongside subscriptions, donations, e-editions, newsletters, and ad tools in a WordPress-centered system. Its strongest reason to choose it is that breadth, paired with detailed meter controls and unlimited subscribers. Look elsewhere if the $10 a month self-managed plan is not enough and the $995 a month Standard plan or paid service add-ons exceed your budget.