Patreon Launches App Directory and Free WordPress Plugin for Membership Sites

Patreon was founded in May 2013 as a service with business tools that allow content creators to crowdfund their work through donations and subscriptions. The service is now expanding to help users connect their accounts to more third-party tools that make patron management easier. Patreon launched its new App Directory and Developer Portal today, featuring a free WordPress plugin that offers basic membership capabilities.

The plugin uses the Patreon API to tell the WordPress site who is a patron and what pledge level they are at. Patrons can then click on the “Connect with Patreon” button included with the plugin and site owners will have the ability to publish posts that are viewable by patrons only. It also includes an option to provide an ad-free experience for patrons visiting the site.

The plugin is free, maintained and supported by Patreon, and released under the Apache License Version 2.0. Users who want more features can purchase a commercial plugin called Patron Plugin Pro, which is available in the App Directory from a third party. It offers more granular control over content restriction:

Make entire site patron only with a single click

Mark an entire post, post type, or parts of content as patron-only with a click

Customizable different types of notifications for Patron only content with Message and buttons

Custom Banner/Notification for non-patrons viewing a patron-only Post

Protect excerpts in listings for patron-only content

Usage of the plugin is $30/year, which includes ongoing updates and access to community support. It does not include premium support. Patron Plugin Pro was created and maintained by CodeBard, a company that also has a plugin on WordPress.org for adding Patreon buttons and widgets. For those who want to build their own integrations, Patreon’s new Developer Portal has documentation on its REST API and Webhooks.

Last month Patreon announced that the company had raised $60M in new funding and hinted that integrations with other platforms were coming. Today’s announcement of apps for WordPress, Zapier, Discourse, Slack, and other services is the beginning of the company’s plan to make a whole ecosystem of tools available to help creators expand their memberships.