Best Paywall Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Admiral is ranked #1 of 31 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Pelcro and Cleeng. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Pelcro. The lowest first paid tier on this page is PaywallProject at $10/mo.
For publishers managing access to paid or registered content, paywall software brings rules, payment options, and publishing setup into the comparison. Compare entitlement rules, metered paywalls, registration walls, and one-time payments, then check included pageviews, payment processors, and supported CMS options. Free-plan availability and paid starting prices add cost context. The ranking begins with Cleeng and Pelcro, followed by Admiral, Pigeon, and PaywallProject; Flip-Pay, Piano Analytics, and Zephr are also among the first entries. Weigh the listed capabilities against how you grant access and collect payment, and check that the supported CMS fits your publishing stack.
31 paywall software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Metered paywall | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Admiral | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Yes | View |
| 2 | Pelcro | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $450/mo | Yes | 450 /mo | Yes | View |
| 3 | Cleeng | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | 0.39 /mo | — | View |
| 4 |  Tollbridge | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 5 |  Zuora CPQ | 7.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 6 |  Piano Analytics | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 7 |  PaywallProject | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $10/mo | Yes | 299 /mo | Yes | View |
| 8 |  Pigeon | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $99/mo | Yes | 99 /mo | Yes | View |
| 9 |  PostGate | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | No | View |
| 10 |  Uix Page Builder | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | 9.99 /mo | Yes | View |
| 11 | Steady | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 12 | codoc | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 13 |  Content Credits SDK | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | No | View |
| 14 |  Dude Paywall | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 15 |  Milkie | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 16 |  Paperview | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 17 |  Paperwall | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | 10 /mo | No | View |
| 18 |  Pay-To-View Lite | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 19 |  Flip-Pay | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 20 |  InPlayer | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 21 |  Leaky Paywall | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $299/mo | No | 299 /mo | — | View |
| 22 |  Kayak Shop | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 23 |  Evolok | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 24 |  Paywall Plus | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 25 | Poool | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which paywall software is ranked first on Inferse?
Admiral is ranked #1 of 31 with a score of 7.4. Pelcro is second and Cleeng third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, PaywallProject has the lowest first paid tier we found: $10/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.