Hosting for Restrict Content ProHosting for Restrict Content Pro, now Kadence Memberships
Restrict Content Pro is being renamed Kadence Memberships, and both names are in use while that happens. Either way, the plugin checks a member's level, a [restrict] shortcode, or a post-level rule on nearly every request, and it hands recurring billing to Stripe through webhooks, server-to-server calls with no page for you to watch load. That shapes how a host has to handle caching, renewals, and the pages that can't be cached at all.
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What generic hosting misses about how RCP works
Restrict Content Pro doesn't gate content once and leave it alone, it checks on nearly every request, and it hands recurring billing to Stripe through webhooks rather than a page a member clicks. Both of those interact badly with hosting built for static, anonymous traffic. Where we see it go wrong:
A restriction check on every page load
- Every visit to a page under a [restrict] shortcode or a post-level rule means RCP checks the visitor's membership level against the database before it decides what to show.
- A cache that doesn't know about that check can serve the locked version to a paying member, or the full version to someone who hasn't paid.
Stripe webhooks that have to arrive on time
- Renewals, failed payments, and cancellations reach RCP through Stripe webhooks, an incoming request rather than something a member clicks.
- A firewall or rate-limit rule written for ordinary page traffic can delay or drop that request, and a lapsed membership can keep its access with nobody noticing until someone checks the numbers.
Login, registration and account pages that can't be cached like the rest of the site
- These pages carry a session token or a form nonce specific to the visitor, so caching them can hand one member's account screen to another, or serve a stale registration form that fails to submit.
- A cache rule built for a blog doesn't know to leave them out.
RCP rarely runs by itself
- Gate a LearnDash or LifterLMS course, or a BuddyBoss or bbPress community, behind an RCP membership level, and each of those plugins adds its own per-request checks on top of RCP's.
- The database load compounds instead of staying isolated to one plugin, and hosting sized for RCP alone runs out first.
RCP isn't a fragile plugin. The host just has to know what RCP is doing on each request, instead of scoring the homepage on a speed test and calling it done. See why concurrency, not the homepage, is the real limit on membership sites.
What we run differently for a Restrict Content Pro site
Fast level and shortcode checks
Redis object caching and OPcache, set up where they help on your site, let the database and PHP work behind a membership-level check or a [restrict] shortcode be served from memory instead of re-executed on each visit. Page caching runs on top of that, applied per site with login, registration, and account pages excluded rather than caught by a blanket rule. See how that plays out across dynamic membership sites.
A page gated by RCP gets checked correctly and still loads fast, instead of trading one for the other.
Firewall rules that don't treat a Stripe webhook like junk traffic
RCP's renewals, failed payments, and cancellations arrive through Stripe webhooks, plain incoming requests rather than something a member clicks. We configure firewall and rate-limit rules per site at the server and at Cloudflare instead of one blanket ruleset, so legitimate application traffic isn't mistaken for a bot.
A renewal or a cancellation gets recorded when it happens, not discovered later in a support ticket.
A migration handled by people who work on RCP sites
Our sister agency, MemberFix, builds, customizes, and migrates sites to and from Restrict Content Pro. If you're moving your existing RCP site onto MemberHost, we review your membership levels, shortcode-protected pages, and Stripe setup first, as part of onboarding rather than an afterthought.
Your levels, restricted pages, and payment setup carry over instead of getting rebuilt from scratch.
Database and PHP headroom for exports and reports
Pulling a subscriber export or a payment report in RCP reads directly from the same database your members are hitting live. PHP workers and database throughput are sized to your site and traffic pattern instead of a shared template tier, the same approach behind how we measure WordPress backend speed, so that job doesn't compete with a member trying to log in at the same time.
Running a report doesn't slow the site down for whoever else is on it.
Monitoring that catches a spike before it's downtime
Adding a course or community plugin alongside RCP, or running a large export, can push resource usage up without warning. We watch usage in real time and investigate unusual patterns instead of waiting for a member to report a slow page.
You hear about a developing problem from us, not from a member stuck at checkout or login.
Support that knows RCP's checks, not a script
When something breaks, you're not told to disable your plugins, RCP's shortcode and level checks are the site. We investigate at the server and WordPress levels together, so a login redirect loop or a restriction that isn't applying gets diagnosed instead of guessed at.
A real answer instead of a troubleshooting script that assumes RCP is optional.
What to check before you choose Restrict Content Pro hosting
Nexcess publishes recommended server resources for its Kadence plugins, such as a 512MB PHP memory limit. This list covers what those settings don't: what goes wrong on RCP sites in practice, and how MemberHost handles each part.
| What to check | Why it matters | How MemberHost handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Fast level and shortcode checks | A page gated by the [restrict] shortcode or a post-level rule means RCP checks the visitor's membership level against the database on nearly every request, and that check gets slower as your subscriber list grows. | We look at how RCP's level checks hit the database on your site, then use Redis object caching and OPcache where they help, so that work can be served from memory instead of re-executed each time. |
| Page caching that excludes login, registration and account pages | These pages carry a session token or a form nonce specific to the visitor, so caching them can serve one member's account screen to someone else, or a stale registration form that fails to submit. | LiteSpeed page caching is applied per site, with login, registration and account pages excluded rather than caught by a blanket rule. |
| Firewall and rate-limit rules that don't block Stripe webhooks | Renewals, failed payments and cancellations reach RCP through Stripe webhooks, an incoming request that a generic firewall or rate-limit rule can delay or drop. | Firewall and rate-limit rules are configured per site at the server and at Cloudflare instead of one blanket ruleset. |
| Enough PHP workers and database throughput for exports and reports | A subscriber export or a payment report reads directly from the same database your members are using live, and thin resources make that job compete with normal page loads. | PHP workers and database throughput are sized to your site and traffic pattern instead of a shared template tier. |
| Room for the plugin you pair RCP with | RCP is commonly paired with a course plugin like LearnDash or LifterLMS, or a community plugin like BuddyBoss or bbPress, and each one adds its own checks on top of RCP's. | We size the environment for the stack you're running, so adding a course or community layer later doesn't mean starting over. |
| A migration that doesn't touch your membership levels or Stripe setup | A migration that leaves you rebuilding membership levels, restricted pages, or reconnecting Stripe by hand is a bad one. | We review your RCP configuration first and handle the move as part of onboarding, so your levels and payment setup carry over. |
Who this Restrict Content Pro setup is built for
- 01
Content locked behind the [restrict] shortcode or post-level rules
Creators and educators using RCP to gate individual posts, downloads, or pages, where a caching mistake means either giving away paid content or blocking a member who already paid for it.
- 02
Recurring memberships billed through Stripe
Sites where membership levels renew monthly or annually through RCP's Stripe integration, and a missed or delayed webhook means a renewal, a failed payment, or a cancellation doesn't get recorded.
- 03
RCP paired with a course or community plugin
Sites gating LearnDash or LifterLMS lessons, or a BuddyBoss or bbPress community, behind an RCP membership level, where each added plugin compounds the per-request load.
- 04
Sites outgrowing shared or generic hosting
Growing subscriber lists, regular member exports and reports, and rising traffic that a shared-hosting resource limit wasn't sized for.
What happens if you reach out about an RCP site
The same process whether you're moving an existing Restrict Content Pro site or planning one.
- 1
Reach out or start with a free audit
Tell us about your RCP setup, membership levels, and growth plans, or start with a free site speed audit if you want to see the numbers first.
- 2
We review your RCP configuration
We look at your membership levels, [restrict] shortcode usage, Stripe integration, and current hosting metrics to see where the actual bottlenecks are.
- 3
We recommend a configuration
You get a setup sized to your plugin stack, including any course or community plugin running alongside RCP, not a generic plan tier.
- 4
We handle the migration
We move your site over, configure caching for your stack and page-cache exclusions for RCP's login, registration, and account pages, and hand it back to you running.
Restrict Content Pro hosting questions
Updated
Is Kadence Memberships the new name for Restrict Content Pro?
Yes. Nexcess, which publishes the plugin, says Restrict Content Pro is becoming Kadence Memberships, and that you may see both names used while it updates the product and its documentation. The free version on WordPress.org already carries the new name. This page covers sites running it under either name.
Is MemberHost a certified or official Restrict Content Pro partner?
No. MemberHost doesn't hold a partner or certification listing from Restrict Content Pro or Kadence Memberships, so there's no badge to point to. What we can show you instead is how the hosting handles what RCP does: per-request restriction checks, Stripe-driven renewals, and pages that can't be cached, covered in the checklist above.
Will page caching break my [restrict] shortcode or post-level restrictions?
It can, on hosting that caches every page the same way. A blanket cache rule doesn't know a page is gated by RCP's [restrict] shortcode or a post-level rule, so it can serve a cached copy to someone who hasn't paid, or block a member who has. We tune the object caching behind those checks for your site, and exclude login, registration and account pages from page caching instead of catching them by default.
How does MemberHost handle Stripe webhooks for RCP renewals?
RCP records renewals, failed payments and cancellations through Stripe webhooks, which arrive as ordinary incoming requests rather than something a member clicks. We configure firewall and rate-limit rules per site at the server and at Cloudflare instead of one blanket ruleset, so a legitimate webhook isn't treated the same as random bot traffic and delayed or dropped.
How many concurrent members can MemberHost handle on an RCP site?
There's no flat number, since it comes down to your plugin stack and what members are doing right then, renewals hitting Stripe all at once cost more than ordinary browsing. We size PHP workers, database throughput, and server resources to your site's actual traffic pattern, and can load test it with tools like loader.io or k6 to confirm the number rather than assume it.
How much does hosting for a Restrict Content Pro site cost?
We price Restrict Content Pro (now Kadence Memberships) sites on traffic, complexity (the plugin plus your membership levels, restriction rules and payment setup), how many members are signed in at the same time, and spikes when you open a new tier or run a promotion. There's no fixed number up front: we start with a free speed audit, then review your traffic with you before quoting.
Do you migrate an existing Restrict Content Pro site to MemberHost?
Yes. We review your current RCP configuration, membership levels, and Stripe setup first, then handle the move so your levels, restricted pages, and active subscriptions carry over instead of getting rebuilt by hand. Switching membership plugins is a separate job, and that one belongs to our sister agency, MemberFix, which migrates sites between membership plugins and customizes Restrict Content Pro. Reach out or start with a free site speed audit; either way, we'll explain what moving involves before you decide anything.
Keep reading
- The 2026 concurrency guide for membership sitesWhy concurrent, logged-in members break hosting sized for anonymous traffic.
- Beyond static cachingWhy caching alone stops being enough on a membership site.
- SecurityCloudflare-backed protection and hardened environments, for a site where the paywall and your members' data are the whole business.
Proudly hosting
Talk to us about your Restrict Content Pro site
Tell us about your membership levels, your Stripe setup, and what's slowing the site down, or start with a free site speed audit, and we'll show you where an RCP site like yours is losing time right now, whether you move hosts or not.