After 10+ years working with hundreds of local news publishers, we’ve seen firsthand what it actually takes to build a sustainable local news business.
PaywallProject was built on a simple belief: recurring paid digital subscriptions are the path forward for local news. But collecting and keeping those subscribers requires two things most platforms overlook: a first-class support team and technology built specifically for how local news publishers operate.
That’s why we built the PaywallProject plugin.
For years, we worked with dozens of subscription systems, each with its own strengths and limitations, none truly designed with local news in mind. We patched, customized, and bolted on code to make them fit. Eventually, the workarounds piled up. So we stopped adapting someone else’s tool and built our own from scratch.
With the PaywallProject plugin, you get everything built specifically for local news publishers:
A dashboard designed for local news. Clean, intuitive, and built around how your team actually works.
A modern checkout system. Multiple styles to choose from, including a Shopify-style experience if that’s your preference.
Direct Stripe integration. Built on Stripe’s modern payment platform from the ground up.
Modern subscriber account management. Give your subscribers a first-class self-service experience.
Precise upgrade/downgrade proration. Real-time calculations so subscribers always know exactly what they’ll be charged.
New York Times-style free registration. Grow your email list and convert more readers into paid subscribers.
Coupons and discounts. Create and apply coupon codes at checkout to run promotions, reward loyal readers, or support partner offers.
Gift subscriptions. Let readers give a subscription to someone they care about, a proven driver of new subscriber growth at local papers.
Group accounts. Like a family plan for local news. A subscriber admin manages a set number of seats, making it easy to offer organizational or household subscriptions.
IP-based access allowances. Grant paywall bypass access to specific IP addresses or ranges. Perfect for schools, libraries, government offices, coffee shops, and other community institutions that want to offer access to patrons.
Custom terms of service at checkout. Reduce chargeback losses with checkbox confirmation built into the checkout flow.
True two-way Stripe sync. Update a subscriber’s expiration date in WordPress and it updates in Stripe. Subscribers change their email, address, or phone number and it reflects in Stripe. No more disjointed data between your site and your payment processor.
Integrated tax collection. Stripe Tax calculates based on zip code so you can collect and remit quickly.
Dynamic shipping fees by zip code. Offer print delivery with location-based pricing? Now you can.
A special thank you to Software Engineer Riza Ardiyanto (also the founder of SandyWP) and the entire PaywallProject team. The countless hours spent building Stripe integrations, subscription lifecycle logic, IP-based metering, and everything in between reflect our commitment to delivering the highest-quality software possible that moves the needle forward for local news publishers.
How much does it cost?
The PaywallProject plugin is included with any of our fully-managed plans.