How Disciple and WordPress compare
Disciple does the thing most community platforms charge a premium for: every plan includes your own iOS and Android app listed under your name, a synced web version, and no Disciple branding anywhere your members look. Groups, feeds, DMs, events, native video, livestreaming, courses, push notifications to segments, and a customer success manager who helps you through the app store submission. Associations, training providers, nonprofits, and membership brands that want an icon on the member's phone are who it is built for.
WordPress powers a huge share of the web for good reason. This page compares WordPress.com hosted plans. You get the block editor, thousands of themes, comments and likes, Jetpack newsletters, and on higher plans the full plugin ecosystem and WooCommerce. Nothing else offers this much freedom to extend, and your content is exportable and yours.
Where they are different
Disciple
- Disciple lives behind a login and a home screen icon.
- Disciple reaches members with push notifications and hands email to Mailchimp or ConvertKit.
- Disciple starts at $599 a month for a branded app with unlimited members.
- Disciple has courses, livestreams, tiers, and in-app purchases.
WordPress
- WordPress extends by plugin: a form plugin, a booking plugin, an email plugin, each with its own settings.
- WordPress email is Jetpack newsletters or a plugin.
- WordPress accessibility and SEO depend on your theme and plugins.
Choose Disciple when your members should open an app with your name on it, and a private community with groups, events, and paid tiers is the whole point.
Choose WordPress when you want maximum control, plugins for anything, and the option to self-host.
Compare features
What's on Disciple and WordPress
A check means that capability is available. Disciple and WordPress are marked only when the offer is comparable, not the same product.
Site and brand
- Workspace siteDisciple: Not includedWordPress: Included
- Custom domainDisciple: IncludedWordPress: Included
- Theme and fontsDisciple: IncludedWordPress: Included
Public content
- BlogDisciple: Not includedWordPress: Included
- Reader engagementDisciple: Not includedWordPress: Included
- Showcase pagesDisciple: Not includedWordPress: Included
- Shop pagesDisciple: Not includedWordPress: Included
Reach and quality
- SEODisciple: Not includedWordPress: Included
Audience and email
- AudienceDisciple: IncludedWordPress: Included
- Marketing emailsDisciple: Not includedWordPress: Included
- Bulk email workflowsDisciple: Not includedWordPress: Included
Messaging
- Built-in chatDisciple: IncludedWordPress: Not included
Commerce
- Shop paymentsDisciple: IncludedWordPress: Included
Team
- Admin usersDisciple: IncludedWordPress: Included
* Note: This table does not capture every feature of Disciple or WordPress, and is not intended as a comprehensive list. We keep this page current, but Disciple or WordPress may add or remove features that are not shown here.
Disciple vs WordPress pricing
Compare plans, prices, and what it costs to get started.
Disciple
Current plans and prices
See what Disciple charges on their pricing page.
WordPress
Current plans and prices
See what WordPress charges on their pricing page.
Cardel: An alternative to
Disciple and WordPress
You don't pay until you publish.
Cardel provides a home for your craft. Share and sell your work, grow your audience, and bring your community together on a site of your own.
Common questions
Is Cardel an alternative to Disciple or WordPress?
Cardel is a home for your craft: a site of your own with a blog, newsletter, shop, community, and one inbox. It can replace Disciple or WordPress when you want your work, audience, and sales in one place. The feature list on this page shows where Disciple and WordPress are marked.
Can I use Cardel with Disciple or WordPress?
Yes. Cardel pages can link out to other products, so you can keep Disciple or WordPress for what it does best and bring the rest of your work to Cardel.
How much does Cardel cost compared with Disciple and WordPress?
You don't pay for Cardel until you publish. Choose Starter, Pro, or Studio when your site goes live. Disciple and WordPress set their own prices, so check their pricing pages on this page for current plans.
How do I switch from Disciple or WordPress to Cardel?
Start with Build Your Site, set up your home, and bring your work over at your own pace. You do not have to move everything on day one.