Is it possible to offer users a free trial with Webflow Memberships/Ecommerce only, without using any third-party tools?
TL;DR
- Webflow doesn't natively support time-based free trials in Memberships or Ecommerce.
- You can manually simulate trials using a free plan or $0 product, but automatic billing or access transitions require third-party tools like Memberstack or custom Stripe integration.
Webflow Memberships and Ecommerce do not natively support free trials without third-party tools or custom code. However, there are limited workarounds depending on your use case.
1. No Native Free Trial Feature
- Webflow Memberships allows for paid and free memberships but does not include a built-in free trial capability (e.g., free for 7 days, then billed).
- Webflow Ecommerce enables selling digital products and subscriptions using Stripe, but again, Stripe’s free trial features are not exposed through Webflow’s standard interface.
2. Workaround Using Free Plans
- You can create a free membership plan that provides limited access.
- Then upsell users to a paid membership plan after a trial period. This is a manual trial approach:
- User signs up for a free plan.
- After X days (you must notify users manually or via site logic), they lose access to gated content unless they upgrade.
- Limitations:
- No automatic billing transition from free to paid.
- No in-app migration logic—users manually upgrade.
3. Workaround Using One-Time Free Product
- You can set up a “$0” one-time digital product that grants temporary access to protected content.
- Then separately offer a paid subscription.
- Drawbacks:
- Users would need to go through a checkout flow twice: once for free and once to subscribe.
- No automated transition between the two stages.
4. Why Third-Party Tools May Be Needed
- Stripe (underlying Webflow’s subscriptions) does support trials, but Webflow’s integration does not expose that feature.
- Embedding custom Stripe Checkout or using tools like Memberstack, Outseta, or Stripe APIs would allow free trials, but this requires custom development or third-party services, which goes beyond Webflow-native tools.
Summary
Webflow does not currently support time-based free trials in Memberships or Ecommerce without third-party tools. While workarounds using free plans or free products exist, there is no native way to automatically convert users from a free trial to a paid plan.