What Are Tiered Subscriptions?
Tiered subscriptions mean creating multiple subscription plans at different price points, each offering a different level of content access.
This structure gives your members a variety of options that suit their needs, while giving you a clear upgrade path to upsell them as they engage with your content.
Each tier can grant access to its own set of videos, collections, and live events. Lower tiers typically offer limited content at a more affordable price; higher tiers unlock your most premium material.
🔗 Learn more about Subscriptions
Before You Begin: Plan Your Tiers
💡 TIP: Keep it simple. 2–3 tiers are almost always more effective than a long list of options. Too many choices can overwhelm potential members and reduce conversions.
Here's a common three-tier structure to use as a starting point:
Tier | Example Name | What to Include |
Tier 1 | Basic | A sample or limited selection of on-demand content |
Tier 2 | Standard | On-demand content + extras like live streams or special events |
Tier 3 | Premium | Full access to all content, including exclusive materials |
💡 TIP: Think about what gated content would motivate a member to upgrade. That's your most powerful lever.
Step 1: Create Your First (Lowest) Plan
Navigate to Subscriptions
Click New Plan
Fill in the plan details:
Title: Use a clear, consistent naming convention (e.g., Basic, Standard, Premium)
Description: Explain what subscribers get at this tier
Price and Billing Period: Choose Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-Annual, or Yearly
Free Trial (optional): Add a trial period to reduce signup friction
Availability: Set to Public (visible on your Join Us page) or Private (accessible via direct link only)
Click Save
ℹ️ INFO: Plan names appear side-by-side on your Join Us page and during checkout. Use names that clearly communicate the value difference between tiers.
🔗 Learn more about the Join Us Page
Step 2: Assign Content to the Plan
You can assign content to a plan in two ways:
Option A: Bulk Assignment (recommended for large libraries)
Navigate to Content > Videos or Content > Collections
Use the checkboxes to select the content you want to include
Click Add to Plans
Select the desired plan from the side panel
Click Add to save
📝 NOTE: You can bulk-add content to a plan, but removing content must be done one item at a time. Plan your assignments carefully before saving.
Option B: Individual Assignment
Navigate to Content > Videos (or Collections)
Click on the specific video or collection you want to assign
In the Subscription section on the right side, select your plan from the dropdown.
Click Save Changes
🔗 Learn more about Video Pricing & Access
📝 NOTE: Assigning a collection to a plan does not automatically change the access settings for the individual videos inside it. Collections and videos are treated as separate content. If you want videos to be plan-gated, assign them directly or assign the collection and ensure video access is set accordingly.
🔗 Learn more about Collection Pricing & Access
Option C: Content Overview
Each subscription plan page now displays a Content Overview section showing which content items are currently assigned to the plan.
This gives you a quick at-a-glance view of what's included without navigating away from the plan page.
To manage content assignments in bulk, click Manage Content, where you may add or remove content from the subscription plan.
Step 3: Duplicate to Build Higher Tiers
Once your lowest tier is set up, use it as the foundation for your next tier, and no need to start from scratch.
Navigate to Subscriptions
Click the ellipsis (...) next to the plan you want to build on
Select Duplicate. This creates an identical copy with all the same settings and assigned content
Edit the duplicate plan: update the title, description, price, and billing period to match your higher tier
Assign any additional content that should be exclusive to this tier
Repeat for each additional tier
💡 TIP: A duplicated plan keeps all the settings and assigned content of the original, so you only need to add what's new and not rebuild from scratch. This is the fastest way to build a tiered structure.
Upgrade Experience for Members
If a subscriber tries to access content outside their current plan, they'll see an "Upgrade to Watch" prompt.
Clicking it shows a list of tiers that include the desired content. If they choose to upgrade, they'll follow the standard plan change flow.
ℹ️ INFO: Members can also upgrade at any time from their User Dashboard.
🔗 Learn more about the User Dashboard
FAQs
How many tiers can I create?
How many tiers can I create?
There's no documented cap on the number of subscription plans you can create. You can make as many tiers as you need. That said, 2–3 tiers is the sweet spot for most creators, and more than that can overwhelm potential members.
Can a member subscribe to more than one plan at a time?
Can a member subscribe to more than one plan at a time?
No, a member can only be subscribed to one subscription plan at a time. If they want access to content from a higher tier, they'll need to upgrade their plan.
What billing periods are available?
What billing periods are available?
Plans can be set to Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-Annual, or Yearly. Note that some app stores only support Monthly or Yearly billing, so keep this in mind if you're offering in-app subscriptions. 🔗 Learn more about In-App Subscriptions
What happens to a member's subscription when they upgrade?
What happens to a member's subscription when they upgrade?
They follow the standard plan change flow, which includes proration. 🔗 Learn more about Subscription Plan Changes & Proration
Will recurring coupon codes carry over when a member upgrades?
Will recurring coupon codes carry over when a member upgrades?
Not automatically. Coupon codes don't automatically apply to the new plan after a member changes tiers. Admins must manually apply new codes after a plan change.
What about in-app subscriptions (iOS, Android, Apple TV, etc.)?
What about in-app subscriptions (iOS, Android, Apple TV, etc.)?
In-app subscriptions need to be set up separately as Private plans and submitted to the App Launch team via an app update request. App store changes can take several days to go through review. Your in-app plan should offer your highest tier of access. When editing a tiered plan that has app-related pricing, you'll see an alert on the form reminding you that app changes must be handled separately, and any changes you save will only apply to the web version of the plan. 🔗 Learn more about Requesting an App Update
Can I restrict community features (like Direct Messages) by tier?
Can I restrict community features (like Direct Messages) by tier?
Yes, you can control which plans are allowed to send direct messages to admins via Community > Settings > Direct Messages > Subscription plans. Only active paying members on selected plans will have access.
I have a large content library. Is there a faster way to assign everything to a plan?
I have a large content library. Is there a faster way to assign everything to a plan?
The fastest approach is to duplicate an existing plan that already has content assigned, then add only the additional content for the higher tier. For bulk-assigning from scratch, use Content > Videos or Content > Collections, select items page by page, and use Add to Plans. There is currently no "select all across all pages" option.