Question 1

What kind of membership sites?

Accepted Answer

Paid newsletter/content (Substack alternative), course platforms (Teachable/Kajabi alternative), private communities (Circle/Discord alternative), professional networks, SaaS-style subscription products. AEN builds custom when off-the-shelf can't fit your community.

Question 2

Build vs Memberstack/Circle?

Accepted Answer

Start with Memberstack/Circle/Substack if validating idea (€20-€100/month). Build custom when: 500+ paying members ($50k+ ARR), specific feature needs platforms can't provide, custom branded experience matters. Break-even on custom: 12-18 months.

Question 3

Tech stack?

Accepted Answer

Next.js + Postgres + Stripe Billing (subscriptions, upgrades, dunning) + Clerk/Auth.js (auth) + Mux (video hosting) + Tipt/Resend (email). All cinematic UI, branded properly, fully owned.

Question 4

Cost?

Accepted Answer

Combo €7,500 for MVP (signup, paywall, content gating, single subscription tier). Custom on request for course platforms with multi-tier subscriptions, certificates, instructor portals, communities.

Paid communities.

Frequently asked questions.

Types?

Build vs Memberstack?

Stack?

Cost?