---
title: Joomla Community & Membership Site Tutorials | Setup Guide
description: Create membership sites and online communities with Joomla. Tutorials on Community Builder, Membership Pro, user access levels & subscription management.
author: mary
date: 2026-01-06
url: https://webiedesign.com/tutorials-resources/communities-membership
---

# Communities/Membership

Joomla! includes built-in user management and access control that provides the foundation for membership functionality. You can create user groups, control who sees what content, and manage basic member permissions right out of the box. For organizations ready to build vibrant online communities, [Community Builder](https://www.joomlapolis.com/) extends these capabilities into a complete social networking platform where members create rich profiles, connect with each other, share photos and updates, participate in group discussions, and engage through activity streams. Community Builder transforms your site from a simple membership roster into an interactive hub where your community actually lives and communicates. Additional options include memberships through paid subscriptions including powerful payment processing, recurring billing, membership tiers, and automatic access control—members get instant access to premium content when they subscribe, lose access when subscriptions expire, and can upgrade or downgrade plans as their needs change. Together, these tools let you build everything from simple member directories to complex community platforms with multiple subscription levels, automated renewals, group management, and complete social networking features. The integration means members manage everything from a single profile—their subscription status, payment history, community connections, and content access all work together seamlessly, while you maintain control through one unified system rather than juggling separate platforms.

**Joomla! Features**

[Joomla's Access Control](https://guide.joomla.org/user-manual/users/users-access-control) - Joomla! Documentation
[Explore the Core: Controlling User Access](https://magazine.joomla.org/all-issues/june-2021/explore-the-core-controlling-user-access) - Joomla! News

**Community Builder**

[Documentation](https://www.joomlapolis.com/documentation) - Community Builder
[Demo](https://demo.cbdemosites.com/) - Community Builder

**Membership Pro**

[Documentation](https://docs.joomdonation.com/membershippro/) - Membership Pro
[Demo](https://demo.joomdonation.com/membershippro) - Membership Pro