A fair comparison.
Both products do the same job: add chat to a Memberstack-powered site without standing up a backend. Memberchat shipped the basics. Midway is what we'd want member chat to look like in 2026, with voice notes, replies, reactions, and real-time presence, themed to your site.
How the two compare.
Features marked “Not advertised” reflect what's listed on each product's public pricing page as of June 2026. If Memberchat ships these, we'll update.
| Capability | Midway | Memberchat |
|---|---|---|
| Memberstack auth | Native | Native |
| Webflow install | One iframe | Iframe-based |
| Direct messages | Yes | Yes |
| File attachments | Included | On $49 plan |
| Voice notes | Built-in | Not advertised |
| Reply threading | Quote any message inline | Not advertised |
| Message reactions | Any emoji | Not advertised |
| Typing indicators | Yes | Not advertised |
| Read receipts | Yes | Not advertised |
| Member blocking | Built-in | Not advertised |
| Browser notifications | Built-in | Not advertised |
| Per-project theming | Custom accent on Starter, logo and full theme on Studio | White-label on Basic ($49) |
| Free MAU cap | 50 MAU/month | Unlimited members |
| Free domain | Your domain | webflow.io subdomain only |
| Custom domain | Every plan | Basic ($49) only |
| Pricing tiers | $0 / $19.99 / $49.99 | $0 / $49 |
Which one is right for you?
You already have it working, or you only need the basics.
- You already use Memberchat and it works for your community.
- You only need text DMs. The extras like voice notes, replies, and reactions don't matter to you.
- You have hundreds of members on a webflow.io subdomain. Memberchat's Free plan covers unlimited members at $0. Midway's Free caps at 50 MAU.
You want chat that feels like the apps members already use.
- Voice notes, replies, reactions, typing, read receipts. Every messaging feature on every plan, including Free.
- Custom domain on every paid plan, not just the top tier.
- One bill that covers the messaging features. Plan tier controls projects, MAU, and whether the “Powered by Midway” badge stays. It doesn't gate which features you can use.
- Modern theming. Custom accent on Starter, logo and full theme on Studio.
The path most Memberstack site owners walk.
If you're at step 4 right now, start free and put the embed on a hidden Webflow page. Five minutes later you'll know whether it fits.
- 1. They start with Discord or Slack for their members. Members chat off-site.
- 2. They notice members stop coming back to the site. The chat lives somewhere else.
- 3. They look for “chat for Memberstack.” Memberstack’s docs point to TalkJS or Memberchat.
- 4. They evaluate. TalkJS needs engineering and starts at $279/mo. Memberchat covers the text basics. $0 on webflow.io, $49/mo on a custom domain.
- 5. Midway is the third option. Modern features, drop-in install, flat pricing.
What people ask before switching.
No. We solve the same job, chat on a Memberstack site, with different feature depth, different design, and a different product roadmap. We respect them. They shipped the basics first.
Technically yes. They're different embeds. Practically, you'd run one. We'd rather you pick the one that fits than split your members across two inboxes.
Set up a Midway project, embed it on a hidden page first, verify your members appear correctly, then swap the embed. We don't currently import Memberchat message history.
Because we couldn't ship a chat product in 2026 without them. WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage all have them. Members expect it.
See what modern member chat looks like.
Voice notes, replies, reactions, typing, read receipts. Unlocked on Free. Five minutes from the embed to your first message.