LearnDash

Popular WordPress LMS plugin for building and selling courses on your own site.

PaidSelf-hostableOnline course platforms

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About LearnDash

LearnDash turns a WordPress site into a course platform. It adds courses, lessons and topics, drip scheduling, quizzes with many question types, assignments, certificates, course prerequisites, groups and subscriptions, and works with WooCommerce, membership plugins and a large ecosystem of add-ons. Because it runs on your own WordPress install, you control hosting, design and data, and there is no platform fee on sales. The flip side is that you also handle hosting, updates, plugin conflicts and performance yourself, and a busy course site needs decent hosting. LearnDash is part of the StellarWP group, and it is now sold as a yearly bundle per number of sites that also includes the Kadence theme, The Events Calendar and Give. It runs anywhere WordPress does. It suits WordPress users and agencies who want a mature LMS without moving to a hosted service.

Best for: WordPress site owners and agencies who want a mature LMS on their own hosting.

What works

Runs on your own WordPress site with full design control
Mature quiz, certificate and drip features
Large ecosystem of add-ons and integrations

Why people leave

You manage hosting, updates and plugin conflicts
No free version
Sold as a multi-plugin bundle whether you need the extras or not

Top LearnDash alternatives

See all 5

1
LifterLMS
WordPress LMS with a free open-source core plugin to start on.
66.5
2
Tutor LMS
Free WordPress LMS plugin with a cheaper Pro upgrade and built-in ecommerce.
62.6
3
Thinkific
Hosted platform so you never deal with WordPress updates or hosting.
59.6
4
Moodle
Open-source standalone LMS for institutions that outgrow a plugin.
57.2
5
Kajabi
Hosted all-in-one with marketing tools, if you'd rather leave WordPress.
55.3

Why people left LearnDash

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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LearnDash: common questions

Is LearnDash free?

No, LearnDash is a paid product. Starting price: $350 for 1 site (bundle) (checked on LearnDash's own site).

Is LearnDash open source?

No, LearnDash is not open source. Open-source alternatives include LifterLMS, Tutor LMS and Moodle.

What platforms does LearnDash run on?

LearnDash is available for Web and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to LearnDash?

The highest-ranked LearnDash alternatives right now are LifterLMS, Tutor LMS and Thinkific. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 LearnDash alternatives

LearnDash facts

4 of 4 verified

Starting price: $350 for 1 site (bundle); Checked Oct 25, 2026learndash.com(opens source in a new tab); “1 site Everything, on one site $350”
Bundle contents: LearnDash, Kadence, The Events Calendar, Give; Checked Oct 25, 2026learndash.com(opens source in a new tab); “Every plan includes the full package: Give, The Events Calendar, LearnDash, and Kadence.”
10-site plan: $599; Checked Oct 25, 2026learndash.com(opens source in a new tab); “10 sites Grow into multiple sites $599”
Subscriptions: Monthly and yearly course subscriptions; Checked Oct 25, 2026learndash.com(opens source in a new tab); “Sell recurring subscriptions and course bundles Offer monthly and yearly subscriptions or bundled course packages.”