Academy LMS vs Sensei LMS
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 25 features compared side by side.
Freemium WordPress LMS by Kodezen with front-end course building, a free quiz question bank, 47 Gutenberg blocks and many Pro add-ons.
Block-based WordPress LMS from Automattic with courses, quizzes and certificates free; Sensei Pro adds WooCommerce selling, drip and groups.
Choose Academy LMS if…
- You need sell courses (built-in checkout)
- You want the more complete feature set (97/100 vs 82/100)
- You weigh user ratings (4.9 vs 3.5 on WordPress.org)
Choose Sensei LMS if…
- You prefer the more widely used option
Academy LMS includes 1 feature that Sensei LMS lacks, including Sell courses (built-in checkout). Both include 23 of the 25 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Academy LMS Sensei LMSCourse building6/66/6
Free admin and front-end course builders.
Course Outline block builds modules and lessons inside the editor.
Video from self-hosted, YouTube, Vimeo and embeds, plus text lessons; H5P and Presto supported.
Lessons use any blocks, with YouTube, Vimeo and VideoPress embeds.
Content Drip add-on releases lessons, quizzes and assignments over time.
Scheduled content drip and access periods need Sensei Pro.
Course Prerequisites add-on is part of Pro.
Lesson and course prerequisites in the free plugin.
Assignments add-on lets instructors set and review tasks.
No assignment type; file-upload and free-response questions are graded manually.
47 Gutenberg blocks with Site Editor templates, plus Elementor and Divi.
Built on Gutenberg with dedicated Sensei blocks.
Quizzes & certificates5/55/5
Free quiz builder with three question types; four more types need Pro.
Seven question types including gap fill and file upload; ordering is Pro.
Free question bank reuses questions across quizzes; random order supported.
Question bank with categories for random question pools.
Free time limits, passing grade, retry mode and negative marking.
Retakes and pass marks free; quiz timer requires Sensei Pro.
Course completion certificates included free.
Certificate builder included free.
Gradebook add-on tracks student grades.
Grading screen for quiz results; no cross-course weighted gradebook found.
Selling courses5/54/5
Native checkout via Kodezen's separate StoreEngine plugin (Stripe, PayPal); free core.
No built-in checkout; selling requires Sensei Pro plus WooCommerce.
Free WooCommerce integration for paid courses.
WooCommerce course sales are a Sensei Pro feature.
Pro integrates WooCommerce Subscriptions, PMPro and other membership plugins.
WooCommerce Subscriptions and Memberships support via Sensei Pro.
Course Bundle add-on groups several courses into one product.
Pro lets one WooCommerce product grant several courses.
Discount codes are handled by the StoreEngine (or WooCommerce) checkout.
Uses WooCommerce coupons once Sensei Pro selling is enabled.
Students & engagement5/65/6
Free front-end student dashboard.
Learner courses block / My Courses page lists enrolments and progress.
Lesson tracking and progress monitoring in the free plugin.
Lesson and course progress tracking in the free plugin.
Points and badges via the GamiPress integration add-on.
No native badges or points; GamiPress Sensei add-on was closed in 2023.
Free Q&A between students and instructors plus lesson comments.
Lesson comments via WordPress comments; no Q&A or forum module.
Email Notification add-on is marked Pro.
Customisable email notifications for learners and teachers.
Group Plus add-on with seat management for team training.
Groups and cohorts with access periods are Sensei Pro.
Admin & reporting3/33/3
Free LMS analytics; Advanced Analytics add-on in Pro.
Free learner, course and lesson reports; Pro adds group reporting.
Free multi-instructor support with revenue sharing.
Teacher role free, co-teachers in Pro; no revenue sharing.
Free migration tools and CSV lesson import; SCORM import is Pro.
CSV import/export of courses, lessons and questions; no SCORM or LMS importer.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Academy LMS Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Individual | $199 per year, 1 site |
| Business | $299 per year, 10 sites |
| Agency | $399 per year, 100 sites |
| Yearly Unlimited | $699 per year, Unlimited |
| Individual Lifetime | $149 lifetime, 1 site |
Sensei LMS Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Sensei LMS | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Interactive Blocks | $60 per year, 1 site |
| Sensei Pro | $179 per year, 1 site |
| Sensei Agency | $360 per year, 20 sites |
Downloads trend
Academy LMS
3,324 downloads last week
Sensei LMS
2,083 downloads last week
Verdict
Academy LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 82/100) and includes sell courses (built-in checkout) that Sensei LMS does not. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Academy LMS: via add-on. Sensei LMS: not included. Native checkout via Kodezen's separate StoreEngine plugin (Stripe, PayPal); free core.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
Which would you choose?
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FAQ
Which is better, Academy LMS or Sensei LMS?
Academy LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 82/100) and includes sell courses (built-in checkout) that Sensei LMS does not. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Academy LMS includes 24 of the 25 features we track, against 23 for Sensei LMS. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Academy LMS free?
Academy LMS has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $149 lifetime.
Is Sensei LMS free?
Sensei LMS has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $60/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Academy LMS or Sensei LMS. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.