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LearnDash vs LearnPress

Updated 5 Oct 2026. 25 features compared side by side.

Premium WordPress LMS for selling and managing courses, with drip content, quizzes, certificates, groups and native Stripe/PayPal checkout.

Est. installs~100K
From$259/yr
ModelPremium
Visit site Full profile
VS

LearnPress

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.3 (597)

Free WordPress LMS by ThimPress with courses, lessons, quizzes and PayPal checkout; certificates, drip and other extras are low-cost add-ons.

Free installs70K+
From$19
UpdatedOct 2026
Visit site Full profile

Choose LearnDash if…

  • You need groups & cohorts
  • You want the more complete feature set (99/100 vs 85/100)

Choose LearnPress if…

  • You want to start with a free version

LearnDash includes 1 feature that LearnPress lacks, including Groups & cohorts. Both include 24 of the 25 features we track.

At a glance

LearnDash
LearnPress
99/100
Feature score
85/100
25 of 25
Features included
24 of 25
—
WordPress.org rating
4.3/5
n/a
Active installs
70K+
n/a
Support threads resolved
80%

Feature comparison

Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.

Feature
LearnDash
LearnPress
Course building6/66/6
Drag & drop course builder KeyBuild courses, sections and lessons visually.
LearnDash Included

Drag-and-drop course builder plus a course creation wizard in all plans.

LearnPress Included

Free curriculum builder for sections, lessons and quizzes.

Video, text & file lessonsLessons with video, text, downloads and embeds.
LearnDash Included

Lessons and topics take any block content, with video progression to require watching videos.

LearnPress Included

Lessons with text, video embeds and media; H5P is a paid add-on.

Drip & scheduled content KeyRelease lessons on a schedule or after enrolment.
LearnDash Included

Lessons can unlock X days after enrolment or on a specific date; no extra plugin needed.

LearnPress Via add-on

Content Drip is a paid add-on ($39).

Prerequisites & sequencingRequire lessons or courses to be completed in order.
LearnDash Included

Linear course progression plus course and quiz prerequisites.

LearnPress Via add-on

Free official Prerequisites Courses add-on.

AssignmentsStudents submit work for instructor review.
LearnDash Included

Core assignment uploads with approval, grading and comments.

LearnPress Via add-on

Assignments is a paid add-on ($39).

Block editor & page builder supportCourse templates and blocks for Gutenberg or page builders.
LearnDash Included

20+ Gutenberg blocks; shortcodes and an Elementor add-on cover page builders.

LearnPress Included

Gutenberg blocks for single course, archive and course lists; Elementor via Thim Elementor Kit.

Quizzes & certificates5/55/5
Quiz builder KeyCreate quizzes with multiple question types.
LearnDash Included

Quiz builder with eight question types, including essay, sorting and matching.

LearnPress Included

Core quiz types: single, multiple, true/false, fill-in-blank, essay; Sorting Choice is paid.

Question banks & randomisationReusable question pools and random questions.
LearnDash Included

Shared questions across quizzes and display of a random subset of questions.

LearnPress Partial

Questions can be reused in core; random question pools need the paid Random Quiz add-on.

Timed quizzes & retakesTime limits, attempts and pass marks.
LearnDash Included

Per-quiz time limit, retake limits and passing percentage.

LearnPress Included

Quiz duration, retake count and passing grade in core.

Certificates KeyIssue certificates on course completion.
LearnDash Included

Certificate builder for courses, quizzes and groups in every plan.

LearnPress Via add-on

Certificates with drag-and-drop builder is a paid add-on ($39).

GradebookTrack grades across quizzes and assignments.
LearnDash Paid version Pro

Gradebook with weighted grading and report cards comes with the Pro plan.

LearnPress Via add-on

Gradebook is a paid add-on ($39) with CSV export.

Selling courses5/55/5
Sell courses (built-in checkout) KeyTake payments without another e-commerce plugin.
LearnDash Included

Built-in checkout with Stripe and PayPal; Razorpay and 2Checkout integrations documented.

LearnPress Included

PayPal is built into core; Stripe and other gateways are paid add-ons.

WooCommerce integrationSell courses through WooCommerce.
LearnDash Via add-on

Free official WooCommerce integration add-on links courses to products.

LearnPress Via add-on

WooCommerce integration is a paid add-on ($49).

Subscriptions & memberships KeyRecurring access, memberships or course bundles.
LearnDash Included

Recurring payments plus memberships via bundled MemberDash in all plans.

LearnPress Via add-on

Memberships & Subscriptions or Paid Memberships Pro add-ons (paid).

Course bundlesSell several courses together.
LearnDash Included

Bundles included in Essentials; groups can also sell several courses together.

LearnPress Via add-on

Paid Upsell add-on sells course packages; Collections groups courses.

CouponsDiscount codes for courses.
LearnDash Included

Native flat or percentage coupons for courses and groups (one-time payments only).

LearnPress Via add-on

Coupons come with the paid Upsell add-on; not in core.

Students & engagement6/65/6
Student dashboard KeyFront-end area showing enrolled courses and progress.
LearnDash Included

Profile block shows enrolled courses, progress and certificates.

LearnPress Included

Student profile shows courses, progress and quiz results.

Progress trackingLesson and course completion tracking.
LearnDash Included

Lesson, topic and course completion tracking with progress bars.

LearnPress Included

Lesson and course progress tracking in core.

Points, badges & gamificationBadges, points or leaderboards for learners.
LearnDash Included

Achievements add-on (badges, points, leaderboards) included with all plans.

LearnPress Via add-on

Points and rewards via the paid myCRED add-on ($29).

Discussions & Q&ALesson comments, Q&A or forum integration.
LearnDash Included

Lesson comments in Focus Mode and an official bbPress integration for forums.

LearnPress Via add-on

Free bbPress and BuddyPress integration add-ons.

Student emailsEnrolment, completion and reminder emails.
LearnDash Included

Learner notifications for enrolment, completion and more in all plans.

LearnPress Included

Automated emails for enrolment, completion and checkout in core.

Groups & cohortsGroup enrolment for teams, classes or companies.
LearnDash Included

Core groups with group leaders; seat sales and org hierarchy need Elite (Groups Plus).

LearnPress Not included

No group or team enrolment add-on in the official catalogue.

Admin & reporting3/33/3
Reports & analytics KeyEnrolments, completions, quiz results and revenue.
LearnDash Included

Core reports and CSV exports in all plans; ProPanel analytics need the Pro plan.

LearnPress Partial

Basic statistics in core; detailed grading via paid Gradebook add-on.

Multiple instructorsInstructor roles and revenue sharing for course marketplaces.
LearnDash Paid version Elite

Instructor Role add-on with commissions and front-end course creation is Elite-only.

LearnPress Via add-on

Instructor role in core; Co-Instructors and Commission are paid add-ons.

Import / migrationImport courses from other LMS plugins or SCORM.
LearnDash Via add-on

Official Migration add-on imports from LearnPress, Tutor, Sensei, LifterLMS; SCORM needs a third party.

LearnPress Via add-on

Free Backup & Migration add-on imports from Tutor, LearnDash, MasterStudy.

Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?

Pricing compared

LearnDash Premium

Essentials$259 per year, 1 site
Pro$399 per year, 1 site
Elite$599 per year, 1 site

LearnPress Freemium

Free$0
FreeFree per year, Unlimited
Individual add-ons$19 one-off, 1 site
Pro Bundle$299 per year, 1 site

Downloads trend

LearnDash

No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).

LearnPress

30,145 downloads last week

Verdict

Based on our feature data Checked 5 Oct 2026

LearnDash scores higher on our feature checklist (99/100 against 85/100) and includes groups & cohorts that LearnPress does not. Only LearnPress has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.

Biggest differences

Groups & cohorts

LearnDash: included. LearnPress: not included. Core groups with group leaders; seat sales and org hierarchy need Elite (Groups Plus).

Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.

Which would you choose?

0 votes so far. Vote to see the results.

FAQ

Which is better, LearnDash or LearnPress?

LearnDash scores higher on our feature checklist (99/100 against 85/100) and includes groups & cohorts that LearnPress does not. Only LearnPress has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.

Which has more features?

LearnDash includes 25 of the 25 features we track, against 24 for LearnPress. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.

Is LearnDash free?

LearnDash is premium only. Paid plans start at $259/yr.

Is LearnPress free?

LearnPress has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $19.

Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to LearnDash or LearnPress. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.