LearnDash vs LifterLMS
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.
Free, extensible WordPress LMS with courses, memberships, quizzes, certificates and drip content; payments and advanced tools via paid add-ons.
Choose LearnDash if…
- You want the more complete feature set (99/100 vs 94/100)
- You want the lower entry price ($259/yr vs $398/yr)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose LifterLMS if…
- You want to start with a free version
LearnDash and LifterLMS include the same 25 of the 25 features we track, so the choice comes down to pricing, approach and ecosystem.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
LearnDash LifterLMSCourse building6/66/6
Drag-and-drop course builder plus a course creation wizard in all plans.
Free drag-and-drop builder for courses, sections and lessons.
Lessons and topics take any block content, with video progression to require watching videos.
Lessons take video, audio, text and downloads; Advanced Videos is a paid add-on.
Lessons can unlock X days after enrolment or on a specific date; no extra plugin needed.
Drip content by schedule included in the free core.
Linear course progression plus course and quiz prerequisites.
Course and lesson prerequisites, plus course tracks, in core.
Core assignment uploads with approval, grading and comments.
Assignments is a paid add-on (Infinity bundle or individual).
20+ Gutenberg blocks; shortcodes and an Elementor add-on cover page builders.
18 native blocks; works with Elementor, Beaver Builder and Divi.
Quizzes & certificates5/55/5
Quiz builder with eight question types, including essay, sorting and matching.
Core quizzes with 4 question types; Advanced Quizzes (paid) adds 8 more.
Shared questions across quizzes and display of a random subset of questions.
Question Bank with random selection needs the paid Advanced Quizzes add-on.
Per-quiz time limit, retake limits and passing percentage.
Quiz timer, attempt limits and passing grade in the free core.
Certificate builder for courses, quizzes and groups in every plan.
Certificates with merge codes in core; PDFs add-on is paid.
Gradebook with weighted grading and report cards comes with the Pro plan.
Course gradebook and student grades included free.
Selling courses5/55/5
Built-in checkout with Stripe and PayPal; Razorpay and 2Checkout integrations documented.
Core checkout and access plans; Stripe/PayPal gateways are paid add-ons (Earth bundle).
Free official WooCommerce integration add-on links courses to products.
WooCommerce integration is a paid add-on included from the Earth bundle.
Recurring payments plus memberships via bundled MemberDash in all plans.
Memberships and recurring access plans in core; recurring billing needs a gateway add-on.
Bundles included in Essentials; groups can also sell several courses together.
Course bundles listed among free core payment features.
Native flat or percentage coupons for courses and groups (one-time payments only).
Core coupons; Advanced Coupons is a paid add-on.
Students & engagement6/66/6
Profile block shows enrolled courses, progress and certificates.
Student dashboard with courses, progress, grades and achievements.
Lesson, topic and course completion tracking with progress bars.
Lesson and course completion tracking in core.
Achievements add-on (badges, points, leaderboards) included with all plans.
Achievement badges awarded via engagements in the free core.
Lesson comments in Focus Mode and an official bbPress integration for forums.
Course discussion areas in core; Social Learning add-on (paid) adds community features.
Learner notifications for enrolment, completion and more in all plans.
Automated engagement emails triggered by course events.
Core groups with group leaders; seat sales and org hierarchy need Elite (Groups Plus).
Groups add-on (paid, $299/yr or Infinity) adds seats and group leaders.
Admin & reporting3/33/3
Core reports and CSV exports in all plans; ProPanel analytics need the Pro plan.
Free reporting on enrolments, completions, revenue and students.
Instructor Role add-on with commissions and front-end course creation is Elite-only.
Multiple instructors and LMS roles in core, but no built-in revenue sharing.
Official Migration add-on imports from LearnPress, Tutor, Sensei, LifterLMS; SCORM needs a third party.
Imports/exports LifterLMS course files only; no SCORM or rival-LMS importer.
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 |
LifterLMS Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free core | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Earth Bundle | $398 per year, 1 site |
| Universe Bundle | $598 per year, 5 sites |
| Infinity Bundle | $1,598 per year, Unlimited |
Downloads trend
LearnDash
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
LifterLMS
3,656 downloads last week
Verdict
LearnDash scores higher on our feature checklist (99/100 against 94/100). Only LifterLMS has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
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, LearnDash or LifterLMS?
LearnDash scores higher on our feature checklist (99/100 against 94/100). Only LifterLMS has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
They are level: both include 25 of the 25 lms plugins features we track.
Is LearnDash free?
LearnDash is premium only. Paid plans start at $259/yr.
Is LifterLMS free?
LifterLMS has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $398/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to LearnDash or LifterLMS. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.