LearnDash vs MasterStudy LMS
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.
Freemium WordPress LMS from StylemixThemes with a course builder, quizzes and built-in Stripe/PayPal checkout, plus a large set of Pro add-ons.
Choose LearnDash if…
- You want the more complete feature set (99/100 vs 96/100)
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose MasterStudy LMS if…
- You want to start with a free version
- You want the lower entry price ($149/yr vs $259/yr)
LearnDash and MasterStudy LMS 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 MasterStudy LMSCourse building6/66/6
Drag-and-drop course builder plus a course creation wizard in all plans.
Free course builder for courses, sections and lessons with unlimited content.
Lessons and topics take any block content, with video progression to require watching videos.
Text, video (several sources) and stream lessons free; audio lessons are a Pro Plus add-on.
Lessons can unlock X days after enrolment or on a specific date; no extra plugin needed.
Sequential Drip Content add-on unlocks with a paid licence.
Linear course progression plus course and quiz prerequisites.
Prerequisites add-on requires courses to be finished before enrolling.
Core assignment uploads with approval, grading and comments.
Assignments add-on lets students submit work for grading.
20+ Gutenberg blocks; shortcodes and an Elementor add-on cover page builders.
Around 40 Gutenberg blocks free; Elementor course page widgets come with paid add-ons.
Quizzes & certificates5/55/5
Quiz builder with eight question types, including essay, sorting and matching.
Eight question types free, including matching, image choice and fill-in-the-gap.
Shared questions across quizzes and display of a random subset of questions.
Free quizzes support randomised questions and question categories.
Per-quiz time limit, retake limits and passing percentage.
Quiz timer, attempt limits, point deduction on retakes and passing grade are free.
Certificate builder for courses, quizzes and groups in every plan.
Drag-and-drop certificate builder in the free plugin.
Gradebook with weighted grading and report cards comes with the Pro plan.
Gradebook add-on in Pro; a separate Grades feature is Pro Plus.
Selling courses5/55/5
Built-in checkout with Stripe and PayPal; Razorpay and 2Checkout integrations documented.
Free version takes PayPal, Stripe, offline and wire-transfer payments.
Free official WooCommerce integration add-on links courses to products.
WooCommerce checkout integration is listed for Pro and Pro Plus only.
Recurring payments plus memberships via bundled MemberDash in all plans.
Subscriptions add-on adds recurring Stripe/PayPal plans and memberships with trials.
Bundles included in Essentials; groups can also sell several courses together.
Course Bundles add-on sells several courses together at a discount.
Native flat or percentage coupons for courses and groups (one-time payments only).
Coupons add-on supports percentage or fixed discounts with usage limits.
Students & engagement6/66/6
Profile block shows enrolled courses, progress and certificates.
Free front-end student dashboard and profiles.
Lesson, topic and course completion tracking with progress bars.
Course progress tracked free; instructors can view and reset progress.
Achievements add-on (badges, points, leaderboards) included with all plans.
Point System add-on rewards learners for actions.
Lesson comments in Focus Mode and an official bbPress integration for forums.
Free Q&A between students and instructors on lessons.
Learner notifications for enrolment, completion and more in all plans.
Standard notification emails; editable templates need the paid Email Manager add-on.
Core groups with group leaders; seat sales and org hierarchy need Elite (Groups Plus).
Group Courses add-on sells seats to companies and teams.
Admin & reporting3/33/3
Core reports and CSV exports in all plans; ProPanel analytics need the Pro plan.
Basic analytics free; full Reports and Analytics add-on is Pro Plus.
Instructor Role add-on with commissions and front-end course creation is Elite-only.
Instructor registration and commission settings free; co-instructors and payouts are Pro.
Official Migration add-on imports from LearnPress, Tutor, Sensei, LifterLMS; SCORM needs a third party.
SCORM and Google Classroom import add-ons require a paid licence.
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 |
MasterStudy LMS Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Single site | $149 per year, 1 site |
| 10 sites | $299 per year, 10 sites |
| Unlimited | $599 per year, Unlimited |
Downloads trend
LearnDash
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
MasterStudy LMS
11,256 downloads last week
Verdict
LearnDash scores higher on our feature checklist (99/100 against 96/100). Only MasterStudy LMS 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?
0 votes so far. Vote to see the results.
Compare something else
FAQ
Which is better, LearnDash or MasterStudy LMS?
LearnDash scores higher on our feature checklist (99/100 against 96/100). Only MasterStudy LMS 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 MasterStudy LMS free?
MasterStudy LMS has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $149/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to LearnDash or MasterStudy LMS. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.