LifterLMS vs Masteriyo LMS
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 25 features compared side by side.
Free, extensible WordPress LMS with courses, memberships, quizzes, certificates and drip content; payments and advanced tools via paid add-ons.
Freemium WordPress LMS from ThemeGrill with a drag-and-drop builder, built-in checkout, SCORM import and migration tools from other LMS plugins.
Choose LifterLMS if…
- You need points, badges & gamification
- You prefer the more widely used option
Choose Masteriyo LMS if…
- You want the more complete feature set (97/100 vs 94/100)
- You want the lower entry price ($199/yr vs $398/yr)
LifterLMS includes 1 feature that Masteriyo LMS lacks, including Points, badges & gamification. Both include 24 of the 25 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
LifterLMS Masteriyo LMSCourse building6/66/6
Free drag-and-drop builder for courses, sections and lessons.
Free drag-and-drop curriculum builder with unlimited courses and lessons.
Lessons take video, audio, text and downloads; Advanced Videos is a paid add-on.
Text, video, PDF and live-stream lessons free; audio lessons are paid.
Drip content by schedule included in the free core.
Content Drip is listed as a premium add-on; Pro plan per pricing page.
Course and lesson prerequisites, plus course tracks, in core.
Prerequisites add-on needs the Pro plan or higher.
Assignments is a paid add-on (Infinity bundle or individual).
Assignments add-on is in the Pro plan.
18 native blocks; works with Elementor, Beaver Builder and Divi.
19 Gutenberg blocks plus free Elementor, Divi, Bricks, Oxygen and Beaver Builder add-ons.
Quizzes & certificates5/55/5
Core quizzes with 4 question types; Advanced Quizzes (paid) adds 8 more.
Free quizzes with four question types; advanced builder and more types in Pro.
Question Bank with random selection needs the paid Advanced Quizzes add-on.
Randomised question order is free; no shared question bank is documented.
Quiz timer, attempt limits and passing grade in the free core.
Free quiz time limits, retakes and custom grading.
Certificates with merge codes in core; PDFs add-on is paid.
Free certificate builder add-on with one template; all templates in Pro.
Course gradebook and student grades included free.
Gradebook is a premium add-on in the Pro plan.
Selling courses5/55/5
Core checkout and access plans; Stripe/PayPal gateways are paid add-ons (Earth bundle).
Built-in order system with free Stripe, PayPal, Mollie and Lemon Squeezy add-ons.
WooCommerce integration is a paid add-on included from the Earth bundle.
Free WooCommerce Integration add-on.
Memberships and recurring access plans in core; recurring billing needs a gateway add-on.
Recurring course pricing and WooCommerce Subscriptions support are paid features.
Course bundles listed among free core payment features.
Course Bundle add-on needs the Pro plan or higher.
Core coupons; Advanced Coupons is a paid add-on.
Coupons add-on needs the Pro plan or higher.
Students & engagement6/65/6
Student dashboard with courses, progress, grades and achievements.
Free learner account area with enrolled courses and progress bars.
Lesson and course completion tracking in core.
Free progress tracking with a dynamic progress bar and resume option.
Achievement badges awarded via engagements in the free core.
Points and badges via the free GamiPress integration add-on.
Course discussion areas in core; Social Learning add-on (paid) adds community features.
Course Q&A section included free; BuddyPress integration available.
Automated engagement emails triggered by course events.
Email notifications for students and instructors in the free plugin.
Groups add-on (paid, $299/yr or Infinity) adds seats and group leaders.
Groups is a free add-on for group course enrolment.
Admin & reporting3/33/3
Free reporting on enrolments, completions, revenue and students.
Basic dashboard analytics and course reports free; advanced analytics in Pro.
Multiple instructors and LMS roles in core, but no built-in revenue sharing.
Unlimited instructors and free Revenue Sharing add-on; co-instructors per course in Pro.
Imports/exports LifterLMS course files only; no SCORM or rival-LMS importer.
Free migration tool and SCORM import add-on.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
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 |
Masteriyo LMS Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Basic | $199 per year, 1 site |
| Pro | $299 per year, 1 site |
| Elite | $799 per year, 10 sites |
| Elite Lifetime | $499 lifetime, 1 site |
Downloads trend
LifterLMS
3,656 downloads last week
Masteriyo LMS
4,783 downloads last week
Verdict
Masteriyo LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 94/100). LifterLMS still has the edge on points, badges & gamification. Paid plans start at $398/yr for LifterLMS and $199/yr for Masteriyo LMS. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
LifterLMS: included. Masteriyo LMS: third-party. Achievement badges awarded via engagements in the free core.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, LifterLMS or Masteriyo LMS?
Masteriyo LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 94/100). LifterLMS still has the edge on points, badges & gamification. Paid plans start at $398/yr for LifterLMS and $199/yr for Masteriyo LMS. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
LifterLMS includes 25 of the 25 features we track, against 24 for Masteriyo LMS. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is LifterLMS free?
LifterLMS has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $398/yr.
Is Masteriyo LMS free?
Masteriyo LMS has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $199/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to LifterLMS or Masteriyo LMS. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.