Masteriyo LMS vs Thrive Apprentice
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 25 features compared side by side.
Freemium WordPress LMS from ThemeGrill with a drag-and-drop builder, built-in checkout, SCORM import and migration tools from other LMS plugins.
Premium WordPress course plugin from Thrive Themes focused on visual course design, flexible drip schedules and built-in Stripe selling.
Choose Masteriyo LMS if…
- You need groups & cohorts and multiple instructors
- You also want import / migration
- You want the more complete feature set (97/100 vs 77/100)
- You want to start with a free version
Choose Thrive Apprentice if…
- You prefer the more widely used option
Masteriyo LMS includes 3 features that Thrive Apprentice lacks, including Groups & cohorts, Multiple instructors and Import / migration. Both include 20 of the 25 features we track. 1 feature is not yet verified for one or both plugins.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Masteriyo LMS Thrive ApprenticeCourse building6/66/6
Free drag-and-drop curriculum builder with unlimited courses and lessons.
Drag-and-drop builder for modules, chapters and lessons.
Text, video, PDF and live-stream lessons free; audio lessons are paid.
Text, video and audio lessons with downloadable resources.
Content Drip is listed as a premium add-on; Pro plan per pricing page.
Six drip schedule types including evergreen, calendar and specific dates.
Prerequisites add-on needs the Pro plan or higher.
Lessons can unlock after earlier content or another course is completed.
Assignments add-on is in the Pro plan.
Assessments accept file uploads, YouTube or external links and quizzes for grading.
19 Gutenberg blocks plus free Elementor, Divi, Bricks, Oxygen and Beaver Builder add-ons.
Templates built in Thrive's own visual editor rather than Gutenberg blocks.
Quizzes & certificates5/54/5
Free quizzes with four question types; advanced builder and more types in Pro.
Quizzes come from Thrive Quiz Builder (paid; included in Thrive Suite).
Randomised question order is free; no shared question bank is documented.
Question pools or random questions are not documented for Thrive Quiz Builder.
Free quiz time limits, retakes and custom grading.
Lessons can unlock on quiz score thresholds; time limits not documented.
Free certificate builder add-on with one template; all templates in Pro.
Drag-and-drop certificates with dynamic data, serial numbers and QR codes.
Gradebook is a premium add-on in the Pro plan.
Assessment inbox for grading submissions; no full gradebook view.
Selling courses5/55/5
Built-in order system with free Stripe, PayPal, Mollie and Lemon Squeezy add-ons.
Stripe is built in for one-time and recurring products.
Free WooCommerce Integration add-on.
WooCommerce is a supported checkout integration.
Recurring course pricing and WooCommerce Subscriptions support are paid features.
Stripe subscription products with optional free trials.
Course Bundle add-on needs the Pro plan or higher.
Products can contain two or more courses sold together.
Coupons add-on needs the Pro plan or higher.
Stripe products can allow promotion codes at checkout.
Students & engagement5/64/6
Free learner account area with enrolled courses and progress bars.
Profile pages and course lists with progress labels; no single learner dashboard.
Free progress tracking with a dynamic progress bar and resume option.
Progress bars and lesson completion tracking.
Points and badges via the free GamiPress integration add-on.
No points, badges or leaderboards in Apprentice.
Course Q&A section included free; BuddyPress integration available.
Students can comment on lessons (WordPress or Thrive Comments).
Email notifications for students and instructors in the free plugin.
Built-in course welcome emails; other emails via Thrive Automator or an autoresponder.
Groups is a free add-on for group course enrolment.
No group or team enrolment feature.
Admin & reporting3/31/3
Basic dashboard analytics and course reports free; advanced analytics in Pro.
Reports on enrolments, completions, lesson progress, drop-off and engagement.
Unlimited instructors and free Revenue Sharing add-on; co-instructors per course in Pro.
Single-owner course tool; no instructor roles or revenue sharing.
Free migration tool and SCORM import add-on.
No course import; content from other platforms must be rebuilt.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
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 |
Thrive Apprentice Premium
| Thrive Apprentice | $299 per year, 1 site |
|---|---|
| Thrive Suite | $599 per year, 5 sites |
Downloads trend
Masteriyo LMS
4,896 downloads last week
Thrive Apprentice
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Verdict
Masteriyo LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 77/100) and includes groups & cohorts, multiple instructors and import / migration that Thrive Apprentice does not. Only Masteriyo LMS has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Masteriyo LMS: included. Thrive Apprentice: not included. Groups is a free add-on for group course enrolment.
Masteriyo LMS: included. Thrive Apprentice: not included. Unlimited instructors and free Revenue Sharing add-on; co-instructors per course in Pro.
Masteriyo LMS: included. Thrive Apprentice: not included. Free migration tool and SCORM import add-on.
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, Masteriyo LMS or Thrive Apprentice?
Masteriyo LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (97/100 against 77/100) and includes groups & cohorts, multiple instructors and import / migration that Thrive Apprentice does not. Only Masteriyo LMS has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Masteriyo LMS includes 24 of the 25 features we track, against 20 for Thrive Apprentice. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Masteriyo LMS free?
Masteriyo LMS has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $199/yr.
Is Thrive Apprentice free?
Thrive Apprentice is premium only. Paid plans start at $299/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Masteriyo LMS or Thrive Apprentice. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.