MasterStudy LMS vs MemberPress Courses
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 25 features compared side by side.
Freemium WordPress LMS from StylemixThemes with a course builder, quizzes and built-in Stripe/PayPal checkout, plus a large set of Pro add-ons.
Course add-on included with every MemberPress plan, adding a curriculum builder, quizzes and certificates to MemberPress memberships.
Choose MasterStudy LMS if…
- You need WooCommerce integration and points, badges & gamification
- You also want multiple instructors
- You want the more complete feature set (96/100 vs 82/100)
- You want to start with a free version
Choose MemberPress Courses if…
- You prefer the more widely used option
MasterStudy LMS includes 3 features that MemberPress Courses lacks, including WooCommerce integration, Points, badges & gamification and Multiple instructors. Both include 22 of the 25 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
MasterStudy LMS MemberPress CoursesCourse building6/66/6
Free course builder for courses, sections and lessons with unlimited content.
Drag-and-drop curriculum builder with sections and lessons on all plans.
Text, video (several sources) and stream lessons free; audio lessons are a Pro Plus add-on.
Lessons are block editor posts, so video, text and downloads all work.
Sequential Drip Content add-on unlocks with a paid licence.
Content dripping by section or item at regular intervals.
Prerequisites add-on requires courses to be finished before enrolling.
Quizzes can require a passing score to progress; no course-level prerequisites documented.
Assignments add-on lets students submit work for grading.
Assignments add-on for essay or file submissions.
Around 40 Gutenberg blocks free; Elementor course page widgets come with paid add-ons.
Lessons built in the block editor, with the ReadyLaunch course template.
Quizzes & certificates5/55/5
Eight question types free, including matching, image choice and fill-in-the-gap.
Nine question types including essay, matching, sorting and Likert.
Free quizzes support randomised questions and question categories.
Question Bank block pulls a new random set of questions on each retake.
Quiz timer, attempt limits, point deduction on retakes and passing grade are free.
Passing scores and retake limits supported; quiz time limits not documented.
Drag-and-drop certificate builder in the free plugin.
Resettable, expirable and shareable completion certificates.
Gradebook add-on in Pro; a separate Grades feature is Pro Plus.
Course Gradebook for grading quizzes and assignments.
Selling courses5/54/5
Free version takes PayPal, Stripe, offline and wire-transfer payments.
Sold through MemberPress memberships or one-time purchases with its own checkout.
WooCommerce checkout integration is listed for Pro and Pro Plus only.
Courses are sold through MemberPress, not WooCommerce.
Subscriptions add-on adds recurring Stripe/PayPal plans and memberships with trials.
Recurring memberships from MemberPress grant course access.
Course Bundles add-on sells several courses together at a discount.
One membership can bundle several courses and other content.
Coupons add-on supports percentage or fixed discounts with usage limits.
MemberPress coupons apply to course memberships.
Students & engagement6/65/6
Free front-end student dashboard and profiles.
My Courses page lists a logged-in student's courses.
Course progress tracked free; instructors can view and reset progress.
Automatic lesson progress tracking, viewable in user profiles.
Point System add-on rewards learners for actions.
No points, badges or leaderboards.
Free Q&A between students and instructors on lessons.
Comments can be enabled on courses and lessons.
Standard notification emails; editable templates need the paid Email Manager add-on.
Course email notification settings exist, but students are not told about course changes.
Group Courses add-on sells seats to companies and teams.
Corporate Accounts let one buyer manage seats for a team.
Admin & reporting3/32/3
Basic analytics free; full Reports and Analytics add-on is Pro Plus.
Per-student progress and quiz answers; no dedicated LMS analytics dashboard.
Instructor registration and commission settings free; co-instructors and payouts are Pro.
No multi-instructor roles or revenue sharing.
SCORM and Google Classroom import add-ons require a paid licence.
Migration from LearnDash only; no SCORM import.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
MasterStudy LMS Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Single site | $149 per year, 1 site |
| 10 sites | $299 per year, 10 sites |
| Unlimited | $599 per year, Unlimited |
MemberPress Courses Premium
| Launch | $399 per year, 1 site |
|---|---|
| Growth | $699 per year, 1 site |
| Scale | $999 per year, 1 site |
Downloads trend
MasterStudy LMS
11,097 downloads last week
MemberPress Courses
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Verdict
MasterStudy LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (96/100 against 82/100) and includes WooCommerce integration, points, badges & gamification and multiple instructors that MemberPress Courses does not. Only MasterStudy LMS has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
MasterStudy LMS: paid version (Pro). MemberPress Courses: not included. WooCommerce checkout integration is listed for Pro and Pro Plus only.
MasterStudy LMS: paid version (Pro). MemberPress Courses: not included. Point System add-on rewards learners for actions.
MasterStudy LMS: included. MemberPress Courses: not included. Instructor registration and commission settings free; co-instructors and payouts are Pro.
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, MasterStudy LMS or MemberPress Courses?
MasterStudy LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (96/100 against 82/100) and includes WooCommerce integration, points, badges & gamification and multiple instructors that MemberPress Courses does not. Only MasterStudy LMS has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
MasterStudy LMS includes 25 of the 25 features we track, against 22 for MemberPress Courses. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is MasterStudy LMS free?
MasterStudy LMS has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $149/yr.
Is MemberPress Courses free?
MemberPress Courses is premium only. Paid plans start at $399/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to MasterStudy LMS or MemberPress Courses. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.