MasterStudy LMS vs Sensei LMS
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.
Block-based WordPress LMS from Automattic with courses, quizzes and certificates free; Sensei Pro adds WooCommerce selling, drip and groups.
Choose MasterStudy LMS if…
- You need sell courses (built-in checkout) and points, badges & gamification
- You want the more complete feature set (96/100 vs 82/100)
- You weigh user ratings (4.5 vs 3.5 on WordPress.org)
Choose Sensei LMS if…
- You want the lower entry price ($60/yr vs $149/yr)
MasterStudy LMS includes 2 features that Sensei LMS lacks, including Sell courses (built-in checkout) and Points, badges & gamification. Both include 23 of the 25 features we track.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
MasterStudy LMS Sensei LMSCourse building6/66/6
Free course builder for courses, sections and lessons with unlimited content.
Course Outline block builds modules and lessons inside the editor.
Text, video (several sources) and stream lessons free; audio lessons are a Pro Plus add-on.
Lessons use any blocks, with YouTube, Vimeo and VideoPress embeds.
Sequential Drip Content add-on unlocks with a paid licence.
Scheduled content drip and access periods need Sensei Pro.
Prerequisites add-on requires courses to be finished before enrolling.
Lesson and course prerequisites in the free plugin.
Assignments add-on lets students submit work for grading.
No assignment type; file-upload and free-response questions are graded manually.
Around 40 Gutenberg blocks free; Elementor course page widgets come with paid add-ons.
Built on Gutenberg with dedicated Sensei blocks.
Quizzes & certificates5/55/5
Eight question types free, including matching, image choice and fill-in-the-gap.
Seven question types including gap fill and file upload; ordering is Pro.
Free quizzes support randomised questions and question categories.
Question bank with categories for random question pools.
Quiz timer, attempt limits, point deduction on retakes and passing grade are free.
Retakes and pass marks free; quiz timer requires Sensei Pro.
Drag-and-drop certificate builder in the free plugin.
Certificate builder included free.
Gradebook add-on in Pro; a separate Grades feature is Pro Plus.
Grading screen for quiz results; no cross-course weighted gradebook found.
Selling courses5/54/5
Free version takes PayPal, Stripe, offline and wire-transfer payments.
No built-in checkout; selling requires Sensei Pro plus WooCommerce.
WooCommerce checkout integration is listed for Pro and Pro Plus only.
WooCommerce course sales are a Sensei Pro feature.
Subscriptions add-on adds recurring Stripe/PayPal plans and memberships with trials.
WooCommerce Subscriptions and Memberships support via Sensei Pro.
Course Bundles add-on sells several courses together at a discount.
Pro lets one WooCommerce product grant several courses.
Coupons add-on supports percentage or fixed discounts with usage limits.
Uses WooCommerce coupons once Sensei Pro selling is enabled.
Students & engagement6/65/6
Free front-end student dashboard and profiles.
Learner courses block / My Courses page lists enrolments and progress.
Course progress tracked free; instructors can view and reset progress.
Lesson and course progress tracking in the free plugin.
Point System add-on rewards learners for actions.
No native badges or points; GamiPress Sensei add-on was closed in 2023.
Free Q&A between students and instructors on lessons.
Lesson comments via WordPress comments; no Q&A or forum module.
Standard notification emails; editable templates need the paid Email Manager add-on.
Customisable email notifications for learners and teachers.
Group Courses add-on sells seats to companies and teams.
Groups and cohorts with access periods are Sensei Pro.
Admin & reporting3/33/3
Basic analytics free; full Reports and Analytics add-on is Pro Plus.
Free learner, course and lesson reports; Pro adds group reporting.
Instructor registration and commission settings free; co-instructors and payouts are Pro.
Teacher role free, co-teachers in Pro; no revenue sharing.
SCORM and Google Classroom import add-ons require a paid licence.
CSV import/export of courses, lessons and questions; no SCORM or LMS importer.
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 |
Sensei LMS Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Sensei LMS | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Interactive Blocks | $60 per year, 1 site |
| Sensei Pro | $179 per year, 1 site |
| Sensei Agency | $360 per year, 20 sites |
Downloads trend
MasterStudy LMS
11,256 downloads last week
Sensei LMS
2,083 downloads last week
Verdict
MasterStudy LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (96/100 against 82/100) and includes sell courses (built-in checkout) and points, badges & gamification that Sensei LMS does not. Paid plans start at $149/yr for MasterStudy LMS and $60/yr for Sensei LMS. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
MasterStudy LMS: included. Sensei LMS: not included. Free version takes PayPal, Stripe, offline and wire-transfer payments.
MasterStudy LMS: paid version (Pro). Sensei LMS: not included. Point System add-on rewards learners for actions.
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, MasterStudy LMS or Sensei LMS?
MasterStudy LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (96/100 against 82/100) and includes sell courses (built-in checkout) and points, badges & gamification that Sensei LMS does not. Paid plans start at $149/yr for MasterStudy LMS and $60/yr for Sensei LMS. 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 23 for Sensei LMS. 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 Sensei LMS free?
Sensei LMS has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $60/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to MasterStudy LMS or Sensei LMS. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.