MasterStudy LMS vs Thrive Apprentice
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.
Premium WordPress course plugin from Thrive Themes focused on visual course design, flexible drip schedules and built-in Stripe selling.
Choose MasterStudy LMS if…
- You need groups & cohorts and points, badges & gamification
- You also want multiple instructors and import / migration
- You want the more complete feature set (96/100 vs 77/100)
- You want to start with a free version
Choose Thrive Apprentice if…
- Solo creators who want visually polished, conversion-focused course sites and already use Thrive tools
MasterStudy LMS includes 4 features that Thrive Apprentice lacks, including Points, badges & gamification, Groups & cohorts and Multiple instructors. 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.
MasterStudy LMS Thrive ApprenticeCourse building6/66/6
Free course builder for courses, sections and lessons with unlimited content.
Drag-and-drop builder for modules, chapters and lessons.
Text, video (several sources) and stream lessons free; audio lessons are a Pro Plus add-on.
Text, video and audio lessons with downloadable resources.
Sequential Drip Content add-on unlocks with a paid licence.
Six drip schedule types including evergreen, calendar and specific dates.
Prerequisites add-on requires courses to be finished before enrolling.
Lessons can unlock after earlier content or another course is completed.
Assignments add-on lets students submit work for grading.
Assessments accept file uploads, YouTube or external links and quizzes for grading.
Around 40 Gutenberg blocks free; Elementor course page widgets come with paid add-ons.
Templates built in Thrive's own visual editor rather than Gutenberg blocks.
Quizzes & certificates5/54/5
Eight question types free, including matching, image choice and fill-in-the-gap.
Quizzes come from Thrive Quiz Builder (paid; included in Thrive Suite).
Free quizzes support randomised questions and question categories.
Question pools or random questions are not documented for Thrive Quiz Builder.
Quiz timer, attempt limits, point deduction on retakes and passing grade are free.
Lessons can unlock on quiz score thresholds; time limits not documented.
Drag-and-drop certificate builder in the free plugin.
Drag-and-drop certificates with dynamic data, serial numbers and QR codes.
Gradebook add-on in Pro; a separate Grades feature is Pro Plus.
Assessment inbox for grading submissions; no full gradebook view.
Selling courses5/55/5
Free version takes PayPal, Stripe, offline and wire-transfer payments.
Stripe is built in for one-time and recurring products.
WooCommerce checkout integration is listed for Pro and Pro Plus only.
WooCommerce is a supported checkout integration.
Subscriptions add-on adds recurring Stripe/PayPal plans and memberships with trials.
Stripe subscription products with optional free trials.
Course Bundles add-on sells several courses together at a discount.
Products can contain two or more courses sold together.
Coupons add-on supports percentage or fixed discounts with usage limits.
Stripe products can allow promotion codes at checkout.
Students & engagement6/64/6
Free front-end student dashboard and profiles.
Profile pages and course lists with progress labels; no single learner dashboard.
Course progress tracked free; instructors can view and reset progress.
Progress bars and lesson completion tracking.
Point System add-on rewards learners for actions.
No points, badges or leaderboards in Apprentice.
Free Q&A between students and instructors on lessons.
Students can comment on lessons (WordPress or Thrive Comments).
Standard notification emails; editable templates need the paid Email Manager add-on.
Built-in course welcome emails; other emails via Thrive Automator or an autoresponder.
Group Courses add-on sells seats to companies and teams.
No group or team enrolment feature.
Admin & reporting3/31/3
Basic analytics free; full Reports and Analytics add-on is Pro Plus.
Reports on enrolments, completions, lesson progress, drop-off and engagement.
Instructor registration and commission settings free; co-instructors and payouts are Pro.
Single-owner course tool; no instructor roles or revenue sharing.
SCORM and Google Classroom import add-ons require a paid licence.
No course import; content from other platforms must be rebuilt.
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 |
Thrive Apprentice Premium
| Thrive Apprentice | $299 per year, 1 site |
|---|---|
| Thrive Suite | $599 per year, 5 sites |
Downloads trend
MasterStudy LMS
11,256 downloads last week
Thrive Apprentice
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Verdict
MasterStudy LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (96/100 against 77/100) and includes groups & cohorts, points, badges & gamification and multiple instructors that Thrive Apprentice 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). Thrive Apprentice: not included. Group Courses add-on sells seats to companies and teams.
MasterStudy LMS: paid version (Pro). Thrive Apprentice: not included. Point System add-on rewards learners for actions.
MasterStudy LMS: included. Thrive Apprentice: not included. Instructor registration and commission settings free; co-instructors and payouts are Pro.
MasterStudy LMS: paid version (Pro). Thrive Apprentice: not included. SCORM and Google Classroom import add-ons require a paid licence.
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 Thrive Apprentice?
MasterStudy LMS scores higher on our feature checklist (96/100 against 77/100) and includes groups & cohorts, points, badges & gamification and multiple instructors that Thrive Apprentice 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 20 for Thrive Apprentice. 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 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 MasterStudy 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.