LearnDash
Premium WordPress LMS for selling and managing courses, with drip content, quizzes, certificates, groups and native Stripe/PayPal checkout.
99
Sensei LMS
Block-based WordPress LMS from Automattic with courses, quizzes and certificates free; Sensei Pro adds WooCommerce selling, drip and groups.
Free installs9K+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~1.2KLikely 600–2.4K
Vendor claims10K+Vendor's own figure
Rating3.5/540 reviews
Price from$60/yrFreemium
Last updated29 Sep 2026Version 4.26.4
Overview
Sensei LMS is a free, open-source LMS plugin developed by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and WooCommerce. It is built around the block editor: courses are structured with a Course Outline block, lessons are ordinary block content, and a distraction-free Learning Mode replaces the theme layout while students study.
The free plugin covers courses, modules and lessons, lesson and course prerequisites, and quizzes with multiple choice, true/false, gap fill, single-line, multi-line and file-upload questions. Questions live in a question bank with categories, so quizzes can draw random questions from a pool, and retakes and pass marks are configurable. Certificates, learner reports, customisable email notifications, a teacher role and CSV import/export of courses, lessons and questions are also free.
Sensei Pro
Sensei Pro ($179/year for one site, or $360/year for up to 20 sites on the Agency plan) adds selling through WooCommerce, including WooCommerce Subscriptions and Memberships, course bundles and WooCommerce coupons. It also adds scheduled content drip and course access periods, quiz timers and ordering questions, groups and cohorts with group-specific content, co-teachers, interactive blocks (flashcards, hotspots, interactive video) and AI tools. There is a 14-day refund guarantee.
Limitations
- There is no built-in checkout; every sale goes through WooCommerce and Sensei Pro.
- No dedicated assignment type, gradebook or gamification.
- A smaller user base (9,000+ installs) than the major rivals, and fewer third-party add-ons as a result.
- Instructor revenue sharing for marketplaces is not offered.
Sensei suits WordPress and WooCommerce users who want a clean, block-native course experience backed by Automattic, and who are comfortable selling through WooCommerce.
Best for: WooCommerce stores and block-theme sites that want a clean, Automattic-built LMS and plan to sell through WooCommerce.
Sensei is a tidy, block-first LMS with a genuinely useful free tier for free or internal courses. Anyone selling courses must add Sensei Pro and WooCommerce, and it lacks the assignments, gradebook and gamification depth of bigger rivals.
Pros
- Block-native course building with a Course Outline block
- Question bank with categories and random questions free
- Free certificates, reports and customisable emails
- Distraction-free Learning Mode
- Tight WooCommerce integration from Automattic
Cons
- Cannot sell courses without Sensei Pro and WooCommerce
- Quiz timer and content drip are Pro-only
- No assignments, gradebook or gamification
- Smaller install base and lower WordPress.org rating
Key features
What Sensei LMS highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Block-based course outline builder
- Unlimited free courses
- Lesson and course prerequisites
- Seven quiz question types
- Question bank with random questions
- Quiz retakes and pass marks
- Free certificates
- Distraction-free Learning Mode
- Learner progress reports
- Customisable email notifications
- Teacher role
- CSV course import and export
Pro / paid adds From $60/yr
- Sell courses with WooCommerce
- WooCommerce Subscriptions and Memberships
- Course bundles
- Scheduled content drip
- Course access periods
- Quiz timer and ordering questions
- Groups and cohorts
- Co-teachers
- Conditional content by group
- Interactive blocks and flashcards
- AI quiz and tutor tools
Feature checklist
23 of 25 features we track in LMS Plugins, feature score 82/100
Course building 6/6
Drag & drop course builder Key
Build courses, sections and lessons visually.
Course Outline block builds modules and lessons inside the editor.
Included
Video, text & file lessons
Lessons with video, text, downloads and embeds.
Lessons use any blocks, with YouTube, Vimeo and VideoPress embeds.
Included
Drip & scheduled content Key
Release lessons on a schedule or after enrolment.
Scheduled content drip and access periods need Sensei Pro.
Paid version Pro
Prerequisites & sequencing
Require lessons or courses to be completed in order.
Lesson and course prerequisites in the free plugin.
Included
Assignments
Students submit work for instructor review.
No assignment type; file-upload and free-response questions are graded manually.
Partial
Block editor & page builder support
Course templates and blocks for Gutenberg or page builders.
Built on Gutenberg with dedicated Sensei blocks.
Included
Quizzes & certificates 5/5
Quiz builder Key
Create quizzes with multiple question types.
Seven question types including gap fill and file upload; ordering is Pro.
Included
Question banks & randomisation
Reusable question pools and random questions.
Question bank with categories for random question pools.
Included
Timed quizzes & retakes
Time limits, attempts and pass marks.
Retakes and pass marks free; quiz timer requires Sensei Pro.
Partial
Certificates Key
Issue certificates on course completion.
Certificate builder included free.
Included
Gradebook
Track grades across quizzes and assignments.
Grading screen for quiz results; no cross-course weighted gradebook found.
Partial
Selling courses 4/5
Sell courses (built-in checkout) Key
Take payments without another e-commerce plugin.
No built-in checkout; selling requires Sensei Pro plus WooCommerce.
Not included
WooCommerce integration
Sell courses through WooCommerce.
WooCommerce course sales are a Sensei Pro feature.
Paid version Pro
Subscriptions & memberships Key
Recurring access, memberships or course bundles.
WooCommerce Subscriptions and Memberships support via Sensei Pro.
Paid version Pro
Course bundles
Sell several courses together.
Pro lets one WooCommerce product grant several courses.
Paid version Pro
Coupons
Discount codes for courses.
Uses WooCommerce coupons once Sensei Pro selling is enabled.
Paid version Pro
Students & engagement 5/6
Student dashboard Key
Front-end area showing enrolled courses and progress.
Learner courses block / My Courses page lists enrolments and progress.
Included
Progress tracking
Lesson and course completion tracking.
Lesson and course progress tracking in the free plugin.
Included
Points, badges & gamification
Badges, points or leaderboards for learners.
No native badges or points; GamiPress Sensei add-on was closed in 2023.
Not included
Discussions & Q&A
Lesson comments, Q&A or forum integration.
Lesson comments via WordPress comments; no Q&A or forum module.
Partial
Student emails
Enrolment, completion and reminder emails.
Customisable email notifications for learners and teachers.
Included
Groups & cohorts
Group enrolment for teams, classes or companies.
Groups and cohorts with access periods are Sensei Pro.
Paid version Pro
Admin & reporting 3/3
Reports & analytics Key
Enrolments, completions, quiz results and revenue.
Free learner, course and lesson reports; Pro adds group reporting.
Included
Multiple instructors
Instructor roles and revenue sharing for course marketplaces.
Teacher role free, co-teachers in Pro; no revenue sharing.
Partial
Import / migration
Import courses from other LMS plugins or SCORM.
CSV import/export of courses, lessons and questions; no SCORM or LMS importer.
Partial
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Sensei LMS
Freeper yearUnlimited
Free, open-source WordPress.org plugin.
Interactive Blocks
$60per year1 site
Standalone interactive blocks; Sensei not required. $5/month option.
Sensei Pro
$179per year1 site
WooCommerce selling, drip, quiz timer, groups and cohorts. $15/month option.
Sensei Agency
$360per year20 sites
Up to 20 sites or one multisite network; $30/month option.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use Sensei LMS?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
9K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
10K+
Sites/users claimed on the vendor's website. source
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~1.2K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: WordPress.org shows 9K+ free installs, which could mean anything from 9K to 10K. The vendor says 10K+ sites, so we put the free count halfway between the middle of that range and the vendor figure, at about 9.8K. About 9.8K free installs x 12% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when some key features are paid, and store owners upgrade more often) gives 1.2K. Likely range: 600 to 2.4K. This counts sites running the paid version, including sites whose licence has lapsed. Estimates are rough and based on public figures as of 14 Oct 2026.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
2,083 downloads last week, 823.5K all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 4.26.4 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 29 Sep 2026 (35 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 6.9+, PHP 7.4+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 1 of 1 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 1 May 2019 |
Company & policy
| Refund policy | 14-day money-back (source, 5 Oct 2026) |
|---|
Sensei LMS compared
Alternatives to Sensei LMS
Tutor LMS
Freemium WordPress LMS by Themeum with a course builder, quizzes, native eCommerce, Q&A and multi-instructor support; Pro adds drip, certificates and more.
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Masteriyo LMS
Freemium WordPress LMS from ThemeGrill with a drag-and-drop builder, built-in checkout, SCORM import and migration tools from other LMS plugins.
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MasterStudy LMS
Freemium WordPress LMS from StylemixThemes with a course builder, quizzes and built-in Stripe/PayPal checkout, plus a large set of Pro add-ons.
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LifterLMS
Free, extensible WordPress LMS with courses, memberships, quizzes, certificates and drip content; payments and advanced tools via paid add-ons.
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Academy LMS
Freemium WordPress LMS by Kodezen with front-end course building, a free quiz question bank, 47 Gutenberg blocks and many Pro add-ons.
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FAQ
Is Sensei LMS free?
Yes. Sensei LMS has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $60/yr.
How many sites use Sensei LMS?
WordPress.org reports 9K+ active installations of the free version. The vendor claims 10K+ sites in total. We estimate around 1.2K sites run the paid version.
Does Sensei LMS have drag & drop course builder?
Yes: included. Course Outline block builds modules and lessons inside the editor.
Does Sensei LMS have drip & scheduled content?
Yes: paid version (Pro). Scheduled content drip and access periods need Sensei Pro.
Does Sensei LMS have quiz builder?
Yes: included. Seven question types including gap fill and file upload; ordering is Pro.
Does Sensei LMS have certificates?
Yes: included. Certificate builder included free.
Does Sensei LMS have sell courses (built-in checkout)?
No: not included. No built-in checkout; selling requires Sensei Pro plus WooCommerce.
Does Sensei LMS have subscriptions & memberships?
Yes: paid version (Pro). WooCommerce Subscriptions and Memberships support via Sensei Pro.
Does Sensei LMS have student dashboard?
Yes: included. Learner courses block / My Courses page lists enrolments and progress.
Does Sensei LMS have reports & analytics?
Yes: included. Free learner, course and lesson reports; Pro adds group reporting.
Can I sell courses with free Sensei LMS?
No. Selling requires Sensei Pro ($179/year) together with WooCommerce, which then handles payments, subscriptions and coupons.
What does Sensei Pro add?
WooCommerce selling, content drip and access periods, quiz timers, ordering questions, groups and cohorts, co-teachers, interactive blocks and AI features.
Does Sensei work with block themes?
Yes. Sensei is built around the block editor, with course and lesson blocks and a Learning Mode designed for block themes.
Can I import courses into Sensei?
Sensei can import and export courses, lessons and questions via CSV files, but it has no importer for other LMS plugins or SCORM.
Last updated 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.