11 Best WordPress LMS Plugins. Create & Sell Courses Online for Your eLearning Site
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What is the productive and cost-effective way to create, manage, and sell online courses on a WordPress website from one place? Unlock the power of online learning with one of the best WordPress LMS plugins listed below! This article brings to light their advantages and drawbacks so you can compare the toolkits and choose the right one for your site.
LMS Plugins for WordPress – Why Do You Need Them?
The demand for the learning management system is expanding while the statistics says that
In the forecast period 2020 to 2024, the global corporate LMS market size is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 23%, with a revenue of $12.48 billion.
WordPress as the most used content management systems caters to the needs of the online learning industry with a wide range of the dedicated plugins. What are the best options on the market? Read further to find them!
But before we get down to in-depth blurbs, we’d like to highlight the top 3 WordPress LMS plugins to showcase your online courses:
| Name | Provider | Free/Premium | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| LearnDash | LearnDash | Premium | Website |
| Academy LMS | Creativeitem | Premium | Website |
| LearnPress | ThimPress | Free | Website |
11 TOP WordPress LMS Plugins (Free & Premium)
The roundup is made up of free and premium plugins from the WordPress repository. So, let’s get it started!
1. LearnPress (FREE) – Powerful WordPress LMS Plugin for Online Courses
| Name | Price | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| LearnPress | Free | 90K+ |
Pros:
- The core plugin is free;
- Drag-and-drop builder to create courses;
- Compatible with popular WordPress education themes;
- LearnPress mobile application.
Cons:
- Limited support with the free version;
- Lack of customization options;
- Some basic features like quizzes and certificates are provided via premium add-ons.
Suitable for online schools and online courses, LearnPress is listed as one of the best WordPress LMS plugins thanks to its course creation and management tools. Take advantage of a flexible curriculum you can edit in clicks.
LearnPress supports PayPal, Stripe, and WooCommerce payment gateways to let you sell courses. Also, it allows you to export courses to other websites and integrate add-ons for additional features.
2. Tutor LMS (FREE) – Robust Reporting and Analytics with this WordPress LMS
| Name | Price | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Tutor LMS | Free | 80K+ |
Pros:
- Integrates with popular page builders and WordPress plugins;
- Courses can be presented as a marketplace;
- Powerful security options.
Cons:
- No built-in payment options;
- Most of the features are premium.
The Tutor LMS plugin will help you build your eLearning website to provide unlimited courses and lessons. The free version is packed with basic features, while the premium packages include extended options for courses, quizzes, monetization, etc.
With Tutor LMS, you are free to manage students and instructors, award certificates, and check out analytics reports. This plugin makes it easy to set up email notifications and add multiple content types. Employ a front-end builder to create courses with no hassle.
3. MasterStudy LMS (FREE) – Affordable and Scalable WordPress LMS Solution
| Name | Price | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| MasterStudy LMS | Free | 10K+ |
Pros:
- Advanced quiz builder;
- Clean-designed course player;
- Any number of courses and lessons;
- Free LMS starter theme.
Cons:
- Limited payment options to sell courses;
- Lacks integrations with third-party software compared to the competitors.
Used by many WordPress users, MasterStudy LMS caters to the needs of single instructors, educational institutions, and online course marketplaces. It’s one of the best WordPress LMS plugins as it delivers an intuitive course builder, lesson management options, and quiz features.
MasterStudy LMS offers centralized monetization settings. You can also embed videos from multiple sources. Students have access to their dashboards and teachers’ profiles.
4. LearnDash – Interactive eLearning with This WordPress LMS
| Name | Price | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| LearnDash | Starts from $199/year | – |
Pros:
- There is no limit to the number of courses;
- Stripe, PayPal, RazorPay, and 2Checkout gateways as additional integrations;
- Complete control over courses with a user-friendly course builder;
- Gamification of course content.
- Focus Mode.
Cons:
- No free trial;
- Documentation, help videos and a community forum are available after registration.
LearnDash can be called one of the best WordPress LMS plugins to streamline your eLearning business. Course settings involve assignments, comments, and award points. Customizing courses to tailor them to your theme’s style is possible.
To boost students’ experience, you can apply certificates, course points, and automated reminders. LearnDash lets you sell courses, set up recurring subscriptions, and offer discount coupons.
5. Sensei LMS – Top WordPress LMS Solution with Advanced Quizzing
| Name | Price | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Sensei LMS | Free | 10K+ |
Pros:
- Learning Mode to avoid distractions;
- Smoothly integrates with WooCommerce and its products;
- Compatible with the WordPress block editor;
- Free extensions.
Cons:
- Requires premium extensions for selling sources;
- Limited feature list in the free version.
Sensei LMS is another free WordPress solution that ships with a set of basic features for an effective learning management system. Integrate this plugin into your WordPress website to demonstrate your course, create quizzes, and track students’ achievements.
If you upgrade Sensei LMS to the pro version, you’ll be able to schedule content, divide students into groups, and add flashcards. What’s more, configure course access periods and use extended quiz settings.
6. LifterLMS (FREE) – WordPress LMS for Membership Sites and Subscriptions
| Name | Price | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| LifterLMS | Free | 10K+ |
Pros:
- Gamification course elements;
- Built-in integrations with payment, membership, and subscription options;
- Can be edited via WordPress block editor or any page builder;
- Secure course protection tools.
Cons:
- Expensive bundles of premium extensions.
You require no advanced tech skills to take your eLearning site to the next level with LifterLMS. This plugin features course options like a course builder, quizzes, assignments, source import, etc.
You are equipped with multiple ways to engage students: badges, certificates, text messages, and more. Apart from student dashboards, they access membership plans and personalized email notifications.
7. LMS by Masteriyo (FREE) – User-Friendly WordPress LMS for Beginners
| Name | Price | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| LMS by Masteriyo | Free | 2K+ |
Pros:
- Unlimited courses and instructors;
- Seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce;
- Password strength checker and Google reCAPTCHA for website security;
- Review system to gather feedback from students.
Cons:
- A free version is packed with basic LMS features;
- A premium plan is required to use the add-ons.
The LMS plugin by Masteriyo contains everything you need to get started with an online course WordPress website. For example, a course builder with a clear interface, interactive learning page, well-organized navigation, and quizzes. There are pages for student accounts and a dashboard with analytics.
LMS by Masteriyo is compatible with WordPress Block editor and Elementor for easy page customization. On top of that, it offers quiz import/export and CSV reports.
8. Academy LMS – Gamify Learning with this WordPress LMS Extension
| Name | Price | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Academy LMS | $39 | 6K+ |
Pros:
- 6 different homepages;
- A collection of add-ons;
- Course portal browsed by students;
- Purchase history and invoices;
- Dedicated instructor dashboards.
Cons:
- There is no free trial.
The Academy LMS plugin is one of the best LMS plugins for WordPress websites that comes with an all-in-one eLearning system. It enables course pages, a lesson player, quizzes, and more options for students and instructors.
It’s worth noting that students will be able to view the course progress, compare courses, and even become an instructor. Academy LMS provides a course manager, sales reports, and profile management tools.
9. Good LMS WordPress Plugin
| Name | Price | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Good LMS | $32 | 1K+ |
Pros:
- Supports PayPal, Stripe, Paymill, and Authorized.net payment gateways;
- Online courses & quizzes;
- A system of certificates and badges;
- Instructor profiles.
Cons:
- There is no free trial.
Good LMS is another premium plugin in our roundup. It’s listed here because of its easy-to-manage course options. They include advanced course settings, a course curriculum, and different types of course content (like quizzes).
Students handle the chosen courses via a personal dashboard and rate courses. Besides that, it’s easy to add coupon codes for discounted prices.
10. Namaste! LMS – Enhance User Engagement with this WordPress LMS
| Name | Price | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Namaste! LMS | Starts from $67 | – |
Pros:
- Can be used for unlimited courses and lessons;
- Smooth connection with Watu or WatuPRO plugins for exams;
- Offers Pro Modules;
- Supports free and paid courses.
Cons:
- The free version lacks essential LMS features.
As its name suggests, Namaste! LMS is a premium plugin that enhances your WordPress website with a fully-featured learning management system. This plugin ensures course management, assignments, and course analytics.
Encourage students with certificates for course completion and different awards. To make your course more engaging, it’s possible to upload media content, allow discussions, and add notes to students’ answers. With Namaste! LMS, you’re allowed to monetize your courses and set up WooCommerce, Stripe, and PayPal integrations.
11. eClass – Mobile-Friendly WordPress LMS for Any Device
| Name | Price | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| eClass | $49 | 1K+ |
Pros:
- Integrates with popular meeting platforms;
- Works with international payment gateways;
- LMS mobile application;
- Supports multiple video formats.
Cons:
- There is no free trial.
Take a closer look at eClass if you’re looking for the LMS WordPress plugin that was developed with the needs of teachers, students, and admins in mind. It takes care of a personalized learning experience, communication tools, and course management.
This plugin adds quiz options, course certificates, and progress tracking. Also, it powers up your website with a grading system for teachers, mail and confirmation settings, admin dashboards, etc. Let students schedule an appointment with an instructor in a matter of clicks.
WordPress LMS Plugin: How To Choose The Right Solution?
All things considered, how to define the plugin best suited for your business? Regardless of the budget you have, you should take into account whether the plugin covers all the bases, including:
- Streamlined course creation process and easy-to-use course management tools.
- Support for multimedia content.
- Quizzes and gamification options.
- Secure payment gateways.
- Certification and awards.
- Tracking of learning progress.
- Course stats & analytics.
- A system of notifications and reminders.
- Integration with add-ons and third-party WordPress plugins.
How to Create the eLearning WordPress Site for Free: Top 3 Themes
Are there any free LMS WordPress themes that come bundled with the dedicated plugin out of the box? We’re coming up with a top list of popular solutions that put together a modern design and powerful functionality to build fully-fledged online education WordPress websites.
1. eLearning
| Name | Author | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| eLearning | Masteriyo | 1K+ |
eLearning is a free WordPress theme tailored to online course websites. Equipped with the Masteriyo LMS plugin, this theme comes in handy to create and sell courses. Since it’s compatible with popular page builders, you can import the demo content and customize the design to match your preferences.
2. Course
| Name | Author | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Course | Automattic | 800+ |
Course is a simple yet trendy free WordPress LMS theme prominent for the integration of the Sensei LMS plugin. Get an eLearning website off the ground as you have ready-to-go layouts and dedicated functionality. Feel free to select the most suitable font and color combination to make your website look stunning.
3. Gutenix
| Name | Author | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Gutenix | Gutenix | 10K+ |
Gutenix is a multipurpose WordPress theme packed with 47+ starter sites for popular page builders (Gutenberg, Elementor, and Brizy). The package includes the free School skin perfect for educational institutions. The Getwid addon extends your customization capabilities with 40+ blocks and a library of templates.
What’s important, the School template stands out due to the power of the Timetable & Event Schedule plugin. It lets you create, edit, and manage timetables in your school.
Conclusion
- So, have you found the best WordPress LMS plugins to set the stage for your eLearning WordPress website? We tried to spotlight free & premium solutions packed with different features.
- Hopefully, our checklist on how to find the best plugin among a variety of choices will do its part. There is also a list of free WordPress themes that might interest you.
- Check out all the options to make the right choice, and share your experience in the comments!
Disclosure: this article may contain affiliate links for third-party products. If you click a link and later make a purchase, we may earn an affiliate commission that doesn’t result in additional charges to you.
FAQ
Does WordPress have an LMS plugin?
Can I create an LMS in WordPress?
How do I add LMS to my WordPress site?
How to install LMS plugin?
Access the plugin settings in the WordPress dashboard, configure general options, create courses, customize appearance, integrate payment gateways, and test the system for a smooth user experience.
