Alternatives · Courses
Academy LMS alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the highest-graded Academy LMS alternative is Tutor LMS (2.6 GPA). It's also the best free one.
Academy LMS compared with 5 alternatives: Tutor LMS, LearnPress, MasterStudy LMS, LearnDash and LifterLMS.
Academy LMS has a free plan. Paid plans start at $99 per year for 1 site. 4 of the 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Academy LMS sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy LMSThis tool | Free plan · from $99/yr | Yes | Web |
| Tutor LMS | Free plan · from $199/yr | Yes | Web |
| LearnPress | Free plan · from $19 | Yes | Web |
| MasterStudy LMS | Free plan · from $149/yr | Yes | Web |
| LearnDash | Free trial · from $350/yr | Trial only | Web |
| LifterLMS | Free plan · from $398/yr | Yes | Web |
Price against what you get
Academy LMS starts at $8.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 4 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Academy LMS
Tutor LMS
WordPress course plugin with a free core and paid Pro licenses
- Tutor LMS starts at $199 per year for 1 site.
- Tutor LMS does not cover community, which Academy LMS does.
Suits: Course creators who already run a WordPress site
LearnPress
Free WordPress LMS plugin with paid add-ons and a Pro Bundle
- LearnPress starts at $19 per add-on, for 1 site.
- LearnPress does not cover community, which Academy LMS does.
Suits: WordPress site owners who want a free LMS to start with
MasterStudy LMS
WordPress LMS plugin with a free Starter license and paid yearly tiers
- MasterStudy LMS starts at $149 per year for 1 site.
- MasterStudy LMS is open source, according to its own site.
- MasterStudy LMS does not cover community, which Academy LMS does.
Suits: WordPress owners who want a free LMS plugin to begin with
LearnDash
WordPress plugin for building and selling online courses
- LearnDash starts at $350 per year for 1 site.
- LearnDash has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Academy LMS.
- LearnDash does not cover templates and community, which Academy LMS does.
Suits: Course sellers who already run a WordPress site
LifterLMS
WordPress LMS plugin with a free core and paid bundles
- LifterLMS starts at $398 per year for 1 site (Earth bundle), or a free core plugin.
- LifterLMS also covers marketing automation and reports.
Suits: WordPress site owners who want a free LMS to start
Limits worth knowing in Academy LMS
- It runs only inside a self-hosted WordPress site; hosting and updates are your job.
- Advanced assignments, live classes, SCORM and H5P, drip content and revenue sharing are labeled Pro.
- Licenses include 1 year of support and updates; the page does not say what renewal costs.
- Paid plans are shown as discounts from higher list prices, with a countdown timer on the page.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Academy LMS?
The alternatives to Academy LMS in this directory are Tutor LMS, LearnPress, MasterStudy LMS, LearnDash and LifterLMS. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Academy LMS.
Is there a free alternative to Academy LMS?
Yes. Tutor LMS, LearnPress, MasterStudy LMS and LifterLMS have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Is there an open-source alternative to Academy LMS?
MasterStudy LMS is described as open source on its own site.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Nov 9, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.