LearnDash vs LearnWorlds
We give LearnDash a 2.0 GPA and LearnWorlds a 2.4, out of 4.0. LearnWorlds grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
LearnDash
WordPress plugin for building and selling online courses
LearnWorlds
Online academy builder for course creators and training teams
How we grade them
| 2.0GPALearnDashFair | 2.4GPALearnWorldsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $399 a year, about $33 a month, with no fee per sale or per student, so $2,000 of sales costs $33 a month: the middle of this category. Hosting for the WordPress site is on top, and isn't in that figure. | CStarter is $24 a month billed yearly plus $5 a paid enrollment. At $2,000 of sales a month that's $124 if you sell $100 courses, $74 at $200. Pro Trainer at $79 has no fees, so most sellers land on $79 a month, inside this category's usual range. |
| Free plan and trial | DNo free version. There's a 48-hour demo site with no card needed, which is a look around rather than a trial. | CNo free plan, but a 30-day trial of the core features, as long as any in this category. The listing doesn't say it needs a card. |
| Features | CA drag-and-drop course builder, quizzes with 8 question types, assignments, certificates, MemberDash memberships, AI outlines and ProPanel reporting. Plenty, but it needs a WordPress site to be useful, and community comes from add-ons like bbPress. | BAn AI course builder, interactive video, assessments with many question types, certificates, SCORM, a community, live classes, a site builder with funnels and selling tools. Nothing in the listing shows a gap; automations and the API wait for Learning Center. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. The builder is drag-and-drop, but first you need WordPress running on a host, then the plugin and its settings, so there's real setup. | CNo App Store rating on record. There's a lot here, from interactive video to SCORM, so expect a learning curve before your school looks right. |
| Platforms and integrations | BRuns in the browser inside WordPress, with Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, Elementor, MemberPress, Gravity Forms, bbPress and ThriveCart. No apps listed. | BWeb, with Stripe, PayPal, Shopify, Zoom, Teams, HubSpot and Zapier among 50+ integrations. Students get an app only through the branded app add-on, whose price isn't listed. |
| Best for | courses on a WordPress site you already run | courses with interactive video and real assessments |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: LearnDash and LearnWorlds. How we grade
Price against what you get
LearnDash starts at $33.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. LearnWorlds starts at $24 a month and scores 2.7.
LearnWorlds scores higher and starts $9.25 a month lower. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, 3 score higher than LearnDash for less, and none scores higher than LearnWorlds for less.
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
Where they differ
- LearnDash starts at $399 per year. LearnWorlds starts at $24 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly).
- LearnWorlds also covers email campaigns and community.
At a glance
| LearnDash | LearnWorlds | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $399 per year | $24 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 48-hour free demo site, no credit card required | 30-day free trial with access to the core features |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Liquid Web, LLC | LearnWorlds |
| Price read from | liquidweb.com | learnworlds.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
LearnDash
- Course sellers who already run a WordPress site
- Agencies building learning sites for clients
- Training providers selling group seats to companies
LearnWorlds
- Course creators who want interactive video and detailed assessments
- Companies training customers, partners or staff
- Training firms selling courses to several client companies
Worth knowing
LearnDash
- LearnDash needs a WordPress site, so you supply and maintain the hosting, theme and updates yourself.
- The pricing page does not say how many sites a license covers; LearnDash's own license docs still describe 1-site, 10-site and unlimited licenses.
- Group seat sales, the instructor role and multi-instructor courses need Elite at $599 a year.
- The license renews automatically each year; without a valid license the plugin keeps working but gets no updates, security patches or support.
LearnWorlds
- Starter charges $5 for every paid enrollment, on top of Stripe or PayPal fees of about 2.9% plus $0.30.
- Active learners are capped at 1,000 a month on Starter and 2,000 on Pro Trainer and Learning Center.
- Full white-label, automations, SSO and the API need Learning Center at $249 a month billed annually.
- The branded mobile app is an add-on with several price options that the pricing page does not list.
Key features
LearnDash
- Drag-and-drop course builder
- Arrange courses into lessons, topics and assessments, with shared course steps, video progression and a distraction-free focus mode for learners.
- Quizzes, assignments and certificates
- Quizzes with 8 question types including essays and sorting, assignment management, a certificate builder, and badges and points.
- MemberDash memberships
- Membership tiers, recurring subscriptions and course bundles are built in, and members manage their own payment details and subscriptions.
- AI course outlines
- Describe a topic and the AI builder drafts a course outline with lessons and a set of quiz questions to edit before publishing.
- ProPanel reporting
- Enrollment trends, completion rates, quiz performance and at-risk learners in one dashboard, with weighted grading and custom report cards.
- Groups and instructors
- On Elite, sell seats to organizations whose leaders manage their own teams, and let several instructors build courses from the front end.
LearnWorlds
- Courses and assessments
- An AI course builder, interactive video, assessments with many question types, certificates and SCORM and HTML5 packages.
- Community and live sessions
- A built-in community and social network on every plan, and live classes through Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or Webex.
- Website and funnels
- A website builder with landing pages and AI page funnels on your own domain. LearnWorlds branding is removed on Learning Center.
- Selling tools
- Coupons, order bumps, bundles, tiered subscriptions, installments and affiliate marketing, paid through your own Stripe or PayPal account.
- Training for client companies
- Learning Center runs separate training for up to 10 client groups, with LTI 1.3 and course reports you can schedule and send.
- Branded mobile app
- A no-code builder publishes your school as an iOS and Android app, sold as an add-on on every plan.
Plans
LearnDash
Pro$399
per year, renews annually
Course and quiz builders, MemberDash memberships, Stripe and PayPal, certificates, AI course outlines and quizzes, ProPanel reporting and gradebook.
Elite$599
per year, renews annually
Everything in Pro, plus group management and seat sales, an instructor role with front-end course creation, multiple instructors, and ratings and reviews.
LearnWorlds
Starter$24
per month for up to 1,000 learners, billed annually ($29 monthly)
1 admin, 300 AI credits, 15 AI page funnels and 2,000 mass emails a month. LearnWorlds charges $5 on each paid enrollment.
Pro Trainer$79
per month for up to 2,000 learners, billed annually ($99 monthly)
5 admins, 500 AI credits, no enrollment fees, subscriptions and payment plans, certificates, 20 SCORM packages and 50+ integrations.
Learning Center$249
per month for up to 2,000 learners, billed annually ($299 monthly)
25 admins, 1,000 AI credits, full white-label, up to 10 client groups, automations, scheduled reports, SSO and API.
CorporateCustom
Custom learner, admin and client-group limits, 99.95% uptime, flexible invoicing, a success manager and 24/7 phone support.
Ways to pay less
LearnDash
No public discounts listed.
LearnWorlds
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
LearnWorlds lists a 20% saving for annual billing: Starter $24 a month instead of $29, Pro Trainer $79 instead of $99, Learning Center $249 instead of $299.
- Nonprofit
Discounts for registered nonprofits
The pricing FAQ offers discounts on Pro Trainer and higher plans to eligible registered nonprofit organizations, on request.
