LearnDash vs Sensei LMS (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Sensei LMS grades higher than LearnDash: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
LearnDash grades higher on ease of use. Sensei LMS grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features 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
Sensei LMS
WordPress course plugin with a free core and a paid Pro tier
Which one is for you
Pick LearnDash if
- Fits if your business already runs on a WordPress site
- Works for agencies building learning sites for clients, at $599 a year for up to 10 sites
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to look after WordPress, hosting and updates
- Not for you if you want a free trial longer than a 48-hour demo
- Tight if you let the license lapse, as updates, security patches and support stop
- Watch out: LearnDash isn't sold on its own any more, only bundled with Kadence, Give and The Events Calendar, whether you want them or not
Pick Sensei LMS if
- Fits if you run a WordPress site and want to start with free courses
- Works for a single site that will add WooCommerce to sell
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to host WordPress yourself
- Tight if you want to sell: selling and cohorts need Pro at $179 a year per site
- Watch out: there is no free trial, only the free plugin and a 14-day refund on paid plans
- Watch out: it doesn't host videos, so you pay for that elsewhere
How we grade them
| 2.0GPALearnDashFair | 2.2GPASensei LMSFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$350 a year for 1 site, about $29 a month, with no fee per sale or per student, so $2,000 of sales costs $29 a month, right at this category's cheaper quarter. Hosting for the WordPress site is on top, and isn't in that figure. More sites cost more: $599 a year for 10, $999 for 100. | BSensei Pro is $15 a month billed yearly ($179), under the $29 cheaper quarter of courses and communities tools, but you also pay for WordPress hosting. |
| 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. | CThe free core gives unlimited free courses, a certificate builder and basic quizzes. Selling courses and advanced quizzes need Pro, and there is no trial. |
| Features | CA drag-and-drop course builder, quizzes with 8 question types, assignments, certificates, MemberDash memberships, AI outlines and ProPanel reporting. It needs a WordPress site to be useful, and community comes from add-ons like bbPress. | CCourses, quizzes, WooCommerce selling, interactive blocks, groups and certificates. The listing's gap: selling, advanced quizzes and cohorts need Pro, and it doesn't host video. |
| 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. | DIt runs only on a WordPress site you host yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BRuns in the browser inside WordPress, with Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, Elementor, MemberPress, Gravity Forms, bbPress and ThriveCart. No apps listed. | BWeb only, with WooCommerce, VideoPress, YouTube and Vimeo connections. |
| Best for | courses on a WordPress site you already run | courses on WordPress with a free core |
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 Sensei LMS. How we grade
Price against what you get
LearnDash starts at $29.17 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sensei LMS starts at $15 a month and scores 2.0.
LearnDash scores higher, and starts $14.17 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, 3 score higher than LearnDash for less, and 3 score higher than Sensei LMS 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
- Sensei LMS is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Sensei LMS also covers templates.
At a glance
| LearnDash | Sensei LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $350 per year for 1 site | $15 per month, billed yearly ($179), for Sensei Pro; the core plugin is free |
| Free plan | None | Sensei Free: unlimited free courses, certificate builder, basic quizzes and learning mode, open-source and community supported. |
| Free trial | 48-hour free demo site, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Liquid Web, LLC | Automattic |
| Price read from | liquidweb.com | senseilms.com |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
LearnDash
- LearnDash needs a WordPress site, so you supply and maintain the hosting, theme and updates yourself.
- Every plan bundles LearnDash with Kadence, Give and The Events Calendar; LearnDash is no longer offered on its own on the pricing page.
- Prices follow the number of sites: $350 a year for 1 site, $599 for up to 10 and $999 for up to 100.
- The license renews automatically each year; without a valid license the plugin keeps working but gets no updates, security patches or support.
Sensei LMS
- It runs only on a WordPress site you host yourself.
- Selling courses, advanced quizzes and cohorts need Sensei Pro; one Pro license covers one site.
- There is no free trial; the vendor points to the free plugin instead, and paid plans carry a 14-day refund guarantee.
- Sensei does not host videos.
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
- Sell seats to organizations whose leaders manage their own teams, and let several instructors build courses from the front end; included in every plan.
Sensei LMS
- Courses and quizzes
- Unlimited courses and students on the free plugin, with basic quizzes; Pro adds auto-graded, timed quizzes and AI quiz generation.
- Selling with WooCommerce
- Selling courses uses WooCommerce and is part of Sensei Pro, not the free plugin.
- Interactive Blocks
- Interactive videos, flashcards, image hotspots and accordions that work in pages, posts and lessons.
- Groups and cohorts
- Sensei Pro adds group management, cohorts with scheduled access, and co-teachers.
- Tutor AI
- A feature listed on the pricing comparison for AI chat inside a lesson.
- Certificates and learning mode
- A certificate builder and a distraction-free learning mode come with the free plugin.
Plans
LearnDash
1 site$350
per year for 1 site
Includes LearnDash with MemberDash, ProPanel reporting, groups and instructors, plus the Kadence theme, Give and The Events Calendar.
10 sites$599
per year for up to 10 sites
The same bundle as the 1-site plan on more sites; the pricing page works it out at $59.90 per site a year.
25 sites$799
per year for up to 25 sites
The same bundle as the 1-site plan on more sites; the pricing page works it out at $31.96 per site a year.
50 sites$899
per year for up to 50 sites
The same bundle as the 1-site plan on more sites; the pricing page works it out at $17.98 per site a year.
100 sites$999
per year for up to 100 sites
The same bundle as the 1-site plan on more sites; the pricing page works it out at $9.99 per site a year.
Sensei LMS
Sensei Free$0
Open-source plugin you host yourself, with unlimited free courses, basic quizzes and a certificate builder.
Interactive Blocks$5
per month, billed yearly ($60)
Interactive videos, flashcards, image hotspots, accordions, task lists and quiz blocks; Sensei LMS not required.
Sensei Pro$15
per month, billed yearly ($179)
Everything in Free plus selling courses, advanced quizzes, interactive lessons, groups and cohorts; 1 site.
Sensei Agency$30
per month, billed yearly ($360)
Sensei Pro and Interactive Blocks on up to 20 sites or 1 Multisite network.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LearnDash or Sensei LMS?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Sensei LMS is cheaper to start with: $15 a month, against $29.17 a month when paid by the year for LearnDash. LearnDash starts at $350 per year for 1 site, and Sensei LMS starts at $15 per month, billed yearly ($179), for Sensei Pro; the core plugin is free.
Which has a free plan, LearnDash or Sensei LMS?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Sensei LMS has a free plan. LearnDash does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.