LearnDash vs Moodle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Moodle grades higher than LearnDash: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
LearnDash grades higher on ease of use. Moodle grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money 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
Moodle
Open-source learning platform you host yourself or on MoodleCloud
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 Moodle if
- Fits if you have IT staff who can run a server
- Works for schools that want a free, extendable LMS
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you can't host and update a server, as that is your job
- Tight if you want MoodleCloud, as the trial is 28 days and paid prices are not listed
- Watch out: Moodle Solutions, the enterprise service, is quoted case by case
- Watch out: the page does not list the mobile app's platforms
How we grade them
| 2.0GPALearnDashFair | 2.4GPAMoodleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CFree to download, but only useful if you host it yourself, so it sits in the middle. MoodleCloud's paid prices are not on the downloads page. |
| 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. | BMoodle LMS is free to run with no limit stated. MoodleCloud has a 28-day trial with no card. |
| 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. | BSelf-hosted LMS, MoodleCloud, a plugin marketplace and an official mobile app. The listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| 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. | DSelf-hosting needs a web server with PHP, a database and upkeep. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BRuns in the browser inside WordPress, with Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, Elementor, MemberPress, Gravity Forms, bbPress and ThriveCart. No apps listed. | BWeb plus an official mobile app, whose platforms the page does not list, and a plugin marketplace. |
| Best for | courses on a WordPress site you already run | a free LMS you run yourself |
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 Moodle. How we grade
Where they differ
- Moodle is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| LearnDash | Moodle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $350 per year for 1 site | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Moodle LMS is free to download and run on your own server; hosting, maintenance and support are your own cost. |
| Free trial | 48-hour free demo site, no credit card required | MoodleCloud: free 28-day trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Liquid Web, LLC | Moodle |
| Price read from | liquidweb.com | download.moodle.org |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
Moodle
- Self-hosting requires your own web server with PHP and a database, plus upkeep and security updates.
- MoodleCloud's paid prices are not listed on the downloads page; the trial runs 28 days.
- The enterprise Moodle Solutions service is quoted individually.
- The vendor's page mentions an official mobile app but does not list its platforms.
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.
Moodle
- Self-hosted open source
- The full LMS is a free download under GPL-3.0, with total control over customization and source code on GitHub.
- MoodleCloud
- A hosted option for teachers and small teams with unlimited courses and activities and no server maintenance.
- Plugin marketplace
- Thousands of plugins and themes extend a site, available through the Moodle Marketplace.
- Official mobile app
- Students can reach course materials from the Moodle app, including offline.
- Enterprise service
- Moodle Solutions offers unlimited users, bespoke branding, custom theme and feature development and full-service support.
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.
Moodle
Moodle LMS (self-hosted)$0
Free open-source download. You host it yourself; it needs a web server with PHP and a database.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LearnDash or Moodle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, LearnDash starts at $350 per year for 1 site, and Moodle publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, LearnDash or Moodle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Moodle 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.