LifterLMS vs Sensei LMS (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, LifterLMS and Sensei LMS share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan, and Sensei LMS starts cheaper, at $15 a month against $33.17 a month when paid by the year.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
LifterLMS grades higher on the free plan. Sensei LMS grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
LifterLMS
WordPress LMS plugin with a free core and paid bundles
Sensei LMS
WordPress course plugin with a free core and a paid Pro tier
Which one is for you
Pick LifterLMS if
- Fits if you already have a WordPress site and want courses on it for free to start
- Works for developers who will add paid extensions as needed
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run WordPress yourself
- Pricey if you want the add-ons: bundles start at $398 a year and renew at full price
- Tight if you run several sites: the Earth bundle covers 1 site and the Universe covers 5
- Watch out: advanced quizzes and assignments need the $1,598 Infinity bundle
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
| 2.2GPALifterLMSFair | 2.2GPASensei LMSFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe core plugin is free but needs your own WordPress hosting, so it counts as a middle price. Bundles run $398, $598 and $1,598 a year. | 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 | BThe free core gives unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers with quizzes and certificates. You pay for hosting yourself. | 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 | CCourses, memberships, ecommerce and reporting add-ons. The listing's gap: advanced quizzes, assignments and continuing education tracking need the Infinity bundle. | 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 | DIt runs only on a WordPress site you host and update yourself. | DIt runs only on a WordPress site you host yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Stripe, PayPal and WooCommerce connections. | BWeb only, with WooCommerce, VideoPress, YouTube and Vimeo connections. |
| Best for | a free WordPress course plugin you host yourself | 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: LifterLMS and Sensei LMS. How we grade
Price against what you get
LifterLMS starts at $33.17 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sensei LMS starts at $15 a month and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Sensei LMS starts $18.17 a month lower. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, 10 score higher than LifterLMS 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.
- LifterLMS also covers marketing automation, reports and community.
At a glance
| LifterLMS | Sensei LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $398 per year for 1 site (Earth bundle), or a free core plugin | $15 per month, billed yearly ($179), for Sensei Pro; the core plugin is free |
| Free plan | Core plugin: unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers, with quizzes, certificates and achievement badges. | Sensei Free: unlimited free courses, certificate builder, basic quizzes and learning mode, open-source and community supported. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | LifterLMS | Automattic |
| Price read from | lifterlms.com | senseilms.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
LifterLMS
- It runs only on a WordPress site you host yourself.
- Bundles renew at the full price, and the number of active sites is capped by tier.
- Advanced quizzes, assignments and continuing education tracking need the Infinity bundle.
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
LifterLMS
- Courses and memberships
- The free core plugin has unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers, plus quizzes, certificates and badges.
- Ecommerce add-ons
- Paid bundles add checkout through Stripe, PayPal or WooCommerce, cart abandonment recovery and name-your-price.
- Advanced add-ons
- Advanced Quizzes, Assignments and continuing education tracking are included only in the Infinity bundle.
- Reporting
- Every plan exports student, course and quiz reports to CSV, including enrollment and completion dates.
- Email and forms add-ons
- Universe and Infinity add email marketing, CRM and forms integration add-ons.
- Lifetime license
- A lifetime Infinity Bundle license is sold separately, with no later renewal payments.
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
LifterLMS
Core Plugin$0
Free LMS plugin for WordPress with unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers; you host it yourself.
Earth Bundle$398
per year for 1 site, renews at full price
Core plugin plus ecommerce add-ons for Stripe, PayPal and WooCommerce, cart recovery and name-your-price.
Universe Bundle$598
per year for 5 sites, renews at full price
Adds the Sky Pilot theme, email marketing and CRM add-ons, forms add-ons and a weekly mastermind.
Infinity Bundle$1598
per year for unlimited sites, renews at full price
Everything in Universe plus 15 advanced add-ons and support for 3 users.
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.
Ways to pay less
LifterLMS
- Other savings
First year at 50% off
The pricing page says first-year bundle purchases are discounted by 50%, and an upgrade to a larger bundle gets the discount again.
- Lifetime license
Infinity Bundle lifetime license
The pricing page offers a lifetime Infinity Bundle license with updates, support and future products and no renewal payments.
Sensei LMS
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LifterLMS or Sensei LMS?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Sensei LMS is cheaper to start with: $15 a month, against $33.17 a month when paid by the year for LifterLMS. LifterLMS starts at $398 per year for 1 site (Earth bundle), or a free core plugin, and Sensei LMS starts at $15 per month, billed yearly ($179), for Sensei Pro; the core plugin is free.
Which has a free plan, LifterLMS or Sensei LMS?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both LifterLMS and Sensei LMS have a free plan.
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.