LifterLMS vs MasterStudy LMS (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MasterStudy LMS grades higher than LifterLMS: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
LifterLMS grades higher on platforms. MasterStudy LMS grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
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
MasterStudy LMS
WordPress LMS plugin with a free Starter license and paid yearly tiers
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 MasterStudy LMS if
- Fits if you already run WordPress and want to add a course area
- Works for agencies who need a license covering 10 or unlimited sites
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to host a site, since it runs only on self-hosted WordPress
- Tight if you stay on the free Starter license, as it comes with 1 prebuilt site and community support only
- Pricey if you build for many clients: $299 a year for 10 sites, $599 for unlimited
- Watch out: paid licenses give a year of updates and support, and the Lifetime prices on the page could not be read
How we grade them
| 2.2GPALifterLMSFair | 2.4GPAMasterStudy 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. | B$149 a year for one site is about $12.42 a month, inside the cheapest quarter of courses tools, which start at $20. The free Starter license costs nothing, but you still pay for your own hosting. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free core gives unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers with quizzes and certificates. You pay for hosting yourself. | BThe Starter license is free with updates and community support. Priority ticket support and 20 prebuilt sites need a paid license. |
| Features | CCourses, memberships, ecommerce and reporting add-ons. The listing's gap: advanced quizzes, assignments and continuing education tracking need the Infinity bundle. | BCourse builder, quizzes, assignments, Zoom lessons, drip content, certificates and group courses. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core job. |
| Ease of use | DIt runs only on a WordPress site you host and update yourself. | DIt runs inside a self-hosted WordPress site, so hosting, updates and security are yours to set up. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Stripe, PayPal and WooCommerce connections. | CWeb only, through WordPress, with Zoom and Google Classroom on the list. Nothing for phones or desktops is listed. |
| Best for | a free WordPress course plugin you host yourself | WordPress course sites on a small budget |
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 MasterStudy 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. MasterStudy LMS starts at $12.42 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and MasterStudy LMS starts $20.75 a month lower. Of the other course and community platforms on the chart, 26 score higher than LifterLMS for less, and 8 score higher than MasterStudy 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
- MasterStudy LMS is open source, according to its own site.
- LifterLMS also covers marketing automation, reports and community.
At a glance
| LifterLMS | MasterStudy LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $398 per year for 1 site (Earth bundle), or a free core plugin | $149 per year for 1 site |
| Free plan | Core plugin: unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers, with quizzes, certificates and achievement badges. | Starter: free license and free updates with community support and 1 free prebuilt website. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | LifterLMS | StylemixThemes |
| Price read from | lifterlms.com | stylemixthemes.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
MasterStudy LMS
- It runs only inside a self-hosted WordPress site, so hosting and security are your job.
- Paid licenses give 1 year of updates and support from the purchase date.
- The pricing page also has a Lifetime toggle, but those prices could not be read from the page text.
- Refunds are offered within 14 days, under the vendor's refund policy.
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.
MasterStudy LMS
- Course builder
- Build courses with lessons, a course details page and prerequisites, and import classes from a Google Classroom account.
- Quizzes and assignments
- Add knowledge-test quizzes to courses and set detailed assignments for students to submit.
- Live lessons
- Teach with Zoom lessons, meetings and webinars from inside the course site, with live-stream support listed on the product pages.
- Drip content and certificates
- Release lessons on a schedule and design certificates for completed courses with a template builder.
- Group courses and notifications
- Group courses let a buyer enroll several students; on-site and browser push notifications keep students and instructors informed.
- Prebuilt websites
- Starter-site templates for a ready-made course site: 1 on the free license and 20 on paid licenses.
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.
MasterStudy LMS
Starter$0
Free license and updates, community support and 1 prebuilt website.
Single site$149
per year for 1 site
1 site license, updates for 1 year, priority ticket support and 20 prebuilt websites.
10 sites$299
per year for up to 10 sites
Same inclusions as the single-site plan, with a license for 10 sites.
Unlimited$599
per year for unlimited sites
Same inclusions with an unlimited-site license, marked on the page as for developers.
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.
MasterStudy LMS
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LifterLMS or MasterStudy LMS?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MasterStudy LMS is cheaper to start with: $12.42 a month when paid by the year, 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 MasterStudy LMS starts at $149 per year for 1 site.
Which has a free plan, LifterLMS or MasterStudy LMS?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both LifterLMS and MasterStudy 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.