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The Academy LMS Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Academy LMS in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPANovember 2026

Academy LMS

The Insider’s Guide

WordPress LMS plugin with a free core and Pro licenses by site count

Academy LMS, as pictured on academylms.net

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from Academy LMS’s own pages.

Made by Kodezen · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.8GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Academy LMS’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Academy LMS’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.8

GPA, above 92 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade

Academy LMS is a WordPress plugin from Kodezen for building and selling courses on your own site. A free edition is listed on WordPress.org, and the Pro license unlocks features such as advanced assignments, live classes, SCORM and H5P import and drip content. Every paid plan has the same features and differs only in how many sites it covers.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Academy LMS, taken from its own pages and our grades.

It needs a self-hosted WordPress site, so setup and updates are yours.
From our grade for ease of use
  1. 1

    Best for low-cost WordPress course sites

    The free edition leaves out SCORM, live classes, drip content and revenue sharing, and you host it all yourself.

  2. 2

    Paid plans start at $8.25 a month when paid by the year

    As its pricing page puts it: $99 per year for 1 site.

  3. 3

    There is a free plan

    A free core edition with the course, lesson and quiz builders, question bank, certificate builder and student dashboard.

  4. 4

    It runs on Web

    Web.

  5. 5

    Course and lesson builders

    Drag-and-drop curriculum with videos, text and downloads, plus an AI course builder for drafting lessons.

  6. 6

    Quizzes and question bank

    Ten-plus question types with timers, attempt limits and pass marks, and a shared question bank with CSV import and export.

  7. 7

    Certificates and grading

    A certificate designer with a public verification ID for each certificate; smart grading and advanced assignments are Pro.

  8. 8

    A 2.8 GPA, above 92 of 98

    That is against the other course and community platforms we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  9. 9

    Keep it

    The plain part of Academy LMS you could make: online courses and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.

Academy LMS at a glance

Pricing
Free plan, from $99 per year for 1 site
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
Web
Made by
Kodezen
Category
Courses & Communities
Our grade
2.8 GPA, good

The report card

Best for low-cost WordPress course sites

Academy LMS is a WordPress course plugin with a free core and paid plans from $99 a year for one site. The free edition leaves out SCORM, live classes, drip content and revenue sharing, and you host it all yourself.

ToolGPA report cardAcademy LMSGraded Nov 13, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyA$99 a year for one site is about $8.25 a month, under 60% of the $20 where the cheapest quarter of courses tools starts. The page shows it as a discount from $199, so the list price is higher.
Free plan and trialBThe free core has the course, lesson and quiz builders, a question bank, certificates and a student dashboard. SCORM, H5P, live classes, drip and revenue sharing are Pro.
FeaturesBCourse and lesson builders, quizzes, certificates, instructors and revenue sharing, SCORM and H5P. The listing shows no gap in the core course job.
Ease of useDIt needs a self-hosted WordPress site, so setup and updates are yours. No store rating is on record.
Platforms and integrationsBWeb only, with WooCommerce, SureCart, Easy Digital Downloads, Elementor and H5P on the list. No phone or desktop app.
Grade point averageGood, out of 4.02.8

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who Academy LMS is for

  • Fits if you run WordPress and want the cheapest paid course plugin around
  • Works for agencies who need 10 to 200 sites on one license

Who it is not for

  • Skip it if you want a hosted service, as it runs only on your own WordPress site
  • Tight if you stay on the free core, because SCORM, H5P, live classes, drip and revenue sharing are Pro
  • Watch out: the page does not say what renewal costs after the first year
  • Watch out: prices are shown as discounts with a countdown timer, so the list price is the higher one

Good to know

Good for

  • WordPress site owners who want a free LMS before paying
  • Agencies running course sites for many clients on one license
  • Schools that want a campus, community and CRM from one vendor

Worth knowing

  • It runs only inside a self-hosted WordPress site; hosting and updates are your job.
  • Advanced assignments, live classes, SCORM and H5P, drip content and revenue sharing are labeled Pro.
  • Licenses include 1 year of support and updates; the page does not say what renewal costs.
  • Paid plans are shown as discounts from higher list prices, with a countdown timer on the page.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$8.25

A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too

Academy LMS has a free plan. Paid plans start at $99 per year for 1 site.

The free core has the course, lesson and quiz builders, a question bank, certificates and a student dashboard.
From our grade for free plan and trial

  • Individual

    $99

    per year for 1 site

    All Pro features, 1 year of support and updates. Shown as $99 against a crossed-out $199.

  • Business

    $129

    per year for up to 10 sites

    Same features on 10 sites, shown against a crossed-out $299.

  • Business Plus

    $149

    per year for up to 25 sites

    Same features on 25 sites, shown against a crossed-out $349.

  • Agency

    $199

    per year for up to 100 sites

    Same features on 100 sites, shown against a crossed-out $399.

  • Agency Plus

    $229

    per year for up to 200 sites

    Same features on 200 sites, shown against a crossed-out $449.

The free plan

A free core edition with the course, lesson and quiz builders, question bank, certificate builder and student dashboard.

Read from academylms.net on Nov 13, 2026.

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: Web

WordPress LMS plugin with a free core and Pro licenses by site count. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, templates, online courses, community.

The listing shows no gap in the core course job.
From our grade for features
Course and lesson builders
Drag-and-drop curriculum with videos, text and downloads, plus an AI course builder for drafting lessons.
Quizzes and question bank
Ten-plus question types with timers, attempt limits and pass marks, and a shared question bank with CSV import and export.
Certificates and grading
A certificate designer with a public verification ID for each certificate; smart grading and advanced assignments are Pro.
SCORM, H5P and live classes
Pro imports existing SCORM and H5P courses and schedules live classes and meetings into the curriculum.
Instructors and revenue sharing
Multi-instructor courses, public instructor profiles, and per-instructor commission splits (revenue sharing is Pro).
Selling and ecosystem tools
Sell through WooCommerce, StoreEngine, SureCart or EDD, or add Kodezen's own community, CRM, mobile app and gamification plugins.

Where it runs

  • Web

What it works with

  • WooCommerce
  • StoreEngine
  • SureCart
  • Easy Digital Downloads
  • Elementor
  • H5P

Academy LMS is made by Kodezen.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

92/98

Other course and community platforms it is graded above

Academy LMS's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 92 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 5.

It stands best on value for money (A, above 94 of 98) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).

Its paid plans start at $8.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $36 for the category: 1 of the 65 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 99 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. Academy LMS’s own letter is outlined.

  • AValue for moneyAbove 94 of 98
  • BFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 98
  • BFeaturesAbove 56 of 98
  • DEase of useAbove 0 of 98
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 25 of 98

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 78 course and community platforms. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Academy LMS is the marked dot.

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessAcademy LMSSimpleroHeartbeatHyloCirclesysteme.io

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

The plain part of Academy LMS you could make: online courses and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.

It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 92 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade. It costs $99 a year.

What you could make

  • Online courses and templates: an app builder makes these well.

What you could not

  • A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
  • It plugs into other products, WooCommerce, StoreEngine and SureCart among them.
  • AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Academy LMS’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Tutor LMS, LearnPress, MasterStudy LMS, LearnDash and LifterLMS

The 5 tools Academy LMS is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

12

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is Academy LMS free?

Academy LMS has a free plan. A free core edition with the course, lesson and quiz builders, question bank, certificate builder and student dashboard.

How much does Academy LMS cost?

Academy LMS lists 5 plans. Individual: $99 per year for 1 site.

What platforms does Academy LMS work on?

Academy LMS is available on Web.

Does Academy LMS have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Academy LMS is listed for Web.

Does Academy LMS have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Academy LMS is listed for Web.

Is Academy LMS open source?

Academy LMS is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.

What does Academy LMS integrate with?

Academy LMS's listing names WooCommerce, StoreEngine, SureCart, Easy Digital Downloads, Elementor and H5P.

Who makes Academy LMS?

Academy LMS is made by Kodezen.

What are the alternatives to Academy LMS?

The closest alternatives to Academy LMS in our directory are Tutor LMS, LearnPress, MasterStudy LMS, LearnDash and LifterLMS.

How does Academy LMS compare with other course and community platforms?

Academy LMS's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 92 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 5.

Is Academy LMS good value for money?

ToolGPA grades Academy LMS A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $36 for the category: 1 of the 65 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of Academy LMS?

The plain part of Academy LMS you could make: online courses and templates.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Academy LMS’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Kodezen's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Kodezen. Prices change, so check academylms.net before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

7,721

Tools graded, in 95 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 7,721

    tools graded

  • 95

    categories

  • 739

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "Academy LMS: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/academy-lms

Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/academy-lms/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded course and community platforms after Academy LMS, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Academy LMS’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Academy LMS is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Kodezen. Prices and plans change: check academylms.net before you buy.