The LearnDash Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about LearnDash 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.
LearnDash
The Insider’s Guide
WordPress plugin for building and selling online courses
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from LearnDash’s own pages.
Made by Liquid Web, LLC · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from LearnDash’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on LearnDash’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 1 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade
LearnDash is a learning management plugin for WordPress, first launched in 2013 and now sold by Liquid Web. It adds a drag-and-drop course builder, quizzes, assignments, certificates and progress tracking to your own WordPress site, and its built-in MemberDash handles memberships, subscriptions and bundles. It is bought as a yearly license, with no per-student fees.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about LearnDash, taken from its own pages and our grades.
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.
- 1
Best for courses on a WordPress site you already run
If you're not already on WordPress, though, you're also signing up for hosting, a theme and updates.
- 2
Paid plans start at $33.25 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $399 per year.
- 3
You can try it first
48-hour free demo site, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
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.
- 6
Quizzes, assignments and certificates
Quizzes with 8 question types including essays and sorting, assignment management, a certificate builder, and badges and points.
- 7
MemberDash memberships
Membership tiers, recurring subscriptions and course bundles are built in, and members manage their own payment details and subscriptions.
- 8
A 2.0 GPA, above 1 of 18
That is against the other course and community platforms we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
You could make the core of LearnDash for yourself: online courses.
LearnDash at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $399 per year
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 48-hour free demo site, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Liquid Web, LLC, since 2013
- Category
- Courses & Communities
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for courses on a WordPress site you already run
LearnDash turns your WordPress site into a course platform: a drag-and-drop builder, quizzes, certificates, memberships and good reporting, for $399 a year with no fee on sales. If you're not already on WordPress, though, you're also signing up for hosting, a theme and updates. And the only way to try it is a 48-hour demo.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pro is $399 a year, about $33 a month, with no fee per sale or per student, so $2,000 of sales costs $33 a month: the middle of this category. Hosting for the WordPress site is on top, and isn't in that figure. |
| Free plan and trial | D | No free version. There's a 48-hour demo site with no card needed, which is a look around rather than a trial. |
| Features | C | A drag-and-drop course builder, quizzes with 8 question types, assignments, certificates, MemberDash memberships, AI outlines and ProPanel reporting. Plenty, but it needs a WordPress site to be useful, and community comes from add-ons like bbPress. |
| Ease of use | C | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Runs in the browser inside WordPress, with Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, Elementor, MemberPress, Gravity Forms, bbPress and ThriveCart. No apps listed. |
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 LearnDash is for
- Great if your business already runs on a WordPress site
- Good for agencies building learning sites for clients
- Handy when you sell group seats to companies, with Elite at $599 a year
Who it is not for
- 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 and security patches stop
Good to know
Good for
- Course sellers who already run a WordPress site
- Agencies building learning sites for clients
- Training providers selling group seats to companies
Worth knowing
- LearnDash needs a WordPress site, so you supply and maintain the hosting, theme and updates yourself.
- The pricing page does not say how many sites a license covers; LearnDash's own license docs still describe 1-site, 10-site and unlimited licenses.
- Group seat sales, the instructor role and multi-instructor courses need Elite at $599 a year.
- The license renews automatically each year; without a valid license the plugin keeps working but gets no updates, security patches or support.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$33.25
A month to start, paid by the year
LearnDash is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $399 per year.
Hosting for the WordPress site is on top, and isn't in that figure.
Pro
$399
per year, renews annually
Course and quiz builders, MemberDash memberships, Stripe and PayPal, certificates, AI course outlines and quizzes, ProPanel reporting and gradebook.
Elite
$599
per year, renews annually
Everything in Pro, plus group management and seat sales, an instructor role with front-end course creation, multiple instructors, and ratings and reviews.
Trying it first
48-hour free demo site, no credit card required
Read from liquidweb.com on Oct 17, 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 plugin for building and selling online courses. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, online courses.
Plenty, but it needs a WordPress site to be useful, and community comes from add-ons like bbPress.
- 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
- On Elite, sell seats to organizations whose leaders manage their own teams, and let several instructors build courses from the front end.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Stripe
- PayPal
- WooCommerce
- Elementor
- MemberPress
- Gravity Forms
- bbPress
- ThriveCart
LearnDash is made by Liquid Web, LLC, and has been around since 2013.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
1/18
Other course and community platforms it is graded above
LearnDash's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 1 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 2.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 0 of 18) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $33.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $41 for the category: 5 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 19 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. LearnDash’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 18
- DFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 18
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 18
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 18
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 18
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 19 course and community platforms. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. LearnDash is the marked dot.
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.
Your call
You could make the core of LearnDash for yourself: online courses.
What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. It costs $399 a year.
What you could make
- Online courses: an app builder makes this well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- It plugs into other products, Stripe, PayPal and WooCommerce among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. LearnDash’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
MemberPress, Thinkific, Teachable, LearnWorlds and Kajabi
The 5 tools LearnDash is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.8GPA
MemberPress
From $399/yr
WordPress plugin for paid memberships, courses and communities.
- MemberPress also covers community.
- 2.4GPA
Thinkific
Free trial · from $40/mo
Course, community and membership platform for experts and academies.
- Thinkific also covers invoicing and community.
- 2.4GPA
Teachable
Free trial · from $29/mo
Online course, coaching and membership platform with its own checkout.
- Only Teachable lists iOS and Android apps.
- Teachable also covers email campaigns.
- 2.4GPA
LearnWorlds
Free trial · from $24/mo
Online academy builder for course creators and training teams.
- LearnWorlds also covers email campaigns and community.
- 2.0GPA
Kajabi
Free trial · from $143/mo
All-in-one platform for selling courses, coaching and communities.
- Only Kajabi lists iOS and Android apps.
- Kajabi also covers marketing automation, email campaigns, paid newsletters and community.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 LearnDash free?
No, LearnDash is a paid product, but you can try it first. 48-hour free demo site, no credit card required.
How much does LearnDash cost?
LearnDash lists 2 plans. Pro: $399 per year, renews annually.
What platforms does LearnDash work on?
LearnDash is available on Web.
Does LearnDash have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. LearnDash is listed for Web.
Does LearnDash have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. LearnDash is listed for Web.
Is LearnDash open source?
LearnDash is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does LearnDash have an API?
Yes. LearnDash offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does LearnDash integrate with?
LearnDash's listing names Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, Elementor, MemberPress, Gravity Forms, bbPress and ThriveCart.
Who makes LearnDash?
LearnDash is made by Liquid Web, LLC. It dates from 2013.
What are the alternatives to LearnDash?
The closest alternatives to LearnDash in our directory are MemberPress, Thinkific, Teachable, LearnWorlds and Kajabi.
How does LearnDash compare with other course and community platforms?
LearnDash's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 1 of the 18 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 2.
Is LearnDash good value for money?
ToolGPA grades LearnDash C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $33.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $41 for the category: 5 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of LearnDash?
You could make the core of LearnDash for yourself: online courses. What you would give up is listed below.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from LearnDash’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Liquid Web's own pages on 17 October 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 Liquid Web, LLC. Prices change, so check liquidweb.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 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.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- LearnDash, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/learndash
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
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, "LearnDash: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/learndash
Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/learndash/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded course and community platforms after LearnDash, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Courses & Communities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 19 course and community platforms we grade, compared
- Circle Insider's GuideCommunity platform with courses, events, payments and branded apps2.8 GPA
- Simplero Insider's GuideAll-in-one platform for courses, community, email and coaching2.8 GPA
- systeme.io Insider's GuideAll-in-one marketing suite with funnels, email, courses and community2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what LearnDash’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. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. LearnDash is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Liquid Web, LLC. Prices and plans change: check liquidweb.com before you buy.