The LifterLMS Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about LifterLMS 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.
LifterLMS
The Insider’s Guide
WordPress LMS plugin with a free core and paid bundles
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among course and community platforms, read from LifterLMS’s own pages.
Made by LifterLMS · checked Nov 12, 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 LifterLMS’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on LifterLMS’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 45 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade
LifterLMS is a learning management plugin for WordPress. The free core plugin covers unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers, and quizzes and certificates. Paid yearly bundles add ecommerce, email marketing, forms and advanced add-ons, priced by the number of active sites.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about LifterLMS, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It runs only on a WordPress site you host and update yourself.
- 1
Best for a free WordPress course plugin you host yourself
It only runs on a WordPress site you host, and the bundles renew at full price.
- 2
Paid plans start at $33.17 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $398 per year for 1 site (Earth bundle), or a free core plugin.
- 3
There is a free plan
Core plugin: unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers, with quizzes, certificates and achievement badges.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Courses and memberships
The free core plugin has unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers, plus quizzes, certificates and badges.
- 6
Ecommerce add-ons
Paid bundles add checkout through Stripe, PayPal or WooCommerce, cart abandonment recovery and name-your-price.
- 7
Advanced add-ons
Advanced Quizzes, Assignments and continuing education tracking are included only in the Infinity bundle.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 45 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
Keep it
To replace LifterLMS you would be making email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
LifterLMS at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $398 per year for 1 site (Earth bundle), or a free core plugin
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- LifterLMS
- Category
- Courses & Communities
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a free WordPress course plugin you host yourself
LifterLMS is a WordPress course plugin with a free core and paid bundles from $398 a year. It only runs on a WordPress site you host, and the bundles renew at full price.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | The 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. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The free core gives unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers with quizzes and certificates. You pay for hosting yourself. |
| Features | C | Courses, memberships, ecommerce and reporting add-ons. The listing's gap: advanced quizzes, assignments and continuing education tracking need the Infinity bundle. |
| Ease of use | D | It runs only on a WordPress site you host and update yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with Stripe, PayPal and WooCommerce connections. |
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 LifterLMS is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- WordPress site owners who want a free LMS to start
- Course sellers who plan to add ecommerce and email add-ons
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$33.17
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
LifterLMS has a free plan. Paid plans start at $398 per year for 1 site (Earth bundle), or a free core plugin.
The core plugin is free but needs your own WordPress hosting, so it counts as a middle price.
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.
The free plan
Core plugin: unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers, with quizzes, certificates and achievement badges.
Read from lifterlms.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on lifterlms.comLifetime license
Infinity Bundle lifetime license
The pricing page offers a lifetime Infinity Bundle license with updates, support and future products and no renewal payments.
Stated on lifterlms.com
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 paid bundles. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: templates, marketing automation, reports, online courses, community.
Courses, memberships, ecommerce and reporting add-ons.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Stripe
- PayPal
- WooCommerce
LifterLMS is made by LifterLMS.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
45/98
Other course and community platforms it is graded above
LifterLMS's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 45 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 20.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 71 of 98) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $33.17 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $36 for the category: 29 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 26 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 99 course and community platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. LifterLMS’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 17 of 98
- BFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 98
- CFeaturesAbove 1 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. LifterLMS 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.
Keep it
To replace LifterLMS you would be making email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $398 a year.
What you could make
- Online courses, templates and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.
- A members' space with posts, chat and events that people keep coming back to.
What this rests on. LifterLMS’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
LearnDash, Sensei LMS, AccessAlly, MemberPress and Paid Memberships Pro
The 5 tools LifterLMS is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
LearnDash
Free trial · from $350/yr
WordPress plugin for building and selling online courses.
- LifterLMS has a free plan. LearnDash does not, though it has a free trial.
- LifterLMS also covers templates, marketing automation, reports and community.
- 2.2GPA
Sensei LMS
Free plan · from $15/mo
WordPress course plugin with a free core and a paid Pro tier.
- Sensei LMS is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- LifterLMS also covers marketing automation, reports and community.
- 1.8GPA
AccessAlly
Paid
WordPress plugin for courses, memberships and communities.
- LifterLMS has a free plan. AccessAlly does not.
- LifterLMS also covers reports.
- AccessAlly also covers affiliate tracking.
- 1.8GPA
MemberPress
From $399/yr
WordPress plugin for paid memberships, courses and communities.
- LifterLMS has a free plan. MemberPress does not.
- LifterLMS also covers templates, marketing automation and reports.
- 2.4GPA
Paid Memberships Pro
Free plan · from $49/mo
Open-source WordPress membership plugin with managed hosting.
- Paid Memberships Pro is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- LifterLMS also covers marketing automation, reports and online courses.
- Paid Memberships Pro also covers paid newsletters.
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 LifterLMS free?
LifterLMS has a free plan. Core plugin: unlimited courses, memberships, students and teachers, with quizzes, certificates and achievement badges.
How much does LifterLMS cost?
LifterLMS lists 4 plans. Core Plugin: $0.
What platforms does LifterLMS work on?
LifterLMS is available on Web.
Does LifterLMS offer any discounts?
LifterLMS publicly lists the following: First year at 50% off; Infinity Bundle lifetime license.
Does LifterLMS have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. LifterLMS is listed for Web.
Does LifterLMS have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. LifterLMS is listed for Web.
Is LifterLMS open source?
LifterLMS is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does LifterLMS integrate with?
LifterLMS's listing names Stripe, PayPal and WooCommerce. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes LifterLMS?
LifterLMS is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to LifterLMS?
The closest alternatives to LifterLMS in our directory are LearnDash, Sensei LMS, AccessAlly, MemberPress and Paid Memberships Pro.
How does LifterLMS compare with other course and community platforms?
LifterLMS's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 45 of the 98 other course and community platforms we grade, and level with 20.
Is LifterLMS good value for money?
ToolGPA grades LifterLMS C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $33.17 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $36 for the category: 29 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of LifterLMS?
To replace LifterLMS you would be making email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from LifterLMS’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from LifterLMS's own pages on 12 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 LifterLMS. Prices change, so check lifterlms.com 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
- LifterLMS, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/lifterlms
- 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, "LifterLMS: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/lifterlms
Know someone choosing between course and community platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/lifterlms/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded course and community platforms after LifterLMS, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Courses & Communities Insider's GuideEvery one of the 99 course and community platforms we grade, compared
- Hylo Insider's GuideFree open-source platform for community groups and coordination3.2 GPA
- Academy LMS Insider's GuideWordPress LMS plugin with a free core and Pro licenses by site count2.8 GPA
- Circle Insider's GuideCommunity platform with courses, events, payments and branded apps2.8 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 LifterLMS’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. LifterLMS is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by LifterLMS. Prices and plans change: check lifterlms.com before you buy.