LearnDash vs. LifterLMS

Summary

While there are hundreds of choices on the market for a Learning Management System, in the WordPress space, two rise to the top. It stands to reason that Jonathan would review and compare both side by side. In the end, you will have to choose what is right for your use case, but if you read this post you will have a much more educated decision in front of you. Jonathan believes the best value may be LifterLMS, as the free version plus the Stripe Add-on at $125.00, gets you selling courses quickly and affordably. How do you add Lessons, Courses, manage Memberships, and measure the learning? Read on to get all the details. 

Learndash vs LifterLMS: Unveiling The Best WordPress LMS Plugin for Your Online Courses

Choosing between the two popular WordPress LMS plugins, LearnDash and LifterLMS, may be slightly confusing for those looking to create a powerful online learning platform. These plugins help you create, manage, and sell online courses with unique features to suit different needs. This article will explore the functionality, pricing, and ease of use of both plugins to determine the best one for your WordPress website.

LearnDash focuses on providing a comprehensive and premium solution for creating content-rich courses, quizzes, and learning management. On the other hand, LifterLMS offers an accessible core plugin with a range of add-ons available for purchase, giving users the flexibility to enhance their platform as needed. Both plugins boast course builders and payment gateway integrations, but there are crucial differences to consider before deciding.

Key Takeaways

• LearnDash and LifterLMS are popular WordPress LMS plugins offering unique features and pricing options.
• Both plugins provide course builders and payment gateway integrations but have crucial differences.
• Exploring functionality, pricing, and ease of use can help you make an informed choice between LearnDash and LifterLMS.

Purpose of Comparing LearnDash vs LifterLMS

Comparing LearnDash and LifterLMS is essential for eLearning professionals, educators, and online course creators who want to select the best learning management system (LMS) plugin for their WordPress website. Knowing the differences between these popular LMS options allows potential users to decide which plugin best suits their needs and goals.

LearnDash and LifterLMS are two of the most popular WordPress LMS plugins, each with unique features, benefits, and pricing structures. By comparing their functionalities, users can determine the most critical aspects they require in a plugin and whether its compatibility will work alongside their chosen WordPress theme.

Features play a crucial role in comparing LearnDash and LifterLMS, as they drive the individual capabilities of each LMS plugin. Some key features to compare include:

• Course builder: A user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface for creating and organizing course content
• Quiz builder: The ability to create engaging quizzes and assessments within the courses
• Integration options: Compatibility with other plugins, add-ons, and payment gateways, such as PayPal or Stripe
• Support and updates: Level of customer support and regular plugin updates

Pricing is another crucial factor potential users should weigh when deciding between LearnDash and LifterLMS. LifterLMS offers an accessible core plugin with optional premium add-ons, while LearnDash is a premium plugin that requires a one-time purchase. Users can choose the option that best fits their financial plan by determining their budget for building and maintaining their LMS.

Apart from features and pricing, users should also consider the ease of use. Although both plugins provide tools to create a comprehensive learning management system, it is crucial to determine which one is more intuitive and user-friendly. This ensures a seamless course creation and management experience, even for those who may not be as tech-savvy.

 

Lastly, examining the customer reviews is a helpful part of the comparison process because it reflects the satisfaction of users who have already worked with the plugins. Users can gather insights from reviews to identify potential red flags and set realistic expectations for either option.

In summary, comparing LearnDash vs LifterLMS is essential to deciding which LMS plugin best meets the specific needs, budget, and desired results of online course creators, educators, and eLearning professionals. By examining features, pricing, ease of use, and customer reviews, users can confidently choose the best plugin for their WordPress website.

Differences Between LearnDash vs. LifterLMS

When selecting an appropriate WordPress LMS plugin for your online courses, comparing LearnDash and LifterLMS is essential. These popular WordPress LMS plugins offer a range of features that cater to different needs. This section will discuss some critical differences between LearnDash and LifterLMS.

Pricing: LearnDash is a premium plugin that starts at $199 respectively. On the other hand, LifterLMS offers a free core plugin that provides essential features for course creation. Paid add-ons and bundles are available to access additional functionalities.

Course Builder: Both LearnDash and LifterLMS provide a drag-and-drop course builder, allowing for an easy and user-friendly experience. However, LearnDash offers a nested content structure with topics and quizzes, while LifterLMS follows a more straightforward hierarchy with just sections and lessons.

Quizzes and Assignments: LearnDash has a more advanced quiz engine than LifterLMS. It supports different question types, question banking, randomization, and more. LifterLMS, while offering quizzes, has limited question types and flexibility. For assignments, LearnDash relies on external integrations like the Tin Canny Reporting plugin, while LifterLMS includes built-in assignment functionality.

Payment Gateways: LearnDash natively supports popular payment gateways, such as PayPal, Stripe, and 2Checkout, but relies on additional plugins for advanced features. In contrast, LifterLMS supports fewer payment gateways but offers an all-in-one e-commerce solution with its LifterLMS WooCommerce add-on.

Membership and Subscription: LifterLMS has a built-in membership functionality that allows you to create membership levels, restrict content, and set up recurring subscriptions. LearnDash, however, requires integrations with third-party membership plugins like MemberPress or Paid Memberships Pro to offer similar capabilities. also, Leandash has recently developed their membership plugin, MemberDash, starting at $199 per year.

Theme Compatibility: LearnDash and LifterLMS are compatible with most WordPress themes. However, LearnDash has a slight advantage here with many ready-to-use integrations with popular themes like Astra, Divi, and Elementor. For LifterLMS, you may need to use additional plugins or custom code for seamless integration with specific themes.

Add-ons and Integrations: LearnDash provides a range of free and premium add-ons for additional functionality, such as advanced reporting, analytics, and integrations with other e-learning tools. LifterLMS, too, offers various add-ons, but some of the features available as add-ons on LifterLMS come built-in with LearnDash’s premium plans.

In conclusion, while both LearnDash and LifterLMS offer robust features for creating and managing online courses, the choice between the two depends on your specific requirements, budget, and preferences. Each plugin has its strengths and weaknesses, and understanding these differences will help you choose the right WordPress LMS plugin for your project.

How to Use the LearnDash Plugin

LearnDash is a powerful and feature-rich plugin for creating and managing online courses on your WordPress website. This section provides a brief overview of how to use some of the critical features of the LearnDash plugin, focusing on the Course Builder, Lesson Builder, and Quiz Builder.

Course Builder

The Course Builder is the central tool for creating and organizing course content in LearnDash. To get started with the Course Builder, follow these steps:

1. Install and activate the LearnDash plugin: Download the LearnDash plugin from the official website and install it on your WordPress site. After installation, activate the plugin from the Plugins menu in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Create a new course: Navigate to LearnDash LMS > Courses in the WordPress dashboard. Click “Add New” to create a new course, and enter a title and description for your course.
3. Use the drag-and-drop builder: The Course Builder features a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. You can create sections, lessons, topics, and quizzes by dragging and dropping them into your desired order within the course.
4. Configure course settings: Customize your course settings by specifying access methods, price, and other relevant information under the “Settings” tab in the course editor.

Lesson Builder

The Lesson Builder allows you to create and customize individual lessons within your course. Follow these steps to create a new lesson:

1. Create a new lesson: Navigate to LearnDash LMS > Lessons and click “Add New” to create a new lesson. Enter a title and content for your lesson.
2. Associate the lesson with a course: In the Lesson Settings section, select the course you want to associate the lesson with from the “Associated Course” dropdown menu.
3. Configure lesson settings: Customize your lesson settings by specifying the order, prerequisites, lesson materials, and other options under the “Settings” tab in the lesson editor.
4. Add topics: If you want to break down your lesson into smaller sections further, you can create and add issues using the same process as starting a lesson, except by navigating to LearnDash LMS > Topics and selecting the corresponding lesson under the “Associated Lesson” dropdown menu.

Quiz Builder

Quizzes are a crucial element of effective online learning, and the LearnDash Quiz Builder makes it easy to create and manage quizzes within your course. To create a new quiz, follow these steps:

1. Create a new quiz: Navigate to LearnDash LMS > Quizzes and click “Add New” to create a new quiz. Enter a title and description for your quiz.
2. Associate the quiz with a course or lesson: In the Quiz Settings section, select the appropriate course or lesson you want to associate the quiz with under the “Associated Course” or “Associated Lesson” dropdown menus.
3. Add questions: Click the “Builder” tab in the quiz editor to access the drag-and-drop interface for creating questions. Choose from multiple question types, such as multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and more. Drag and drop questions to reorder them as needed.
4. Configure quiz settings: Customize your quiz settings, such as passing percentage, time limit, and attempts allowed, under the “Settings” tab in the quiz editor.

By mastering these critical features of the LearnDash plugin, you’ll be well-equipped to create engaging and effective online courses for your WordPress website.

How to Use the LifterLMS Plugin

In this section, we will discuss the process of using the LifterLMS plugin, focusing on three main aspects: Course Builder, Lesson Builder, and Quiz Builder. Let’s dive in.

Course Builder

To begin building your course with LifterLMS, follow these steps:

1. Install and activate the LifterLMS plugin on your WordPress website by navigating the Plugins menu and searching for ‘LifterLMS.

2. Create a new course by going to Courses > Add New in the WordPress dashboard. Fill in the course title and description, and add relevant images and tags.

3. Organize your course structure by creating sections in the Course Builder. Use the drag-and-drop interface to arrange the sections and lessons as needed.

4. Set pricing and access options by configuring the course’s pricing, access, membership, and subscription settings.

5. Publish your course by clicking the ‘Publish’ button.

Lesson Builder

Here’s how to build lessons using the LifterLMS plugin:

1. Create a new lesson by going to Lessons > Add New in the WordPress dashboard. Fill in the lesson title and description, and set the parent course.

2. Add content to your lesson using the WordPress editor to insert text, images, videos, and more.

3. Attach a quiz (optional) by selecting the Quiz tab in the lesson settings and choosing the desired quiz.

4. Modify lesson settings like drip content, prerequisites, and video settings.

5. Publish the lesson by clicking the ‘Publish’ button. The lesson will automatically appear in the parent course’s Course Builder.

Quiz Builder

Follow the steps below to build quizzes in LifterLMS:

1. Create a new quiz by navigating to Quizzes > Add New in the WordPress dashboard. Fill in the quiz title and description, and set the parent lesson.

2. Add questions to your quiz by selecting the ‘Add Question’ button in the Quiz Builder. Choose question types, such as multiple choice, true or false, fill in the blanks, and input correct answers and explanations.

3. Configure quiz settings like passing grades, time limits, and the number of attempts allowed.

4. Publish your quiz by clicking the ‘Publish’ button, and it will be automatically linked to the parent lesson.

The LifterLMS plugin makes course, lesson, and quiz building seamless, allowing you to create and manage your online learning platform easily.

How You Can Charge for Courses

In this section, we will discuss how you can charge for courses using both LearnDash and LifterLMS. Each platform has its unique features and methods for handling course payment structures. We will examine these features in the following subsections.

LearnDash Courses

LearnDash offers a variety of options for charging for courses. You can choose between one-time payments, subscriptions, or memberships. For added flexibility, course creators can offer bundled courses or sell individual lessons.

The platform allows for easy pricing setup through its course settings tab. Course creators can use multiple payment gateways, such as PayPal, Stripe, and 2Checkout, to facilitate transactions.

Here is a brief overview of the pricing options available with LearnDash:

• One-time payments: Charge a single fee for lifetime access to the course.
• Subscriptions: Offer recurring payments for continuous access to the course content.
• Memberships: Provide access to multiple classes through a single payment or subscription plan.
• Course bundles: Sell sets of related classes at a discounted price.
• Individual lessons: Allow students to purchase standalone lessons to access specific content.

LifterLMS Courses

LifterLMS also offers a range of options for charging for courses, including one-time payments, subscriptions, and memberships. However, the accessible version of LifterLMS requires an additional payment gateway add-on to enable these features.

Here is a summary of the pricing options available with LifterLMS:

• One-time payments: Charge a single fee for lifetime access to the course.
• Subscriptions: Offer recurring payments billed at specific intervals for continuous access to the course content.
• Memberships: Grant access to multiple classes with a single payment or subscription plan.

LifterLMS supports popular payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.Net through its add-ons. It’s essential to note that these add-ons come at an additional cost, which can vary depending on the payment gateway chosen.

In conclusion, both LearnDash and LifterLMS provide a comprehensive range of options for charging for online courses. The final decision depends on your specific needs and the customization and flexibility you require for your course payment structures.

LearnDash vs. LifterLMS – User Interface and Ease of Use

When comparing LearnDash and LifterLMS, one essential aspect is the user interface and ease of use. These WordPress LMS plugins offer intuitive course builders and features, making it easy for users to create and sell online courses. This section will compare the user interface and ease of use for LearnDash and LifterLMS.

Course Builder: LearnDash utilizes a robust drag-and-drop course builder that allows users to create courses, lessons, and quizzes quickly. Users can conveniently organize courses hierarchically and even import and export course content. On the other hand, LifterLMS offers a course builder, but their interface is relatively more straightforward, lacking advanced features such as importing and exporting content.

Quiz Builder: LearnDash and LifterLMS offer a comprehensive quiz builder for creating interactive assessments. LearnDash’s quiz builder features various question types, randomization, and timer options. LifterLMS’s quiz builder offers similar functions but with a smaller array of question types and flexibility.

Features	LearnDash	LifterLMS
Course Builder	Drag-and-drop, import/export	Basic, no import/export
Quiz Builder	Multiple question types, randomization, timer	Limited question types, less flexibility

User Interface: LearnDash and LifterLMS have clean user interfaces that enable users to navigate the plugin easily. LearnDash has a more professional look and feel, seamlessly integrating into popular WordPress themes. LifterLMS also has a clean interface, but some users may find it less visually appealing than LearnDash.

Ease of Use: Due to the drag-and-drop course builder and comprehensive features, LearnDash is considered user-friendly and suitable for beginners and experienced course creators. LifterLMS is also easy to use but might require the user to spend more time setting up and configuring the course settings to create a seamless experience.

In conclusion, both LearnDash and LifterLMS provide user-friendly interfaces and features. LearnDash offers a more advanced course builder and a comprehensive quiz builder, making it an excellent choice for users who prioritize versatility and extensive features. LifterLMS, on the other hand, is more suitable for users who prefer a more straightforward interface and don’t require advanced course organization and quiz options. Ultimately, the choice between LearnDash and LifterLMS should be based on individual needs and preferences regarding user interface and ease of use.

LearnDash vs. LifterLMS – Documentation And Support

When comparing LearnDash and LifterLMS, it is essential to consider the quality and availability of documentation for both platforms. Users typically rely on documentation to understand how to navigate and utilize the various aspects of learning management systems (LMS). Based on our experience, LifterLMS offers much more documentation, online training recourses, and ongoing community support than LearnDash.

LearnDash offers extensive documentation resources through its Knowledge Base. It covers various topics, including installation, course management, configurations, and troubleshooting. The Knowledge Base also includes step-by-step tutorials and FAQs, making it easy for users to find answers to their questions. Additionally, LearnDash provides access to a community forum where users can discuss and seek further information from other users and LearnDash experts.

In contrast, LifterLMS has a Help Center where users can find documentation for numerous topics, including courses, memberships, engagements, and more. Their documentation comprises articles, videos, and walkthroughs to assist users in understanding the platform’s features and functionalities. Furthermore, LifterLMS offers a Facebook community group for user discussion and additional support.

It is worth noting that both platforms provide top-notch customer support beyond their documentation. LearnDash, for instance, offers priority email support to users who require technical assistance, while LifterLMS features a ticket-based support system.

Below is a brief comparison of documentation aspects for LearnDash and LifterLMS:

Aspect	LearnDash	LifterLMS
Documentation	Knowledge Base	Help Center
Tutorials	Step-by-step tutorials and FAQs	Articles, videos, and walkthroughs
Community	Community forum	Facebook community group
Support	Priority email support	Ticket-based support system
Tone & Format	Confident, knowledgeable, neutral, clear	Confident, knowledgeable, neutral, clear

In summary, LearnDash and LifterLMS provide comprehensive documentation that is easily accessible through their respective platforms. Users will find clear, detailed guidance to help them navigate and utilize the platforms effectively. While LearnDash uses a Knowledge Base and community forum, LifterLMS leverages a Help Center and Facebook group as their primary documentation and user support sources.

LearnDash vs. LifterLMS Pricing

When comparing LearnDash and LifterLMS, it’s crucial to consider their respective pricing plans and each offer’s features. This comparison will help you understand which platform best suits your needs and budget. The following will discuss the pricing for LearnDash and LifterLMS while highlighting some of their notable features. Italicized features are exclusive to the specific plan.

LearnDash Pricing

LearnDash offers three pricing plans:

1. B Plan: $199/year

   • Access to the Course Builder
   • Unlimited courses and users
   • Online quizzes
   • 1 site license
   • Drip-feed lessons

LifterLMS Pricing

LifterLMS presents a more flexible pricing structure, with a free core plugin and several paid options for additional functionality.

1. Free Core PlugIn:

   • Course creation
   • Quizzes and assignments
   • Drip-feed course content
   • No restrictions on courses or users

2. Add-Ons: Individually priced; these can be purchased à la carte to customize your LMS.

   • Payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
   • Course sales and subscription management
   • Advanced quizzes and assignments
   • Course analytics
   • Integrations (Mailchimp, WPR, etc.)

3. LifterLMS Bundle: $299/year or $99/month

   • Access to all add-ons
   • Priority support
   • Updates and bug fixes

In summary, LearnDash offers a more simplified pricing structure with three plans. At the same time, LifterLMS provides a free core plugin and flexibility in choosing the features you need with individually priced add-ons. Regardless of your specific needs, LearnDash and LifterLMS provide robust options to build and manage your online courses. Assess your requirements and budget while choosing between LearnDash and LifterLMS pricing plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the main differences between LearnDash and LifterLMS?

A: LearnDash and LifterLMS are both popular WordPress LMS plugins, but they differ in features, functionality, and pricing.

Q: Can I use LearnDash and LifterLMS on any WordPress website?

A: Yes, both LearnDash and LifterLMS can be used on any WordPress website as long as they meet the minimum system requirements for the plugins.

Q: Which plugin, LearnDash or LifterLMS, is better for creating courses?

A: Both LearnDash and LifterLMS can create courses, but the specific features and interface may appeal to different users depending on their preferences.

Q: Are LearnDash and LifterLMS free to use?

A: LearnDash offers a premium plugin with no free version, while LifterLMS has a free basic version with additional paid add-ons available.

Q: What are some key features of LearnDash compared to LifterLMS?

A: LearnDash provides comprehensive features and is known for its robust functionality, especially in its premium version.

Q: How does LifterLMS compare to LearnDash in terms of pricing?

A: LifterLMS has a free basic version and offers various paid add-ons, while LearnDash is a premium plugin with no free version.

Q: Can I sell online courses using both LifterLMS and LearnDash?

A: Both LifterLMS and LearnDash provide options for selling online courses, including integration with popular payment gateways.

Q: Which one, LifterLMS or LearnDash, is better for WordPress users?

A: The decision on whether to use LifterLMS or LearnDash often depends on the specific needs and preferences of the WordPress user, as both plugins have pros and cons.

Q: What is the main advantage of LifterLMS over LearnDash?

A: LifterLMS has a free basic version available, which can be a significant advantage for users who want to explore its features before committing to a paid plan.

Q: Are there any notable similarities between LifterLMS and LearnDash?

A: Both LifterLMS and LearnDash are powerful WordPress plugins that allow users to create, sell, and manage online courses, making them suitable options for e-learning websites.

Final Thoughts

LearnDash and LifterLMS are popular WordPress LMS plugins with unique features and benefits. This section, we discuss their differences and help you decide which plugin suits your needs.

• Pricing: LearnDash is a premium LMS plugin with pricing starting from $199 per year. LifterLMS, on the other hand, offers an accessible core plugin with paid add-ons for additional functionality.
• Course Builder: Both plugins provide an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop course builder allowing users to quickly create and sell online courses. However, LearnDash offers a more advanced course builder with features like prerequisite courses and content dripping.
• Quiz Functionality: LearnDash has a more comprehensive quiz builder with advanced options like random questions and question banks. LifterLMS has a more straightforward quiz builder that covers all the essential features.
• Add-ons and Integrations: While both plugins support various third-party integrations, LearnDash offers a broader range of official add-ons and integrations, giving users more flexibility and options to extend their LMS.
• Payment Gateway: LearnDash includes built-in support for payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe, whereas LifterLMS requires a paid add-on for integrating payment gateways.

Here’s a comparison table to help you visualize the differences:

Feature	LearnDash	LifterLMS
Pricing	Starts from $199 per year	Free core plugin, paid add-ons
Course Builder	Advanced drag-and-drop builder	Basic drag-and-drop builder
Quiz Functionality	Comprehensive quiz builder	Essential features
Add-ons and Integrations	Wide range	Limited range
Payment Gateway	Built-in support	Requires paid add-on

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a comprehensive LMS solution with advanced features and a wide range of integrations, LearnDash might be the better option. However, if you’re on a budget and need a free core plugin with essential features, consider using LifterLMS with paid add-ons only for the required functionality. Ultimately, the choice between LearnDash and LifterLMS depends on your specific needs and preferences.