Best For | Advanced course creators needing robust features and flexibility on WordPress. | Beginners and growing businesses wanting scalable, affordable online course options. |
Price | Starts from $25/month | Starts from $149.50/yr. |
Features | Drag-and-drop builder | Course builder tool |
Pros | Highly customizable layouts | Affordable starter plan |
Cons | Requires WordPress knowledge | Limited design templates |
When it comes to creating online courses, Learning Management Systems (LMS) have become essential tools for educators, entrepreneurs, and businesses alike.
Among the top LMS platforms available, LearnDash and LifterLMS stand out as two of the most popular choices for WordPress-based online course creation.
Both platforms offer robust features, but they differ in several key areas such as pricing, functionality, integrations, and user experience.
In this blog post, we will compare LearnDash vs LifterLMS in terms of their core features, ease of use, pricing, customer support, and more, so you can make an informed decision about which LMS is the best fit for your needs.
LearnDash vs LifterLMS: Overview
LearnDash Overview
LearnDash is one of the most popular and feature-rich WordPress LMS plugins available. It’s trusted by some of the world’s top universities, corporations, and entrepreneurs for creating and managing online learning experiences.
LearnDash offers a wide range of advanced features, including course creation, quizzes, certificates, and integrations with various tools to enhance the learning experience.
Target Audience: LearnDash is best suited for course creators who want to build highly customizable and scalable learning platforms. It’s ideal for both beginners and advanced users, with a strong focus on eLearning businesses, universities, and corporate training programs.
LifterLMS: Overview
LifterLMS is another powerful WordPress plugin designed for building and managing online courses. It offers a wide variety of features, including course creation tools, quizzes, membership options, and advanced reporting.
LifterLMS prides itself on being beginner-friendly, but still powerful enough for those who require advanced features.
Target Audience: LifterLMS is great for small to medium-sized businesses and individual course creators. It’s particularly attractive for those who need an easy-to-use solution with the flexibility to expand as their needs grow.
| Feature | LearnDash | LifterLMS |
|---|---|---|
| Target Audience | Advanced, customizable with a drag-and-drop builder | Small to medium-sized businesses, individual course creators |
| Course Creation | Yes, content scheduling is available | Simple, intuitive course builder |
| Monetization | One-time payments, subscriptions, memberships | One-time payments, subscriptions, memberships, flexible pricing |
| Gamification | Points, badges, certificates, leaderboards | Points, badges, achievement tracking, quizzes |
| Content Drip | Yes, advanced content scheduling | Yes, content scheduling available |
| Integrations | Zapier, MailChimp, WooCommerce, BuddyPress, etc. | Zapier, WooCommerce, BuddyPress, MailChimp, etc. |
| Ease of Use | Steeper learning curve, more customization | Beginner-friendly, easy setup |
| Customer Support | Email support, community forum, paid support | Email support, knowledge base, community forum |
| Pricing | $199/year (Basic), $229/year (Plus), $369/year (Pro) | Free version, $99/year (individual add-ons), $360/year (Universe bundle) |
| Free Version | No | Yes, with paid add-ons available |
| Best For | Businesses needing scalability and advanced features | eLearning businesses, universities, and corporations |
LearnDash vs LifterLMS: Key Features Comparison
Now that we have an overview of both platforms, let’s dive into a detailed comparison of the key features offered by LearnDash and LifterLMS.
1. Course Creation and Management
LearnDash
LearnDash provides an intuitive and powerful course builder. You can create courses using a combination of lessons, topics, quizzes, and assignments.
The course builder features a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to organize content. LearnDash supports content dripping, which allows you to release content to students on a schedule.
Additionally, LearnDash offers advanced course features like:
- Quizzes & Assignments: Create multiple question types such as multiple choice, true/false, short answer, etc.
- Certificates and Badges: Automatically award certificates or badges upon course completion.
- Course Pre-Requisites: Define prerequisites for courses to ensure learners progress through content in a specific order.
- Multimedia Support: Embed videos, PDFs, and other media within courses to enhance the learning experience.
LifterLMS
LifterLMS also offers a user-friendly course creation interface, with the ability to create multi-tiered courses with lessons, quizzes, assignments, and multimedia.
LifterLMS provides several advanced features for course builders:
- Multi-Course Bundles: Easily bundle courses together to create learning paths.
- Quizzes and Assignments: Similar to LearnDash, LifterLMS offers various question types and assignment options to evaluate student performance.
- Drip-Feed Content: Schedule content delivery to students at intervals, similar to LearnDash.
- Gamification: Add gamification elements like points, badges, and leaderboards to engage students.
Winner: LearnDash. While both platforms offer excellent course creation tools, LearnDash excels in its deep customization options, such as detailed course prerequisites and advanced quizzes.
2. Monetization and Payment Options
LearnDash
LearnDash offers a range of monetization options, including one-time payments, subscriptions, and membership models.
It integrates with popular payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, and 2Checkout, allowing you to set up payment systems based on your business model.
- Memberships: With third-party add-ons, you can create membership-based courses or integrate LearnDash with membership plugins like MemberPress.
- Course Pricing: Set pricing at a course or bundle level and apply discounts, promo codes, or subscription models.
LifterLMS
LifterLMS also provides several monetization options, including one-time payments, subscription models, and memberships.
In addition, LifterLMS offers some unique features:
- Flexible Pricing: You can offer pricing based on subscription, one-time fees, or even installment payments.
- Coupons: LifterLMS supports coupon creation for discounts.
- Paid Memberships: Easily integrate with membership plugins to offer a paid membership-based learning platform.
Winner: LifterLMS. LifterLMS stands out for its flexibility in pricing, and the ability to use it with its built-in membership system offers more monetization options right out of the box.
3. Gamification and Engagement
LearnDash
LearnDash has strong gamification features that help increase learner engagement.
Features include:
- Points: Assign points to students for completing tasks or progressing through lessons.
- Badges and Certificates: Automatically award badges and certificates to encourage learners.
- Leaderboards: Display a leaderboard to foster competition among students.
LifterLMS
LifterLMS is also known for its gamification features, including:
- Points and Badges: Like LearnDash, LifterLMS lets you assign points and badges for course completion and milestones.
- Achievement Tracking: Track student progress and achievements with visual badges and certificates.
- Quizzes: Interactive quizzes with detailed grading to keep students engaged.
Winner: Tie. Both platforms offer a wide range of gamification tools to increase student engagement, so it ultimately depends on personal preferences for design and implementation.
4. Integrations
LearnDash
LearnDash integrates with a wide range of third-party tools to enhance the functionality of your online courses.
It supports integrations with email marketing platforms, payment gateways, and other LMS tools. Some of the notable integrations include:
- Zapier for connecting with hundreds of apps.
- MailChimp, ConvertKit, and ActiveCampaign for email marketing automation.
- WooCommerce for selling courses and managing products.
- BuddyPress for building a social learning environment.
LifterLMS
LifterLMS also offers solid integration options, with a focus on integrations that help with course management, marketing, and student engagement.
Some of the most notable integrations include:
- WooCommerce for course selling and managing products.
- Zapier for connecting to thousands of apps.
- MailChimp, ConvertKit, and other email platforms for marketing.
- BuddyPress for building online learning communities.
- Stripe, PayPal, and other payment systems.
Winner: Tie. Both platforms offer powerful integrations with popular third-party tools, so the choice will depend on your existing tech stack.
5. Ease of Use
LearnDash
LearnDash is relatively easy to use but comes with a steeper learning curve due to its extensive customization options and deeper features.
It requires some time to familiarize yourself with the course creation, user management, and reporting features. However, once you get the hang of it, LearnDash provides a highly flexible platform for creating online courses.
LifterLMS
LifterLMS has a more beginner-friendly interface with an easy-to-understand course creation process. The setup is straightforward, and the user interface is intuitive, making it an ideal choice for those who want to build a course quickly without delving into too many advanced features.
Winner: LifterLMS. While LearnDash offers a more robust set of features, LifterLMS is easier for beginners and those who need a straightforward setup.
6. Customer Support
LearnDash
LearnDash provides excellent customer support, including email support, detailed documentation, and a community forum. It also offers paid support plans for more personalized assistance.
LifterLMS
LifterLMS also provides comprehensive customer support, with email support, a knowledge base, and video tutorials. They also offer a community forum where users can interact and share tips.
Winner: LearnDash. LearnDash offers more personalized support options, especially if you’re willing to pay for higher-tier support plans.
Pricing Comparison
LearnDash
LearnDash’s pricing is straightforward, with three different plans:
- Basic: $199/year (for one site).
- Plus: $229/year (for up to 10 sites).
- Pro: $369/year (for up to 25 sites).
While LearnDash doesn’t offer a free plan, it does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
LifterLMS
LifterLMS offers both a free and paid version. The free version includes basic features, and you can pay for additional features through add-ons:
- Individual Add-ons: Prices vary based on the add-on, starting at $99 per year.
- Universe Bundle: $249.50/year (includes all add-ons and support for unlimited sites).
Winner: LifterLMS. LifterLMS offers a free version with the option to pay for specific add-ons, making it a more cost-effective solution for small course creators or businesses with tight budgets.
Learndash vs LifterLMS: Pros and Cons
Learndash
Pros
- It is compatible with all the WordPress themes
- The course builder has a very straightforward drag-and-drop feature
- It offers a Modern Learner Experience along with the Focus Mode
- The course builder is easy to use
- You have the option to drip-feed your course lessons
- You can sell your courses or create a subscription
- You get the Video Progression Feature
- You can reuse the lessons in other Courses too
Cons
- It has a very slow / Methodical Development
- The free plugin does not permit the marketing or selling of your online courses
LifterLMS
Pros
- This is very easy to install and easy to use
- It has a very strong user support
- It allows you to access WordPress themes
- You can get its core LMS plugin free of cost
- You get a 30-day trial for a dollar
- The course builder has a very easy-to-use drag-and-drop feature
Cons
- It is tough to understand the pricing structure of this platform
- The extensions are quite expensive
FAQs: LearnDash Vs LifterLMS Comparison
1. Which platform is better for beginners, LearnDash or LifterLMS?
LifterLMS is generally better for beginners due to its user-friendly interface and easy setup. It allows course creators to quickly build and launch their courses without needing advanced technical skills. LearnDash, while more powerful, has a steeper learning curve due to its advanced customization options.
2. Can I use LearnDash and LifterLMS on any WordPress site?
Yes, both LearnDash and LifterLMS are WordPress plugins, meaning you can install them on any self-hosted WordPress site. However, make sure your hosting provider meets the system requirements for optimal performance.
3. Can I sell courses with LearnDash or LifterLMS?
Yes, both LearnDash and LifterLMS allow you to sell courses. LearnDash integrates with WooCommerce and other payment gateways for course selling, while LifterLMS also offers its own payment and membership solutions, along with WooCommerce integration.
4. Which platform offers better gamification features?
Both platforms offer gamification, including badges and points systems. However, LearnDash offers more detailed gamification features like leaderboards and advanced achievements tracking, which may appeal to those looking for a more robust system. LifterLMS also offers gamification features, but it’s generally considered more basic compared to LearnDash.
5. Do both platforms support content drip (scheduled content delivery)?
Yes, both LearnDash and LifterLMS support content drip, allowing you to schedule content to be released to students at specific intervals. This feature is useful for keeping students engaged and ensuring they progress through courses at a structured pace.
Quick Links:
- LearnDash Vs Teachable
- Graphy VS LearnDash
- Best Pluralsight Alternatives
- Pluralsight vs Udemy
- WP Courseware vs LearnDash
Conclusion: LearnDash Vs LifterLMS – Which Platform to Choose?
In conclusion, LifterLMS and LearnDash are both designed to construct contemporary e-Learning websites.
Although LearnDash is a premium-only plugin, it promises comprehensiveness and an Add-ons library with the ability to personalize it to meet your unique demands and business objectives.
While Lifter LMS does provide a free core plugin, it also comes with built-in e-commerce, subscription, and engagement tools. reducing the amount of personalization possible.
Your final decision will ultimately depend on the factors that are most important to you for your LMS!
Are you choosing LifterLMS or LearnDash, then? What plugin would be ideal, and why? Do inform us,
Whatever you chose, make sure to look through this list of the top WordPress LMS themes for online courses.
