LearnDash review covering WordPress LMS features, course builder, Essentials/Pro/Elite pricing, pros, cons, and top e-learning plugin alternatives.
LearnDash is a WordPress LMS plugin that lets businesses, schools, and independent creators build and sell online courses directly on a self-hosted WordPress site. Rather than hosting courses on a third-party platform, LearnDash installs into an existing WordPress install, giving site owners full control over design, data, and hosting.
The plugin launched in 2013, created by Justin Ferriman, and was acquired by Liquid Web's Family of Brands in September 2021, joining the StellarWP division of premium WordPress software. In 2026, Liquid Web consolidated its StellarWP portfolio, and LearnDash remained one of the four core surviving products, alongside Kadence, The Events Calendar, and Give.
LearnDash's core toolset includes a drag-and-drop course builder, a quiz builder with multiple question types and randomized pools, assignment submission and grading, a certificate builder, membership and subscription gating, and native Stripe and PayPal checkout for selling courses without a separate e-commerce plugin.
Higher tiers add an AI-powered course outline and quiz generator, advanced reporting and enrollment analytics, weighted grading and report cards, groups and cohorts, and multi-instructor tools with a front-end instructor role, letting larger organizations run cohort-based or multi-teacher programs from a single WordPress install.
LearnDash is sold as an annual license in three tiers: Essentials at 259 dollars per year for core course-building and selling functionality, Pro at 399 dollars per year (the most popular tier) adding AI tools and advanced analytics, and Elite at 599 dollars per year adding multi-instructor and cohort management. All tiers include unlimited courses and unlimited learners with no per-student fees.
There is no free trial requiring a credit card, but LearnDash offers a 48-hour trial and a 15-day money-back guarantee. A separate LearnDash Cloud product bundles managed WordPress hosting with the LMS for buyers who do not want to self-host.
LearnDash is a WordPress plugin used to build, sell, and manage online courses directly on a self-hosted WordPress website.
LearnDash is sold as an annual license: Essentials at $259/year, Pro at $399/year, and Elite at $599/year, all with unlimited courses and learners.
No, LearnDash does not take a percentage cut of course sales, unlike some hosted platforms such as Teachable or Gumroad.
LearnDash was created by Justin Ferriman in 2013 and acquired by Liquid Web's Family of Brands in 2021; it now operates as one of Liquid Web's core WordPress software products.
Yes, the standard LearnDash plugin requires a self-hosted WordPress site, though a separate LearnDash Cloud product bundles managed hosting for those who prefer not to self-host.
LearnDash offers a 48-hour trial without a credit card and a 15-day money-back guarantee, but no long-term free plan.