10 Best LearnDash Alternatives & Similar Platforms

LearnDash is an LMS Plugin for existing WordPress websites. You can create engaging courses with quizzes, assignments, badges, and certificates. It is easy to build courses with drag-and-drop tools.

But there are so many alternative course creation platforms that offer different tools and additional features. These could be more suitable for your business, so it’s always worth comparing.

Key Takeaways:

Tutor LMS is a great WordPress plugin alternative to LearnDash
Kajabi and Simplero are the best all-in-one options
LearnWorlds and TalentLMS are both knowledge and learning focused

Note! In this article, LearnDash refers to the LearnDash LMS Plugin.

LearnDash also offers the LearnDash Cloud. This is a fully-hosted website alternative that is built on WordPress.

However, in this article, we will be comparing the LearnDash LMS Plugin for WordPress to other course-building tools.

Platform	Paid Plan Cost from	Free Trial or Plan?
LearnDash LMS Plugin	$199/year	None currently
Kajabi	$149/month	14-day free trial
Thinkific	$49/month	Free plan
Systeme.io	$27/month	Free plan
LearnWorlds	$29/month	30-day free trial
Teachable	$59/month	Free plan
Mighty Networks	$39/month	14-day free trial
Podia	$39/month	Free plan
Simplero	$70.8/month	14-day free trial
Tutor LMS	$199/year	Free plan
TalentLMS	$89/month	Free plan

2. Thinkific

You can create courses and build communities on Thinkific. You can market and sell those courses on your Thinkific website.

Thinkific makes it easy to build a website. You can use one of the website themes and customize it with the drag-and-drop tools.

You can also build courses in minutes using one of the course templates. There are a variety of courses you can offer, including self-paced courses and cohort courses with live lessons.

Cohort courses work well on Thinkific since you can connect the course with your community. This allows learners to communicate.

Thinkific also has an app store. You can connect your Thinkific site with third-party apps to help manage and grow your business.

Key Differences Between Thinkific and LearnDash LMS Plugin

Thinkific allows you to create communities and offer coaching as well as courses. You can only create courses on LearnDash.
You can build your own website on Thinkific. You need a WordPress website to use LearnDash.
On LearnDash, you can create advanced assessments and quizzes. Quizzes are available on Thinkific, but they are more basic. You can integrate Thinkific with third-party platforms for more advanced assessments.
LearnDash requires additional paid tools to view course analytics. This is included with Thinkific.
Thinkific has a free plan. LearnDash only offers annual plans.

Thinkific and LearnDash LMS Plugin Cost Comparison

	Lowest Tier Paid Plan	Top Tier Paid Plan	Plans Available	Plan Discounts	Free Plan or Trial
LearnDash LMS Plugin	$199/year	N/A	1	None	None
Thinkific	$49/month	$199/month	4	25% on annual plans	Free plan

3. Systeme.io

Systeme.io is an all-in-one platform where you can create a website and create, sell, and market products.

You can host a community, add a blog to your website, and create courses.

The course creator is easy to use. You can add surveys to your lessons and drip-feed your content to students. However, the course editor tools are more limited than LearnDash.

Systeme.io’s strength is its advanced marketing tools. You can create and automate your email campaigns and sales funnels. You can also add order bumps, upsells, and coupons to your checkout pages.

Key Differences Between Systeme.io and LearnDash LMS Plugin

You can build a website on Systeme.io. LearnDash is a plugin for a WordPress website.
Systeme.io offers a free plan.
The course features are more advanced on LearnDash.
Systeme.io has email marketing and sales funnel tools. LearnDash doesn’t have any marketing features.

Systeme.io and LearnDash LMS Plugin Cost Comparison

	Lowest Tier Paid Plan	Top Tier Paid Plan	Plans Available	Plan Discounts	Free Plan or Trial
LearnDash LMS Plugin	$199/year	N/A	1	None	None
Systeme.io	$27/month	$97/month	4	30% on annual plans	Free plan

4. LearnWorlds

LearnWorlds is an education-focused platform that allows you to create courses and e-books, host a community, and much more.

Creating a website is easy. There are lots of website templates available. The templates are grouped by industry, making it easy to choose one. You can also customize the templates to suit your brand.

The course features on LearnWorlds are most comparable to LearnDash. You can create graded assessments and exams and give certificates for completion and knowledge. You can add multiple question types with various answer options.

One course feature that sets LearnWorlds apart from other platforms is its interactive video editor. You can add text, buttons, and images to your videos. You can also add a table of contents, subtitles, watermarks, and a player skin. These tools help engage users and give them a sense of control.

If you want a platform with better course features, LearnWorlds is a good alternative to LearnDash.

Key Differences Between LearnWorlds and LearnDash LMS Plugin

You can build a website with LearnWorlds. You need an existing WordPress website for LearnDash.
LearnWorlds has detailed analytics included. To view analytics on LearnDash, you need to pay for additional software.
You can create e-books on LearnWorlds. This isn’t possible on LearnDash.
You can only create courses on LearnDash. On LearnWorlds, you can also sell memberships, coaching, and other digital downloads.
LearnWorlds allows you to manage everything in one place.

LearnWorlds and LearnDash LMS Plugin Cost Comparison

	Lowest Tier Paid Plan	Top Tier Paid Plan	Plans Available	Plan Discounts	Free Plan or Trial
LearnDash LMS Plugin	$199/year	N/A	1	None	None
LearnWorlds	$29/month	$299/month	4	20% on annual plans	30-day free trial

5. Teachable

Teachable is a great platform for beginners since it’s easy to navigate and affordable.

There is a free plan available. On the free plan, you can create your first course, coaching program, and digital download.

You can create live courses, self-paced courses, and cohort courses. The course creator is easy to use, and you can design courses to engage students with quizzes, comments, and certificates.

Teachables analytics features will show how your students are engaging in your course and detailed sales information.

Email marketing is available on the top plan. But you can also integrate Teachable with email marketing tools, like ActiveCampagin, MailChimp, etc.

Key Differences Between Teachable and LearnDash LMS Plugin

You can only create courses on LearnDash. Teachable has the ability to also sell digital downloads and coaching programs too.
On LearnDash, you need a WordPress website. You can create your own sales page on Teachable.
Teachable has a free plan.
The Business plan on Teachable offers email marketing.
You can access detailed analytics with Teachable. LearnDash requires a paid add-on.

Teachable and LearnDash LMS Plugin Cost Comparison

	Lowest Tier Paid Plan	Top Tier Paid Plan	Plans Available	Plan Discounts	Free Plan or Trial
LearnDash LMS Plugin	$199/year	N/A	1	None	None
Teachable	$59/month	$665/month	4	33% on annual plans	Free plan

6. Mighty Networks

Creating communities is the essence of Mighty Networks. Within the community, you can offer courses and memberships.

You can also chat with users, update the feed, live stream, and create events that members can RSVP to.

Your community can be viewed on both the web and through the app. If you have the first two plans, community members can access the network through the Mighty Networks app.

If you have a Mighty Pro account, Mighty Networks will work with you to create a custom white-label app.

The Business plan allows you to access detailed analytics and use Zapier to integrate your network with third-party tools.

If you want a platform that focuses on community but still with the option to create courses, Mighty Networks is the best alternative.

Key Differences Between Mighty Networks and LearnDash LMS Plugin

You can create a community on Mighty Networks.
LearnDash has more advanced course features than Mighty Networks.
Access analytics on Mighty Networks Business and Mighty Pro plans. You need to pay extra for analytics on LearnDash.
Sell memberships and coaching on Mighty Networks.
Mighty Networks takes a fee for sales. LearnDash doesn’t charge a fee, but the payment gateway you use will charge a fee.

Mighty Networks and LearnDash LMS Plugin Cost Comparison

	Lowest Tier Paid Plan	Top Tier Paid Plan	Plans Available	Plan Discounts	Free Plan or Trial
LearnDash LMS Plugin	$199/year	N/A	1	None	None
Mighty Networks	$39/month	$199/month	3	2 months free on annual plans	14-day free trial

7. Podia

It’s easy to create your own custom-branded website on Podia. Use one of the pre-built templates and customize the sections by clicking on them. You can add text, images, buttons, or anything else you need.

On your Podia website, you can sell courses, coaching, downloadables, communities, and webinars.

You can create your course in minutes on Podia. You don’t need any coding or design skills. Simply upload your video, audio, image, or PDF content. You can add quizzes to test the user’s knowledge and keep them engaged.

You can drip-feed courses, bundle them with coaching sessions or communities, or run cohort courses.

Although Podia doesn’t offer an app, the content is mobile-optimized. This means users can view your content on the go.

Key Differences Between Podia and LearnDash LMS Plugin

Podia is an all-in-one learning platform.
You can create your own website on Podia. To use LearnDash, you need a WordPress website.
LearnDash has more features for course creation, including focus mode and advanced quizzing.
Podia has a free plan available. LearnDash requires an annual membership.
You can view your community, audience, and sales analytics on Podia. LearnDash requires additional software.

Podia and LearnDash LMS Plugin Cost Comparison

	Lowest Tier Paid Plan	Top Tier Paid Plan	Plans Available	Plan Discounts	Free Plan or Trial
LearnDash LMS Plugin	$199/year	N/A	1	None	None
Podia	$39/month	$89/month	3	17% on annual plans	Free plan

8. Simplero

Simplero is an all-in-one platform. You can use the platform to create, sell, and market your products.

You can build a website quickly with their preloaded templates. It is easy to edit the templates to suit your brand. You don’t need any coding or design knowledge.

Sell courses, communities, e-books, events, and other digital content on Simplero. Video hosting is also built-in, meaning you can easily host virtual events. Each customer has access to a membership site, where purchased products are automatically updated.

Email marketing and automation are also available, meaning you don’t need to pay for any additional integrations.

The pricing plans work slightly differently from other platforms. You can choose a plan but upgrade within the plan before moving on to the plan above. E.g., You can create a custom plan based on the number of contacts you have. You can upgrade your contacts without upgrading to the plan above.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one platform, Simplero is a great alternative to LearnDash.

Key Differences Between Simplero and LearnDash LMS Plugin

Simplero is an all-in-one platform. LearnDash is only for creating courses.
You can create membership sites and community groups on Simplero.
View detailed course analytics on Simplero. This is an extra cost on LearnDash.
LearnDash has more course features for learners. These include profile dashboards, video progression, focus mode, and automated notifications.
Email marketing is included on Simplero.

Simplero and LearnDash LMS Plugin Cost Comparison

	Lowest Tier Paid Plan	Top Tier Paid Plan	Plans Available	Plan Discounts	Free Plan or Trial
LearnDash LMS Plugin	$199/year	N/A	1	None	None
Simplero	$70.8/month	$298/month	3	2 months free on annual plans	14-day free trial

9. Tutor LMS

Tutor LMS is a WordPress plugin. It is the most comparable alternative to LearnDash.

Like LearnDash, you can create courses and add them to your existing WordPress website.

It is easy to use with the drag-and-drop course builder. You can add lessons, quizzes, and assignments to the courses.

Tutor LMS has a dashboard feature for both students and teachers. They are personalized, depending on your access. The dashboard makes it easy to view and manage course content.

You can use an events calendar to set assignment deadlines and help students keep track of the course schedule.

The courses are mobile optimized, meaning users can access the course content on the go.

Tutor LMS is a better option for beginners than LeanDash. This is because they offer a free plan. On the free plan, you can create unlimited courses as well as access many other features.

Key Differences Between Tutor LMS and LearnDash LMS Plugin

Tutor LMS has more quiz question variations than LearnDash.
You can view detailed course and sales analytics on Tutor LMS on all paid plans. This is an additional charge on LearnDash.
LearnDash has a focus mode for courses.

Tutor LMS and LearnDash LMS Plugin Cost Comparison

	Lowest Tier Paid Plan	Top Tier Paid Plan	Plans Available	Plan Discounts	Free Plan or Trial
LearnDash LMS Plugin	$199/year	N/A	1	None	None
Tutor LMS	$199/year	$799/year	4	Lifetime discount	Free plan

10. TalentLMS

TalentLMS is a platform built to help companies create training courses.

Courses are easy to build on TalentLMS. You can add videos, presentations, audio, documents, and other files.

You can add tests and quizzes to the courses to see how your users are performing and which parts of the course might need adjusting.

To engage your users, you can gamify the courses. The gamification features include points, levels, and a leaderboard. You can offer rewards and badges too.

You can create a homepage for your course content. TalentLMS makes it easy to customize the homepage to suit your brand.

Key Differences Between TalentLMS and LearnDash LMS Plugin

On TalentLMS, you can upload SCORM files. This is possible on LearnDash, but you need additional software.
You can create a homepage for your course content on TalentLMS.
TalentLMS is focused on industry training.
LearnDash requires a WordPress website.
TalentLMS currently supports over 30 languages. LearnDash uses user-donated translations, some of which are not complete.
You can create leaderboards on TalentLMS.

TalentLMS and LearnDash LMS Plugin Cost Comparison

	Lowest Tier Paid Plan	Top Tier Paid Plan	Plans Available	Plan Discounts	Free Plan or Trial
LearnDash LMS Plugin	$199/year	N/A	1	None	None
Tutor LMS	$89/month	$569/year	6	Annual discount	Free plan

How to Choose an Alternative to LearnDash LMS Plugin

LearnDash has so many great features for creating courses, but other platforms have different strengths that might suit your business better.

No platform is suitable for all businesses. Knowing the pros and cons of LearnDash can help you decide if it’s right for you.

Pros of Choosing LearnDash LMS Plugin:

It’s perfect if you already have a WordPress website.
You get advanced quiz options.
You can approve, comment, and award points for assignments.
Focus mode isn’t offered by many other LMS platforms.
Notify students of assignment due dates.
There are no LearnDash fees.

Cons of Choosing LearnDash LMS Plugin:

It’s only suitable if you have an existing WordPress website.
The analytics features cost extra.
It can be complex to manage multiple platforms and tools.
No free plan or trial is available.

LearnDash Alternatives

1. Kajabi

Key Differences Between Kajabi and LearnDash LMS Plugin

Kajabi and LearnDash LMS Plugin Cost Comparison