Learndash and LifterLMS constitute 2 of the finest LMS (learning management system) WordPress plugins. But which LMS plugin is really the best: Learndash or LifterLMS?
Each learning management system is not designed equal. You should know the differences between the two LMS plugins, concerning their features and pricing plans. This side-by-side comparison amongst Learndash and LIfterLMS will aid you to decide the better one for your upcoming project.
The following six aspects have been compared –
- Course Builder
- Ease of Use
- Documentation
- Performance
- Payment Options
- Pricing
Let’s begin with a brief overview of the 2 plugins, which will aid you to understand them better in case you are not acquainted with them.
LearnDash vs. LifterLMS – An Overview
Learndash and LifterLMS constitute 2 superb LMS plugins for WordPress that enable you to design online course portals for your users.
Learndash asserts to be the most reliable LMS WordPress plugin. They flaunt a remarkable customer list, assimilating Fortune 500 companies and leading universities over the globe for building online courses.
Learndash constitutes a high-end plugin equipped with loads of features to design online courses for your site.
Conversely, the freemium LMS plugin LIfterLMS vends premium add-ons individually or in the form of a bundle. It’s still another comprehensive LMS package that aids you create online courses fast and simply.
LearnDash Vs LifterLMS | Plugins For WordPress LMS Solutions
LearnDash vs. LifterLMS – Convenience of Use
| LearnDash | LifterLMS | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| This plugin is quite simple to use. It enables you to obtain a dedicated dashboard that allows you to design course materials, quizzes, topics, lessons, assignments, groups, certificates, besides others. It enables you to export your user course and quizz reports to different platforms easily.
You can enable different options such as course auto roll and bypass course limits, besides others through the settings tab. If you are familiar with designing WordPress posts and pages, you’ll find designing online courses with LearnDash a breeze. The Plus and Pro plans give you a ProPanel, which improves your admin experience. It makes it simpler to handle your courses and view real-time activities. |
It is also simple to use and set up LifterLMS. It also possesses a dedicated dashboard to handle your online courses similar to LearnDash. However, it has a bit more options compared to Learndash. Besides the options present in LearnDash, it also provides options to test the reports regarding your enrollment, membership, quizzes, students, sales, etc. | Both plugins are user-convenient and simple to manage. Nevertheless, LearnDash piles up against its other rivals in terms of convenience of use due to ProPanel. |
Course Builder
| LearnDash | LifterLMS | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Designing a course using LearnDash is enjoyable and simple. You can include your individual title and begin designing your course. Above your screen, you will get different course options that you can utilize to include a category, tag, and shortcode, etc. You can also append lessons in your course.
Likewise, you can include topics within your courses, certificates, quizzes, assignments, etc. Generally, it’s simple to navigate around and design courses and other associated topics. After that, you can select the publish button to the right to launch your course online. |
LifterLMS also provides simple options for designing the course, similar to LearnDash. You can follow like steps as LearnDash to design your course. While scrolling down the page various options, such as configuration to modify course length, option to embed a featured audio or video, including access plan, besides others can be found. You may also include custom fields, instructor name and manage your students besides doing a lot more. | Both plugins present a simple interface to build your courses and include tags, categories, and labels in them. Therefore it’s a tie. |
Payment Option
| LearnDash | LifterLMS | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| The default payment option of Learndash is PayPal. You can include your currency, email addresses, country and every necessary detail in the provided fields. | Conversely, LifterLMS doesn’t include a default payment alternative. You retain the option to choose the manner you wish to acknowledge the payment.
Payments can be performed either manually (offline or online) or you can include a payment gateway. You can fill in the options for currency and payment gateway as per your needs. |
As Learndash is already equipped with a default payment gateway, it’s simpler to receive payments for the courses. Nevertheless, you’ll need to buy an addon if you wish to receive payment on LifterLMS, which raises the plugin cost. |
Documentation
Extensive documentation accompanies Learndash as well as LifterLMS that directs you across each aspect of creating an online course easily. Irrespective of the selected plugin, getting started with it will be easy for you.
Winner
In the matter of documentation, the two plugins are well documented and direct you through every single step to create an online course.
Pricing
| LearnDash | LifterLMS | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Learndash offers you 3 separate pricing plans, ranging from $159 to $329. The basic plan offers you the core plugin and the license to utilize it on a single site. The plus package allows you to utilize the plugin on almost 10 sites while the Pro license lets you use the plugin on nearly 25 sites. | CLifterLMS also presents 3 separate pricing plans, beginning from$99 to $999. You can utilize the $99 and $299 plan on five sites while the $999 plan can be used on an unrestricted number of sites. | Although LifterLMS presents a cheaper basic plan, with the growth of your LMS website, the plugin becomes costlier as you may need to buy plenty of add-ons. So the winner is LearnDash. |
Monetizing Options
The two LMS plugins arrive with different purchase models. What matters is the type of payment alternatives and pricing models offered by you on your eLearning website. And thus, a viable alternative for someone might not be likely for another individual.
| LearnDash | LifterLMS | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
This plugin presents various options like:
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The LMS plugin proffers different powerful purchase alternatives like:
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The two LMS plugins are built to offer a nice degree of flexibility in presenting purchase alternatives. If you’re seeking to provide free courses, you can pick Lifter LMS. It is essential to make a beginning purchase for an add-on for payment gateway regarding your paid courses. However, you have to make that choice. |
You get inbuilt purchase options with LearnDash, though the plugin itself is expensive
Integration Capacities
You require to build your eLearning site with your growth and expansion. To keep the learners involved over a considerable period, it becomes important to add extra functionalities. Therefore, it’s vital for your WordPress LMS plugin to enable support and integration with different add-ons.
| LearnDash | LifterLMS | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| The LMS plugin incorporates seamlessly with:
WooCommerce |
The core functionalities of LifterLMS can be increased by incorporating it with sturdy extensions like:
WooCommerce You might have to purchase these extensions to get extra functionalities. LifterLMS also incorporates smoothly to the Astra theme for improving designs and course layouts ultimately advancing learners’ experience. |
The two LMS plugins for WordPress presents various add-ons for incorporation. Few add-ons are chargeless, especially regarding LearnDash while some are needed to be purchased.
If you just need some add-ons, LifterLMS operates ideally. However, if you want to employ an LMS plugin on a greater scale and need multiple add-ons, LearnDash will be the likely choice. |
Final Thoughts
The 2 LMS plugins are big fighters and cater strongly to your eLearning website. Your preference may wholly depend upon the parameters which are your top priority.
LearnDash is an evolved plugin, caters to a bigger community with various extensions to flaunt. Its interface requires some familiarization and though it has a sound support system, it is a bit lacking in documentation.
LifterLMS provides you with a free base plugin that presents a nice degree of features and rivals LearnDash in neck-to-neck struggle. It is a recent plugin without big community support but is forthcoming and provides various extensions just like LearnDash,
