10 Best LearnDash Alternatives to Sell Online Courses

As a WordPress learning management system (LMS) plugin, LearnDash has long been a popular choice for creating and selling online courses. Brands like the University of Florida and Yoast use this plugin for their eLearning initiatives, which is a testament to its capabilities.

The built-in website features further make it a favored option for many. Then, there are countless integrations with tools like Stripe, WooCommerce, and more.

However, LearnDash has limited membership options. It also doesn't let you set free trials for your courses. Plus, offering promos and coupons is a bit of a hassle. If these shortcomings (or any others) are a pain point for you, check out our list of the best LearnDash alternatives to find a replacement.

Best LearnDash Alternatives to Try

For the sake of this review, we've not limited ourselves to WordPress plugins alone. We understand that plugins come with limitations that you may not like. So, we've also included some standalone LMS platforms.

1. Coursebox

Coursebox is a full-fledged AI-powered eLearning platform with automated course authoring and white-label features to give you full flexibility in starting your digital venture.

The AI-powered course generator saves you a ton of time and hassle that you'd otherwise have to spend converting your course content into a digital format. If you have existing docs, videos, or websites, Coursebox can turn them into a course in mere minutes.

On top of that, you can sell your courses through the platform however you want. Set a fixed price or an ongoing subscription; whatever works best for your business model.

Key Features

• AI Tutor: With Coursebox on board, you don't have to be active 24/7. The platform's AI algorithm trains itself on your course and assists learners with queries in real time.
• AI Quiz Generator: Simply use the AI quiz generator to create assessments for your courses. These may be long-answer assignments or quick quizzes accompanied by marking rubrics.
• White Label: It's super simple to brand your online courses for a professional look. Coursebox's white-label feature lets you design your academy's theme to match your brand's identity.
• Mobile Apps: Want to give your learners the option to learn on the go? Coursebox offers mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. Learners can access your courses anywhere, anytime.
• Multiple Languages: With support for over 60 languages, Coursebox is diverse in its reach, making your courses accessible to learners from all over the world.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $12 per month; a free plan is available with limited features.

2. LearnWorlds

LearnWorlds is a SaaS learning platform with several sales and marketing features to support your online course-selling business. It has over 50 industry-specific templates that let you choose the right foundation for your course.

The platform also supports SCORM content, which means you can create and import interactive multimedia course content, including videos, quizzes, and more.

Key Features

• Learning Community: LearnWorlds has a built-in social community where learners can engage in discussions and collaborate with each other.
• Native Mobile App: You can create your own branded mobile app for different devices to offer your courses on the go.
• Multiple Integrations: From payment gateways to automation tools (like Zapier), LearnWorlds supports several integrations.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $29 per month.

3. Thinkific

If you're a digital solopreneur looking for a cloud-hosted LMS solution, Thinkific is a remarkable platform where you can monetize your online courses. You can also add interactive elements like audio, presentations, text, videos, and download files to your course curriculum.

It's up to you to decide how to charge for these courses since Thinkific offers flexible pricing options. You can charge for each course separately or offer subscription plans.

Key Features

• Free Course Preview: Thinkific lets you give potential learners a free course overview so that they can see what you have to offer.
• Branded Mobile App: The offline mode on the app lets students learn even without an internet connection.
• Payment Options: From recurring fees to monthly installments and one-time payments, there are plenty of options for pricing your courses.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $49 per month.

4. Kajabi

Kajabi is one of the oldest LMS solutions, so it has quite an extensive audience around it. From podcast products to coaching, community, and online courses, the platform offers multiple monetization options.

You can also create your website and host it on Kajabi. The built-in marketing tools and website blogging feature further help you get the word out about your offerings.

Key Features

• Email Marketing: On Kajabi, you can use email marketing to attract learners. Plus, all email designs can be saved as templates for future use.
• Sales Tracking: Kajabi lets you monitor your sales, daily revenue, website visits, and other metrics.
• Sales Funnels: You can automate your sales funnels and promote new product launches or upcoming events within the platform.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $69 per month.

5. Teachable

Whether you're a creator, educator, or entrepreneur, Teachable is a handy platform that helps you share your knowledge with others while earning revenue from it. In addition to online courses, the platform also lets you sell coaching sessions and digital downloads.

It's quite similar to Thinkific in its offerings, with features like intuitive course builders and coaching services similar to those of the two. However, unlike Thinkific, Teachable only lets you add assessments and not surveys to get learner feedback.

Features

• AI Quiz Generation: Teachable's AI, like Coursebox's, automates quiz generation for your courses.
• Social Proof: You can add testimonials to the checkout pages to prompt learners to purchase your courses.
• Affiliate Marketing: With an add-on, you can automate affiliate management and payouts.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $59 per month; a free plan is available.

6. AccessAlly

Although not as widely known as LearnDash, AccessAlly is a WordPress LMS solution with built-in PayPal and Stripe payments, an intuitive course builder, integration with Drip and ConvertKit, and support for multiple currencies.

It also lets you add different types of quizzes to keep learners engaged. Plus, you can automate certificate generation to reward learners.

Key Features

• Gamification: AccessAlly has gamification features that make your courses more interactive. For example, you can use activity-based automation to award points and unlock bonuses.
• Affiliate Tracking: With built-in affiliate tracking, AccessAlly makes it easy to manage and track referrals for your courses.
• Automatic Metadata Creation: You can automate menu, page, and tag creation in AccessAlly.

Pricing  

Paid plans start at $99 per month.

7. LearnPress

If you have zero coding knowledge but want to create and sell courses online through a WordPress site, LearnPress is an excellent option. The best part about the plugin is that it's totally free.

However, that doesn't mean it's not comparable to LearnDash. With a mobile app and education-centric WordPress themes, LearnPress is a comprehensive solution for you.

Key Features

• Course Builder: The drag-and-drop course builder lets you create courses without needing any coding skills.
• Multimedia Support: LearnPress supports multimedia content, which can include audio, videos, images, and animations.
• BuddyPress: LearnPress has a built-in learner communication tool called BuddyPress that students and instructors can use to stay in touch.

Pricing

Free.

8. Tutor LMS

TutorLMS is one of the best LearnDash alternatives since it's the perfect blend of an online business, community, memberships, and marketplace. You can use it to sell your individual courses or launch a multi-instructor marketplace for your academy.

The built-in analytics let you keep an eye on course performance metrics, such as student progression, sales trends, refund rates, and more.

Key Features

• Integrations: Integrate Tutor LMS with all your favorite tools, from Google Meet and Zoom to WooCommerce.
• Custom Certificates: You can use the existing templates or design your own certificates to issue to students upon course completion.
• Email Marketing: Tutor LMS also lets you customize email designs (or use pre-built templates) to market your courses or connect with students.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $199 per year.

9. MasterStudy

If you're looking for a LearnDash alternative that's free (with premium add-ons) and has a stunning user interface, MasterStudy should be on your list. It transforms any standard WordPress site into a fully functional online school, equipped with all the essential eLearning and LMS features.

You can showcase course details like titles, descriptions, curriculums, duration, pricing, skill levels, and active student numbers in one centralized location. Plus, the plugin allows you to enhance your courses with videos, attachments, teacher profiles, and reward systems for a comprehensive LMS experience.

Key Features

• Difficulty Levels: You can assign difficulty levels to each course and assess your students' progress accordingly.
• Multiple Video Sources: MasterStudy supports multiple video sources, including YouTube, Vimeo, Prestor Player, Shortcodes, external links, and more.
• Quizzes: The following question types are available on the platform: single-choice, multichoice, keywords, fill-in-the-gap, true or false, item match, image match, and image choice.

Pricing

Free with paid add-ons.

10. LifterLMS

With a solid user base, LifterLMS is an all-in-one LearnDash alternative where you can launch and scale online courses from your WordPress site. It comes with the ability to add landing pages and other marketing features to help you sell your courses.

Besides courses, you can also sell training packages and memberships. Set a recurring or one-time revenue pricing model based on your preferences.

Key Features

• Automation: You can automate several aspects of course selling, such as enrollments and memberships.
• Learner Engagement: Features for personalization and gamification let you keep learners engaged.
• Employee Training: If you plan to use LifterLMS for employee training, you can add FAQs and other company information to onboard them into your organization.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $500 per year; all plans come at 50% off for the first year.

Conclusion

All these best LearnDash alternatives are among the greatest personalized learning platforms, where you can customize and deliver online courses seamlessly. While some are WordPress plugins, others are available as standalone platforms.

Regardless of the platform type, all these options are user-friendly and come with flexible pricing options. So, take your pick and start your digital business today. 

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