In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best – free and premium – WordPress LMS plugins to help you create and sell courses online.
Let’s begin.
Best WordPress LMS Plugins to Create and Sell Courses Online
The core functionality on offer with most WordPress LMS plugins includes course building, tracking student progress, quizzes and assignments, and student registration functionality. In addition to this, some premium WordPress LMS plugins also offer advanced features like content dripping, gamification, and forums.
Here, we’ll take a look at ten of the best WordPress LMS plugins to create and sell courses online. Each of the plugins listed below offer the basic features you need to create and sell courses online.
#1: LifterLMS
LifterLMS is a simple yet powerful solution for creating and selling courses online. As an online course instructor, you’ll be able to offer memberships, restrict access to content, and engage your students using a single plugin.
LifterLMS is a simple yet powerful solution for creating and selling courses online. As an online course instructor, you’ll be able to offer memberships, restrict access to content, and engage your students using a single plugin.
The plugin features a drag and drop course builder that lets you create courses, quizzes, and multimedia lessons. You have the option to offer course content to registered students all at once or by making lessons available over time.
With LifterLMS, you can begin generating income right away. You have the option to opt for a subscription model, membership model, or offer your courses as bundles. The plugin lets you charge students one-time payments or recurring payments.
Key Features:
- You’re able to set up a multi-instructor course website or assign multiple instructors to a course.
- Discussion areas and course review sections make it easy to collaborate with students and instructors.
- You can engage students by awarding them achievement badges and certificates.
#2: LearnDash
LearnDash is one of the most popular WordPress LMS plugins that lets you create and sell courses online, manage administrative tasks, and much more. Out of the box, you’ll be able to create courses and quizzes for students using its course builder.
You can offer students and course instructors access to private or public course-specific forums to facilitate discussions. In addition to this, you can sort enrolled students into groups which makes administrative tasks much easier on your end.
LearnDash lets you leverage shopping cart functionality to allow students to purchase courses. You can charge a one-time fee or opt for recurring payments and subscriptions instead. You also have the option to sell courses one at a time or package them into course bundles.
Key Features:
- You’re able to set lesson timers and course/lesson/quiz-based prerequisites.
- Assignment management functionality lets you approve, grade, and comment on submitted assignments.
- Supports front-end user profiles making it easy for students to track their progress.
#3: WP Courseware
WP Courseware by Fly Plugins is a drag and drop course builder that lets you create and sell courses online. It packs everything you need to setup your online course website, enroll students, and begin selling.
You’re able to offer courses created by different instructors, schedule course content to be released on specific dates or at predefined intervals. In addition to this, you can set course prerequisites which means that students would have to complete one (or more) courses before they can access other courses.
You can integrate the WP Courseware plugin with any membership plugin of your choice. It also lets you sell courses through a built-in shopping cart system that you can connect your PayPal or Stripe to.
Key Features:
- You can offer courses for free or sell them either for a one-time fee or as a recurring subscription.
- GDPR compliant out of the box.
#4: Sensei
Sensei is a WooCommerce-based LMS plugin that enables online instructors to create all kinds of course content (such as lessons and quizzes) and sell them using WooCommerce. You also have the option to set lesson/course prerequisites.
What’s more is that you can allow users to register for your online courses using a front-end interface and track their progress through a dashboard. The plugin works seamlessly with most WordPress themes meaning that you won’t have to mess around with code.
Sensei provides course analytics and reporting functionality that makes it easy for course instructors to get an overview of their content and student’s grades at a glance.
Key Features:
- Offers a front-end interface that students can use to track their course progress.
- You can offer courses for free or charge for them.
#5: LearnPress
LearnPress is a free LMS plugin that online course instructors can use to create and sell courses online. You’re able to create course content complete with lessons and quizzes using an intuitive user interface – without having to code.
With the free plugin, you can setup your online course website. When you’re ready to take things to the next level, you can pair it up with premium add-ons or upgrade to the premium version which offers advanced functionality including assignments, memberships, and additional payment gateways.
Key Features:
- Sell courses online using PayPal, WooCommerce, and Stripe.
- Offers a number of premium add-ons that you can add to your site to leverage advanced functionality.
#6: CoursePress Pro
CoursePress Pro is a premium LMS plugin by WPMU DEV that you can use to design and deliver courses through your WordPress website. Out of the box, the plugin lets users create content (with media), interactive quizzes, downloadable course work, and course assessments.
In addition to this, the plugin also creates a forum that instructors and students can use to discuss course-related topics. As the online course instructor, you have the option to offer free or paid classes to students.
CoursePress Pro comes with over 13 built-in payment gateway options that make it easy to begin selling online courses.
Key Features:
- Lets you add media files (video, audio, text, and resources) to courses.
- Built-in interactive discussion board.
#7: Ultimate Learning Pro
Ultimate Learning Pro is a complete LMS solution for WordPress that comes with everything you need to setup an online course website. It packs an intuitive course builder, student enrollment system, support for multiple instructors, and much more.
In addition to this, Ultimate Learning Pro lets you control when your course lessons become available to students. You can create timed quizzes and randomize questions (and multi-choice answers).
This LMS solution gives you the option to offer both free and paid courses. You’re able to use PayPal, Stripe, WooCommerce, or EDD payment methods to sell courses.
Key Features:
- Packs neat functionality such as course reviews, course difficulty, and course estimation timers.
- Supports push notifications that students can receive on their mobile devices.
#8: MasterStudy
MasterStudy LMS is a powerful (and free) learning management system that lets online course instructors create lessons with images, graphics, videos, presentation slides, and other attachments.
It features a WYSIWYG editor that makes it easy for just about anyone to create engaging and visually appealing course content. With the MasterStudy plugin, you can sell courses using its PayPal and Stripe integration. You can choose to offer courses for a one-time fee or on a flexible subscription plan.
The plugin also comes with a built-in private messaging board and internal social network that enrolled students can use to reach out to course instructors and other students.
Key Features:
- Question modules in lessons make it easy for students to ask lesson-specific questions.
- Offers course wish list and course ratings functionality.
#9: Good LMS
With Good LMS, course instructors have the option to create and sell courses online and onsite. This powerful yet lightweight plugin offers the basic features to help you set up an online course website. Good LMS also lets you create a course curriculum and offer coupon codes.
The plugin enables instructors to sell courses using PayPal, Stripe, Paymill, or Authorize.net. The plugin features an instructor backend, student backend, and transaction backend to make it easy to manage your online course website. In addition to this, you set commission rate for instructors which makes it easy to allow instructors to offer courses through your online course website.
Key Features:
- You’re able to create courses and quizzes – for both online and onsite courses – using the plugin.
- You can award students course certificates and badges.
#10: Namaste! LMS
Namaste! LMS is a free course builder that allows online course instructors to create an unlimited number of courses, lessons, and assignments without having to leave their WordPress website.
The plugin also features premium modules that you can pair up with the core plugin to get access to advanced features. For instance, you can enable a shopping cart on your site for premium courses and/or class signups. In addition to this, the plugin’s Pro version lets you create school accounts, delay access to course material, enable front-end signups, generate leaderboards, and much more.
Key Features:
- You’re able to award badges to students on course completion.
- Lets you create discount coupons for premium courses and classes.
Conclusion
With the right WordPress LMS plugin, you can set up your own online course website and begin creating and selling courses right away.
If you’re in the market for a premium LMS solution, we’d recommend going with LifterLMS or LearnDash. Both plugins come with everything you need to create and sell courses online and make it easy to do so.
However, if you’re just getting started and are looking for a free WordPress LMS plugin, go for LearnPress or MasterStudy.
What are some of the features you look for in a WordPress LMS plugin? Let us know in the comments section below.
