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Have you been searching for a way to transform your WordPress website into a powerful learning management system (LMS) where you can sell your courses? If so, you’ve come to the right place. 

In this Learndash review, we’ll take a look at one of the most powerful online course creation platforms out there, so you can determine whether or not this software will fit your needs. You’ll find info about the tool’s features, pros and cons, functionalities, pricing, and more.

Learndash Summary

learndash logo

8.6 out of 10

Ron’s Thoughts

Learndash is an online course builder with numerous WordPress integrations, allowing you plenty of flexibility when creating your courses. You also don’t need any prior course-building experience because the platform is also ideal for beginners thanks to its intuitive and user-friendly dashboard and interface. Lastly, Learndash features an advanced and powerful Quiz Builder tool with which you can enrich your courses and make the learning experience even better.

  • Biggest Pro:

    Powerful Integrations

  • Biggest Con:

    Lack of Membership Options

  • Annual Discount:

    Yes - Up to 20% Off

  • Price:

    Starts at $199/Month

  • Promotion:

    15-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Is Learndash Worth it?

Learndash is a WordPress LMS plugin that was created by industry professionals with Fortune 500 experience. 

It’s a powerful online course creation tool that will transform your site into a unique learning environment in under 5 minutes. 

Learndash is undeniably the new standard in online course creation. It allows you to create impressive online courses without restrictions. 

The software transforms your WordPress website into a powerful learning management system, and within just minutes, you’ll be ready to create your online courses, accept global payments, track user progress, and become a full-fledged edupreneur in no time. 

You can use it exclusively to present courses, record quiz scores, and offer course completion certificates to students. You can also use the platform to create a membership site for your learners. 

Whatever your needs, Learndash has a robust feature set that will help you build and run a successful online learning business.

Anyone can get started in just minutes thanks to the simple drag-and-drop functionality and easy-to-understand management tools. 

You can integrate with dozens of other marketing tools and apps, making it easy to perform all your business tasks from one place. 

So, in answer to whether or not this platform is worth it? It absolutely is worth the cost and will save you hundreds of dollars that you might otherwise pay if you were to purchase each of the course creation/marketing/selling tools individually. 

Who is Learndash Good For?

Learndash is ideal for a wide range of creators who want to build and sell online courses, including: 

  • Major Universities: Learndash is perfect for universities that want to create a unique and engaging online learning environment for their students.
  • Small Colleges: The software is also the right tool for small colleges to take their lessons and courses online.
  • Mid-Size Schools: Learndash is also ideal for teaching organizations looking to create an enhanced student experience.
  • Training Organizations: Organizations can use this tool to create online training programs for employees and offer an exceptional experience for users.
  • Entrepreneurs: As an entrepreneur, you can use this platform’s impressive range of features to give you a competitive edge when creating courses on membership sites.
  • Academic Institutions: Academic institutions can use Learndash to set up an online learning portal as the hub of their learning community.
  • Solo Course Creators: If you are an individual looking to take your knowledge and expertise online, then this is the perfect platform to help you do that.

With features like asynchronous learning, blended learning, built-in course authoring, gamification, and certification, it’s no surprise that this flexible online LMS platform is the number one choice for individuals and businesses of all sizes. 

In fact, it’s been used by some of the biggest names out there, including Tony Robbins, University of Michigan, Social Media Examiner, Yoast, and Keap (formerly InfusionSoft). 

Whether you want to offer training to your students, staff, teachers, or team members, this remains one of the best online learning platforms to consider.

Course Creation Capabilities

No one company can be good at all things all the time, and Learndash excels in the eLearning space because they focus only on being the best in course creation. 

The software has an impressive range of features that rival many other online course platforms currently out there. These include features such as:

  • Asynchronous/synchronous learning
  • Blended learning
  • Built-in course authoring
  • Certification and licensing
  • eCommerce management
  • Gamification
  • Mobile learning
  • SCORM compliance
  • Storyboarding
  • Quizzes/tests, and assessments

If you are ready to start earning by teaching your skills and knowledge online or by selling online courses on your website, then check out some of the core features of Learndash outlined below:

1. Easy to Use

Learndash lets you build your courses even with no prior web development or graphic design knowledge. 

The software has a drag-and-drop course builder, a feature that most beginner users will appreciate. It lets you drag and drop different elements, such as images, videos, text, etc., onto a page so you can set up your course or lesson pages exactly the way you want them to appear – and all of this without the need to learn a single line of code.

Below is a quick look at how easy it is to get started with Learndash.

Basic Setup of Learndash:

Getting started with X is easy and can be done in just 4 easy steps. 

  • Step #1: Install WordPress with one click. 
  • Step #2: Once you have your WordPress website, you can upload the Learndash plugin. 
  • Step #3: After that, import the demo site.
  • Step #4: Finally, you can go through the optional Learndash Boot Camp to learn how to make the most of this powerful LMS.

And now for a quick look at how you can get started creating your online course right away.

This platform is extremely intuitive. As soon as you log on, you’ll see a simple header that tells you the status and the price of your course. 

You’ll also see a guide on how to get started, as shown in the image below:  

Below that, you’ll see the course description and materials, and then, at the very end, your course content which has multiple layers:

If you click the “Course Materials” tab, you’ll see sections that are indicated by the different labels, such as Getting Started, Key Features, etc. 

Under the sections, you can have your lessons, and you can divide those lessons up using topics. 

You can assign quizzes at any one of those levels. 

As soon as someone enrolls in the course, instead of the header, they will now see a progress bar that shows them how far they are into your course. 

This is a nice touch for anyone that doesn’t want to use a sidebar for their course progress.

When you click on one of the lessons, you’ll see that you have the option to list out all your materials for your lesson.

You can list out your materials for the lesson, and if you have topics, that will be included in the lesson content section.

If you add a quiz to a section, you can choose to block progression in the course until after your student has passed or taken the associated quiz. 

Only after they mark the lesson as complete will they be able to move on to the next one.

From your course description to your course content and everything in between, this platform guides you every step of the way so you can create the best online course possible.

The navigation follows you along on the right-hand sidebar, which makes it easy to go back to the course page at any time using the breadcrumbs.

2. Stunning Templates

Learndash has a wide range of beautiful modern themes for your online courses, all of which are expertly designed and easy to set up. 

Each template has been updated to give your online course website a polished and professional look, as well as to improve the experience of your learners. 

Your online training can be ready to go in just minutes and all you have to do is select your preferred theme and customize it to your liking. 

The platform brought in 10Up, an award-winning agency with a single goal to create the best learning platform on the market. Together, they optimized the software’s backend user experience driven by feedback from actual users.

3. Powerful Quiz Engine

The platform’s deep functionality makes it a great option for anyone who wants to create truly custom courses. 

One of the best features is the quiz engine that lets you build advanced quizzes for your students. The platform offers 5 different types of quizzes, and you can make them as simple or complex as you choose.

4. Full Customization Settings

Learndash comes with a range of pre-designed sites. As soon as you’ve made your purchase, you’ll get 5 professional website template options to choose from so you can get your content online as quickly as possible. 

The course creation program also lets you fully customize the pages of your online course so you can create a unique learning experience for your students. With just a few clicks, you can choose colors, logos, layouts, course display, lesson options, etc. 

It comes with a ton of customization settings out-of-the-box, and since it’s based on WordPress, Learndash also plugs into a massive community of plugins and themes that allow you to expand your design and functionality in any conceivable direction. 

In short, you’ll be able to instantly transform your website into a powerful LMS system using this flexible and intuitive plugin.

5. Focus Mode

In the WordPress dashboard, you’ll find a great new feature called the Learndash Focus Mode. You’ll find this under the Global settings, in the Learndash LMS. 

Scroll down, and toggle the “Enable Focus Mode” button to give yourself a distraction-free course experience.

The entire dashboard and course creation process have been optimized to make it as simple as possible for users to get the courses up and running quickly.

6. Use Any Media

During the course creation process, you can choose any media to use as part of your course content. This includes:

  • Images
  • Videos
  • Audio
  • SWF files
  • HTML5
  • SCORM 
  • xAPI

… and much more.

Just keep in mind that the SCORM and xAPI require a premium third-party addon. 

The bottom line is that Learndash provides you with a design that is not only visually appealing but also incorporates the latest research and online course design principles so you can create a truly impressive and engaging learning experience for your students. 

If you are looking for an online course platform that is unmatched in the number and diversity of features offered, then this is a great option for you to consider.

Instructor Support

Learndash offers a wide range of documentation, user guides, FAQs, etc. to help you get started using the platform. If you find yourself stuck at any point during the course creation process, there is documentation to steer you toward the right answer. 

The platform offers support in the following ways:

  • Email/Helpdesk: You can reach out to the responsive and knowledgeable customer support team who are there to provide timely assistance whenever you need it. 
  • FAQs: The website also has an in-depth FAQ page where you can discover answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.
  • Phone Support: If you need instant assistance, you can get in touch with the support team via phone for a quick and helpful response.
  • Knowledge Base: There are also how-to articles and videos, as well as tips and tricks to help you get the most from the online course creation platform.

In short, this platform provides you with all the information you need to help you not only sell your courses but sell more courses.

Student Management and Support

Learndash prioritizes the learners’ experience. The platform lets you offer and track courses with clear progress reports at each stage. It also offers unique student management and support features that include the following: 

1. Dynamic Content Delivery

Deliver content to students in different ways. For instance, you have the option to drip-feed lessons, which means that the next lesson will only be opened after the student has passed the previous exam.

The platform also makes it easy for users to see all their courses and lessons at a glance by simply clicking the “My Profile” button at the top left side of the page.

Students will be able to easily see which of their courses are currently in progress, which ones have been completed, the certificates and points that have been awarded, etc.

2. Badges and Certificates

You can reward students that do well on quizzes or complete your course with badges and certificates of completion as a way to motivate and incentivize them to finish all the modules in your online course. 

These are sent automatically when the student reaches the end of your course. The certificate builder is a built-in feature within the Learndash plugin and lets you customize your course completion certificates to match your brand.

3. Discussion Forums

This course software also makes it easy for you to build a vibrant community around your content with the Discussion Forums feature. 

You can create a course-specific discussion forum for any of your courses or topics so students can come together to keep the conversation going.

4. Course Points

Award points to students as they complete each of your course lessons and allow them to unlock more content so they can rack up even more points.

5. Leaderboards

Award and display those of your learners who get the best scores on you in the quizzes in your course. 

The LMS plugin lets you create a classwide leaderboard where you can use shortcodes to showcase leaderboards easily on any of your online course pages. 

Additionally, the platform makes it easy for you to make announcements to your students, such as:

  • The registration deadline
  • New courses available
  • Sharing company/industry news

… and so on.

6. Assignments

Create assignments for your students quickly and easily. It’s just as simple to collect and mark the assignments using the advanced features on the LMS. 

You can also make assignment submission a requirement of them proceeding on to the next lesson.

The assignments management feature lets you manage your learners and courses with amazing flexibility and ease. 

You’ll have tons of control over your learners and the material you provide. From your dashboard, you can easily approve, comment, and award points on any submitted assignment.

7. Group Management

This helpful feature allows you to place users into groups and even subgroups so you can let others to manage them.

8. Automated Notifications

Another exciting feature of Learndash is the automated notifications, including the engagement triggers to help you improve your online course retention and completion rates – and all it takes is a single click.

You can set up your LMS so that your students receive automatically triggered emails based on the actions they take (or don’t take) during your course. 

For instance, if you notice that a student hasn’t logged into your course in over 3 days, you might send them an email to encourage them to come back and complete the lesson.

Integrations

In addition to the many built-in features, Learndash also provides a ton of third-party add-ons, all of which have a reliable codebase to match the core of the Learndash software.

There are a ton of integrations you can add to the platform to give you a seamless experience in the platform’s ecosystem and help make your work easier in the following categories:  

  1. Student Experience
  2. Selling Courses
  3. Tracking
  4. Email Automation

Integrations include: 

  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • WooCommerce
  • 2Checkout
  • BBPress
  • BuddyPress
  • MailChimp
  • SamCart
  • BadgeOS
  • Slack
  • Memberium
  • EasyDigitalDownloads
  • ConvertKit
  • GamiPress
  • ActiveMember360
  • Paid Memberships Pro
  • Restrict Content Pro
  • Gravity

And, of course, Zapier – an app that allows you to connect to hundreds of other tools and apps for your course marketing, sales, and customer service needs. 

Student Reporting

As you’ve seen from the integrations listed above, Learndash doesn’t limit your creativity in any way. 

The same goes for student reporting where you have all the tools required to get the insights you need from your student data.

Learndash platform has robust reporting features. There are reports that you can download, and the platform makes it easy for you to track student progress at a glance.

You’ll get in-depth progress data on each of your students, making this one of the best tools for creating online courses with exams.

You can quickly run reports on everything from performance to enrollment and progress, and much much more.

Pricing

Learndash has a ton of features that you can use to create and sell a profitable product. The software is available across three pricing tiers which are as follows:

  • Basic Plan: $159/year (Discounted from $199)
    • 1 Site License
    • Unlimited Courses
    • Unlimited Users
    • Course Content Protection
    • Drip-Feed Lessons
    • Advanced Quizzing
    • Certificates & Badges
    • Course Forums
    • Email Notifications
    • Free Integrations
    • 1-Year Support & Updates
    • BONUS: Demo Site Template
  • Plus Package: $189/year (Discounted from $229)
    • Everything in the “Basic” package +
    • Up to 10 site licenses
  • Pro Package: $329/year (Discounted from $369)
    • Everything in the “Plus” package +
    • Up to 25 licenses
    • Includes ProPanel

Learndash doesn’t offer a free version or a free trial. All the plans are charged at a flat rate per year and come with a money-back guarantee, which means that you can get a full refund if (within the space of 30 days), you decide that this platform isn’t right for you after all.

Learndash Alternatives

Thinkific


Best Overall Online Course Platform

Thinkific Review

Learnworlds


Best Platform for Selling Interactive Courses

Learnworlds Review

Teachable


Best Platform for Beginners Starting Out

Teachable Review

Other Alternatives to Consider

Pros and Cons

Like any other software, Learndash has its own unique set of pros and cons. Here’s a quick look at some of the most prominent ones: 

Pros:

  1. Flexible Platform: This platform comes with a ton of impressive features that provide an excellent back end-user experience and front-end learning experience.
  2. User-Friendly Dashboard: The dashboard is easy to navigate, and the drag-and-drop builder makes it easy for anyone to build of course – even with no prior experience.
  3. Powerful Integrations: Learndash’s integration with WordPress provides you with access to a broader community of developers and users.
  4. Advanced Quiz Builder: Quizzes are a big part of any online learning experience, and Learndash has an unparalleled quiz builder with tons of customization options.

Cons:

  1. Limited Built-In Payment Options: You have the option for one-time and recurring payments on the platform, but you can’t set up free trials or offer coupons and discounts.
  2. Lack of Membership Options: The platform includes basic membership features that allow you to restrict access to authorized users. However, you can’t set up membership features for your entire online course website as a whole.

Not sure how Learndash measures up to competitors?

Read also

Is Learndash Legit?

So far, there hasn’t been much missing from this online course platform. It has all the tools you need to create visually impressive courses and launch online learning programs in a fraction of the time – and for a fraction of the cost that you’d incur using other platforms. 

Learndash also has a short learning curve that is easy for anyone to overcome, even those with zero technical experience. 

With this LMS software, you’ll have your content online in no time, and all the tools to run your knowledge business will be within reach on one convenient dashboard, including payment, membership, and subscription functions, among many others. 

Moreover, the team behind the LMS spent many months of research, design, and development to bring you a ton of improvements and new features in the 3.0 version of the software, which means you now have access to the most cutting-edge online course platform – and not just in WordPress, but in the eLearning industry as a whole. 

All in all, Learndash is the best LMS plugin for WordPress, and an extremely powerful tool for building online courses or training websites, whether you want it for creating small projects or to sell large, scalable products. 

Take a look at what other Learndash users had to say about the software:

If you’re ready to try it out for yourself, you can click here to see the demo on the website to get started building your online course right away.

Still not sure if Learndash is right for you? Check out my detailed comparisons below or my roundup of the best online course platforms.

  • Prof. Ron Stefanski,

    Aadarsh this side. It is my first time commenting on your blog page and am glad to say that you have shared an excellent content providing a great review of Learndash. I really like and appreciate the way you have introduced this plugin and presented the things that are so true to understand. You have explained everything and provided every necessary details that are true enough to understand. I am little bit aware of this plugin but not having so much ideas, so kindly thanks for providing in-depth information.

    It seems that this software is really good for WordPress, offer helpful features, stunning templates, full customization setting and provides good customer support. Your included steps to setup the learndash are so clear and easy to follow. After reading this complete guide i gain ideas and am sure that this post will definitely helps people, readers in understanding various things about Learndash software.

    Very informative and keep sharing more similar post.

    Thanks,
    Aadarsh

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