With the advent of online training, the popularity of learning management systems (LMS) has soared, leading to a multitude of solutions available. These include self-hosted platforms with subscription options, as well as marketplaces where courses can be offered.
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If you are reading this article, it is because you are interested in integrating an LMS plugin into WordPress, and you are right to do so, as it is undoubtedly the most cost-effective way to create your online course.
Today, there are several WordPress plugins that offer similar features. While some require payment for all functionalities, there are others that offer free versions, which may appeal to a wider audience.
I have diligently searched for the best free LMS plugins that will enable you to create an online course or training without spending a single penny. I must admit, it was not an easy task!
You will soon discover that the “free” aspect is not as straightforward as it appears upon closer inspection. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully examine the features you require before making a decision and getting started. Building a training course is a significant undertaking that demands substantial effort, so now is not the time to choose the wrong tool!
In this article, we will explore the various options by presenting a list of the top free LMS plugins that can be installed directly from the WordPress extensions tab. Towards the end, we will briefly discuss the plugins that have distinguished themselves by offering only a paid version of their LMS plugin.
LearnPress
LearnPress offers the ability to create online courses or training with its free basic features. However, LearnPress operates on an Add-ons system, where additional functionalities can be added to the basic plugin, some of which are free while others require payment.
It is important to consider certain limitations when opting for LearnPress as a completely free solution. The LearnPress team claims that the plugin can be used with any theme, but some users have reported integration issues with certain themes. For this reason, LearnPress recommends installing one of their fully compatible premium themes to ensure smooth usage of the plugin. It is worth noting that only one free theme is available in their directory.
Another limitation is related to payment gateways. The free version of LearnPress only includes the PayPal solution. If you wish to sell your courses using another platform such as Stripe or integrate it with WooCommerce, you will need to purchase an add-on or a premium plan.
While LearnPress may seem like a promising free solution for creating and selling online courses, it is important to recognize that the reality may not be as straightforward.
- Regularly updated plugin
- +100,000 installs
- Rating 4.5/5
List of LearnPress Plugin Free Features
- Course builder and manager
- Unlimited number of classes and lessons
- Unlimited number of teachers
- Manage courses from the WordPress backend
- PayPal, offline payment
- Sell courses individually only
- Unlimited number of instructors
- 3 basic quiz types
- Blank questionnaire
- Unlimited lessons
- Automatic email system
- Course result stored in student profile
- Free Addons: Upcoming Courses, bbPress Integration, BuddyPress Integration, Course Review, Import — Export, Course Wishlist, Prerequisites, Student List
List of LearnPress Plugin Premium Features
Add-ons between $29 and $39 (lifetime updates). Add-ons can be purchased separately. For example you can simply take the module to add Stripe and accept all online payments for $39.
LearnPress Theme Bundle between $49 and $69 (lifetime updates)
1 site license + 6 months support + 1 Premium theme with add-ons
This is to install a premium theme that comes with pre-installed modules that are only usable with the theme selected.
LearnPress Pro Bundle at $249 (lifetime updates)
3-site license + 6-month support + All add-ons. This is access to all add-ons for any theme.
List of LearnPress Plugin add-ons included in the “Theme Bundle”:
myCRED: add a point system.
Certificates: Added a drag-and-drop certificate generator as well as the ability to select a custom certificate for each course.
Co-Instructors: Support for multiple instructors for each course.
Collections: Allows you to create a collection of courses for a skill group.
Stripe: add payment via Stripe.
2Checkout: add payment via 2Checkout.
Authorize.Net: add payment via Authorize.Net
WooCommerce: add WooCommerce as a payment gateway.
Content Drip: Restrict access to lessons based on progress or time.
Sorting Choices question type: Add interactive questions.
Commission: provides a commission management system.
Gradebook: view course results, export results in csv format.
Random Quiz: create a quiz with random questions for each student for the same course.
Paid Membership: Integrates Paid Membership Pro and brings membership functionality.
The list of LearnPress Plugin add-ons included in the “Pro Bundle”:
Assignments: allows teachers to give assignments, homework to students and grade student work afterwards.
Announcement: Promote courses or news with email notification.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if the free theme offered by the brand suits you and if PayPal as a unique payment system is sufficient for you, you can create an online course system for free with LearnPress. You can check out this plugin out here
Tutor LMS
Tutor LMS has quickly gained recognition in the realm of LMS and learning management systems as an eLearning plugin. Similar to its competitors, the free version of Tutor LMS provides sufficient capabilities to easily create and manage online courses.
However, the standout feature of Tutor LMS lies in its seamless integration with WooCommerce. This means that with Tutor LMS, it is possible to create a fully functional system for courses or online training without any cost.
In this list, Tutor LMS is the only genuine LMS that can be used completely free of charge.
For those aiming to establish a comprehensive training platform with multiple instructors, Tutor LMS offers the ability to manage remuneration distribution between the administrator and the various teachers.
While there may be some limitations, the basic functionalities of Tutor LMS are well-suited for many scenarios. Users can create courses with videos, attachments, different stages and lessons, as well as utilize relatively advanced quizzes and evaluation questionnaires. The plugin also allows for the creation of a course overview page featuring benefits, level, prerequisites, duration, teasers, and more.
Students will have access to a personalized dashboard showcasing their courses, progress, teacher announcements, and other relevant information. Each instructor can also manage their respective courses and activities from their own dashboard.
As anticipated, premium add-ons are available to enhance the core functionality of the plugin.
- Regularly updated plugin
- +20,000 installs
- Rating 4.5/5
List of Tutor LMS Plugin Free Features:
Once installed the free plugin offers the following free features:
- Course builder and manager
- Unlimited number of classes and lessons
- Unlimited number of teachers
- Personal dashboards for students and instructors
- Video integration (self-hosted, YouTube, Vimeo)
- Adding attachments (pdf, .doc, .jpg, etc.)
- Styling Options
- Trailer/teaser
- Spotlight mode
- Difficulty Level, Duration, Course Requirements and Instructions
- Course evaluation and grading system
- Integrated Q&A system between students and teacher
- Course progress tracking
- Quiz creator or questionnaires
- Woocommerce integration
- Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) integration
- Earnings and distribution of commissions
- Withdrawal options
- Centralized monetization settings
- Compatible with Gutenberg and major page builders
- Content Security
List of Tutor LMS Plugin Premium Features
Tutor LMS has a series of add-ons that add additional functionality to the base plugin. Their price list is simple with an all-inclusive formula that will vary according to the number of sites and the duration:
- 1 site license at $149/year or $399 for life
- 5-site license at $199/year or $599 for life
- Unlimited license at $299/year or $999 for life
List of add-ons add additional functionality to the base plugin:
- Reports: complete course statistics and grade management directly from the dashboard
- Email: personalization and sending of automatic emails (registration, course completion, etc.)
- Certifications: template certificates for completed courses or upload your own certificates.
- Preview: Unlock part of a course so you can try it out
- Multi Instructors: add several instructors on the same course
- Prerequisites: set prerequisites to enroll in a new course
- Assignments: create assignments for students
- Advanced quiz: add features to quizzes
- Manual student registrations by the administrator
- Paid Memberships Pro Integration
- WooCommerce Subscriptions Integration
- BuddyPress Integration
- Restrict Content Pro Integration
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is possible to create and sell your online training course without paying a penny with Tutor LSM by connecting the plugin to a Woocommerce store to market all this.
Lifter LMS
Lifter LMS is marketed as an “all-in-one” WordPress LMS plugin, implying that it can function independently without the need for additional plugins. However, the reality is a bit more complex.
While Lifter LMS provides free access to its plugin for creating online courses or training, it doesn’t truly enable course selling without the addition of paid add-ons.
Lifter LMS emphasizes its developer-friendly approach, clean code, and the availability of its plugin’s core features for free. The plugin appears to work well with almost all WordPress themes and major page builders. Therefore, purchasing a compatible theme is not necessarily required, although they do offer an optimized paid theme if desired.
Lifter LMS offers solid compatibility with other plugins such as Affiliate WP, Monster Insights, WP Fusion, GamiPress, Astra Pro, and more. Additionally, it is possible to integrate Lifter LMS with Zapier to establish connections with numerous applications.
Overall, Lifter LMS provides interesting core functionalities and the ability to connect with other applications, making it quite flexible for course creators. However, if the goal is to sell courses, additional steps and paid add-ons are necessary to set up the checkout process.
- Regularly updated plugin
- +10,000 installs
- Rating 4.5/5
List of Lifter LMS Plugin Free Features
The following features are included in the free “core” version of the plugin. In essence, these features enable you to create an online course or training program. The only limitation is that you won’t be able to sell them online.
- Course builder and manager
- Unlimited number of classes and lessons
- Unlimited number of teachers
- Dashboards and individual user accounts
- Student management
- Yard modules
- Coursework and Degree Programs
- Private and hidden lessons
- Basic quiz
- Chat areas
- Scheduled course content
- Protection of course content
- Reporting
- Exporting student data
- Bulk registration of students
- Achievement certificates and badges
- Personalized behavior-based emails
- Manual payment processing
- One-time and recurring pricing model options
- Email notifications
LifterLMS offers three pricing schedules to access the premium features of the plugin.
Additional modules between $99 and $199 per add-on/year
Purchase separately an add-on from the available list + 1 site license + Support
Universe Bundle at $299/year
Access to a small list of add-ons + 5-site license + Priority support
Infinity Bundle at $999/year
Access to all available add-ons + Unlimited license + Priority support
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Authorize.net
- WooCommerce
- LaunchPad Theme
- LifterLMS Powerpack
- MailChimp
- ConvertKit
- Gravity Forms
- Ninja Forms
- WPForms
- Formidable Forms
- Twilio
Only in the Infinity Bundle:
- Advanced Quizzes
- Assignments
- Groups
- Private Areas
- SocialLearning
- Advanced Videos
- Custom Fields
- Office Hours Mastermind
Conclusion
In conclusion, to be able to sell online training with Lifter LMS you will have to pay a minimum of $99/year to connect the payment add-on. Check out the plugin here
Sensei
Sensei is an LMS plugin developed by Automattic, the company behind WordPress. With this association, it is assured that Sensei seamlessly integrates with the WordPress environment and is compatible with most reputable themes available.
Sensei offers a range of free features and add-ons, which are provided as separate plugins to be installed as needed. Similar to its competitors, Sensei allows the creation of comprehensive educational courses with customizable stages. It supports various content types such as text, images, videos, quizzes, and rewards, encompassing the essential elements expected from a reliable LMS plugin.
I include Sensei in this list of free LMS plugins because it offers a viable solution to easily create online courses without any cost. However, it is important to note that selling courses requires the purchase of the official WooCommerce Paid Courses plugin.
It is unfortunate that the integration with WooCommerce is not entirely seamless, and the utilization of the e-commerce platform’s free features is not possible.
- Regularly updated plugin
- +10,000 installs
- Rating 4.5/5
List of Sensei LMS Plugin Free Features
- Course builder and manager
- Unlimited number of classes and lessons
- Unlimited number of teachers
- Create quizzes and questionnaires
- Embed videos
- Certificates: offering certificates to students
- Course progress: show course progress bar
- Attachments: allow the addition of audio, image or pdf files
- Social network sharing
- Show number of attendees
- Articles to Courses: Turning blog posts into online courses
- Divi integration
List of Sensei LMS Plugin Premium Features
Sensei doesn’t really offer premium plans. Only two premium plugins can be added to complete the functionality of the free plugin:
WooCommerce Paid Courses at $129/year
Allows you to sell your courses online by adding payment functionality via Woocommerce
Sensei Content Drip at $29/year
Allows you to add a training calendar with deadlines and notifications for students
Conclusion
In conclusion, to be able to sell your courses online with Sensei you will have to pay at least $129/year by installing the payment plugin.
Other free LMS plugins
On WordPress.org, there are additional free LMS plugins worth mentioning. One of them is Namaste LMS, although it currently has a relatively low number of installations at 1000, making it less recognized and therefore not highly recommended here.
Another option is MasterStudy LMS, which has garnered mixed reviews indicating some recurring issues. It’s worth considering these factors when evaluating its suitability for your needs.
Other paid LMS plugins for WordPress
It would be remiss to compile a list of LMS plugins without mentioning two prominent players in the market. However, it’s important to note that these plugins have opted not to offer a free version of their plugin and, as a result, cannot be found on the WordPress.org plugin directory.
LearnDash
LearnDash is undoubtedly the dominant player in the market. If you are confident in your project and have the resources to invest, it may be the go-to plugin for you. While it doesn’t bring a revolutionary approach, the plugin offers similar features to its main competitors. It is worth noting that even for a 100% premium plugin, the basic version priced at $159 per year is relatively basic in terms of functionalities.
Premium Features
Learn Dash offers 3 premium plans:
Basic at $159/year
License 1 site + Basic functions + Support 1 year + Updates 1 year
Plus Package at $189/year
License 10 sites + Pro Panel + Basic functions + 1 year Support + 1 year Updates
Pro Package at $389/year
License 25 sites + Pro Panel + Basic functions + 1 year Support + 1 year Updates
The basic functionalities are:
- Unlimited course creation
- Unlimited number of users
- Protection of course content
- Course planning
- Advanced quizzes
- Certificates and badges
- Forum
- Automatic email notifications
ProPanel is an add-on that enhances LearnDash administration:
- More advanced reports and statistics
- Easy course management
- Sending manual emails by filter
- Customize teacher info
WP Courseware
WP Courseware is another premium plugin that has chosen not to provide a free version. However, it’s worth noting that their presentation site appears to focus more on marketing and sales rather than providing comprehensive information about the plugin itself. Despite claiming to have over 20,000 installations and more than 270 features, it can be challenging to find a detailed list of the included features within the plugin.
Premium Features
Teacher at $129/year
License 2 sites + Support 1 year + updates 1 year
Professor at $149/year
License 10 sites + Support 1 year + updates 1 year
Guru at $199/year
License 25 sites + Support 1 year + updates 1 year
Conclusion
In conclusion, as you have observed, finding a truly free solution for creating an e-learning platform with WordPress is not as straightforward as it may seem. Many LMS plugins offer free features, but when it comes to monetizing your content, additional steps or paid add-ons are required.
If you are seeking a completely free LMS plugin that allows you to sell courses online, two options are available: LearnPress (with over 100,000 installations) or Tutor (with over 20,000 installations).
LearnPress provides the advantage of using a plugin with a strong reputation, but it does have certain limitations such as theme compatibility and limited payment options (PayPal).
On the other hand, Tutor offers the most advanced features among completely free solutions, particularly when coupled with WooCommerce.
