WordPress is one of the most popular and affordable tools for creating websites for any purpose. But for a beginner without technical skills, WordPress can be hard to work with. Luckily, some instruments make building online courses simple and clear. We are talking about LMS plugins.
LMS plugin or Learning Management System plugin is a tool that helps manage online courses, communicate with students, grade their homework and quizzes, and take payment for lessons. In this article, we share the five most popular plugins to try.
Learn Press
Learn Press is a native WordPress plugin, so it’s free for all WordPress users. The plugin will give you all the necessary functions to create your online course.
Main features:
- User-friendly interface to build and edit your course’s curriculum and content.
- Easy export and import of courses to any website.
- Access to many billing methods such as PayPal, WooCommerce, or Stripe.
- Communication with students via WordPress forum and special add-on BuddyPress.
- Course review helps to see statistics and trends for your products.
Learn Press is suitable for creators who are only starting their careers and don’t have a budget to spare. This plugin is perfect for a first attempt and learning.
Pricing: Free.
The LearnPress interface is very intuitive. This is how you create a new lesson.
Sensei
Sensei is a flexible option that can give your basics free to try and experiment. The plugin opens more comprehensive paid opportunities if you are settled on your product and ready to grow.
Main features:
- Payment integration with WooCommerce.
- Courses customization to a brand unique style.
- Easy media integration. Opportunity to add photos and videos into lessons and quizzes.
- Tracking students’ progress, editing content schedule.
- Extra tools to make a course out of blog posts.
- Built-in certificate constructor.
This is how you can build a course via Sensei (1) and the result you can get (2).
Pricing: Basic features are free. For extra functions such as Woocommerce integration, technical support, and advanced interactive tools, you need to subscribe Pro version for 149$ per year.
Lifter LMS
LifterLMS is a strong tool for experienced creators who have their audience and are ready to invest in further growth. This plugin might be a little too pricey for beginners who are up to experimenting and starting from scratch.
Main Features:
- Easy drag-and-drop course builder.
- Drip content. Make your lessons available over time.
- The “Multi Instructor” function allows one to teach and make courses in teams.
- Multiple opportunities for billing clients. You can sell products, private coaching, subscription, organize preselling, coupon system, and bulk sales.
- Achievement badges and certificates for students.
- Selling tools, including email marketing and built-in CRM.
This is what the course builder by LifterLMS looks like.
Pricing: $149 per year for all essentials a small eLearning business needs. $360 per year for extended design and payment opportunities such as gamification, certificate templates, and payments via credit cards, marketing, and CRM Integration. $1200 per year for advanced video and interactive tools, study group management, social learning, and private tech support.
MemberPress
MemberPress is a good option for edupreneurs whose strength is community. The plugin gives a lot of features for community building, holding clients’ attention, and keeping the audience interested. Also, this is great for creators who teach corporate clients.
Main Features:
- Online course constructor.
- Drip content. Timed lessons and access expiration dates.
- Customizable coupon system with manageable expiration dates and number of uses.
- Email marketing automation.
- Tools to build student community: comments, forums, etc.
- Multiple payment gateways: Apple Pay, Google Wallet, credit cards, cash, or check.
MemberPress dashboard seems a little busy, but it’s because of the abundance of features.
Pricing: $179 per year for a basic toolkit, including Paypal and Stripe integration for payment and coupon system. Plus plan for $269 per year gives all basic features and wider payment methods, customization and developers tools, podcast memberships, and unlimited quizzes. Pro version for $319 per year opens the opportunity to create corporate accounts and includes integration with tax automation and lead generation software.
Learn Dash
Plugin LearnDash has a wide range of features and software integrations. It is suitable for growing businesses with growing audiences, content, and budget.
Main Features:
- Drag and drop course builder.
- Drip content.
- Motivation system for students: badges, course points, leaderboards, certificates.
- Progress tracking and group management. Watch your students grow, and give them individual and group assignments.
- Integration with Stripe, Paypal, Woocommerce, Mailchimp, BuddyPress, and many more useful services to build courses and communities, sell products and get payments.
- Many billing options: one-time purchase, subscription, membership, bulk access.
This is how you make a quiz page via LearnDash.
Pricing: $199 per year for all features but only one website, $399 per year for ten websites, and $799 per year for an unlimited number of sites.
Final Thoughts
The main thing about choosing the right plugin is that it serves your needs. Give yourself a moment to think: what is my purpose, my budget, my audience, and what do I need now? With answers in mind, choose the toolkit. After all, we don’t choose plugins for life. Try demo versions and experiment. If one service doesn’t fit you, move on to another.
