Looking for a WordPress plugin for your eLearning platform? You might have come across LearnDash and MemberPress.
These are two popular WordPress plugins for LMS platforms and membership sites. But which one is for you? Let’s find out.
In this article, we will compare LearnDash against MemberPress, two popular WordPress LMS plugins, to help you decide the best option for you.
LearnDash vs MemberPress At a Glance
Before we begin, let’s quickly introduce the two WordPress plugins.
LearnDash is the brainchild of Justin and Kloé Ferriman. It debuted in 2013 and became part of StellarWP in 2021.
MemberPress came into existence in 2012. However, the team behind this member has previously built membership software solution for clients. MemberPress just made their solution scalable, extendable, and attainable.
LearnDash
By StellarWP
80,000+ Active Installation
Add-ons and Integrations
Premium
MemberPress
By iGot-Web
500+ Active Installation
Add-ons and Integrations
Premium
Plans and Pricing
LearnDash
LearnDash’s pricing is pretty rigid. There is no free tier or lifetime license, either. You must sign up for one of the three yearly subscriptions, which start at $199 per year.
LearnDash only has a few add-ons since most of the features are included in the plugin itself. However, you’ll have to pay an additional $49 per year for each premium add-on you use.
| LearnDash Plans | Pricing | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $199/year No Lifetime Package | 1-site license Core LMS Features Free integrations and add-ons 1 year of updates and support |
| Plus | $399/year No Lifetime Package | 10-site license Core LMS Features Free integrations and add-ons 1 year of updates and support |
| Pro | $799/year No Lifetime Package | Unlimited site licenses Core LMS Features Free integrations and add-ons 1 year of updates and support |
MemberPress
MemberPress, too, doesn’t offer free and lifetime plans. It has four tiers of paid plans, each with different features, add-ons, and integrations.
| MemberPress | Pricing | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $179.50/year | 1-Site License Basic Add-Ons & Integrations ReadyLaunch Page Maker |
| Plus | $299.5/year | 2-site License Advanced Add-Ons & Integrations Developer Tools |
| Pro | $399.50/year | 3-site License Advanced Add-Ons & Integrations Developer Tools |
| Elite | $499.50/year | 5-site License Advanced Add-Ons & Integrations Developer Tools |
Unlike MemberPress, LearnDash offers all of its features in each plans.
We Recommend: None of the two LMS plugins offer a lifetime license. So, if you don’t want to pay a subscription fee, you should look into other options. Masteriyo is one such plugin with a lifetime license for both individuals and agencies.
Features
Initial Setup
After installing the respective plugins, you are welcomed by the setup wizard, which lets you set the basic settings.
LearnDash configures basic course and payment settings. On the other hand, MemberPress focuses on content security as well.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Wizard | ✅ | ✅ |
| Native Theme | ❌ | ❌ |
| Demo Content Import | ❌ | ❌ |
| Migration | ✅ (Tutor LMS, LearnPress, Sensei) | ✅ (LearnDash) |
MemberPress has a more comprehensive setup wizard that guides you through course creation, payment gateways, and security.
Course Builder
MemberPress has a really good drop-and-drag course builder for a membership plugin. However, it is no match for LearnDash, which offers advanced course creation features.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Drag and Drop Builder | ✅ | ✅ |
| Front-end Builder | ✅ (Premium Add-on) | ❌ |
| Unlimited Courses and Lessons | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Dashboard | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Attachments | ✅ | ✅ |
| Download Materials | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Preview | ✅ (Available as Sample Lessons) | ❌ |
Here, LearnDash offers more advanced course creation features.
Quiz Builder
With recent updates, MemberPress has improved its quiz builder, adding newer question types and advanced settings. However, it is no match for LearnDash, which offers much more.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Quizzes | ✅ | ✅ |
| Drop and Drag Builder | ✅ | ✅ |
| Multiple Question Types | ✅ (8, Includes Survey) | ✅ (9, Includes Likert) |
| Quizzes Import and Export | ✅ | ❌ |
| Randomize Questions | ✅ | ❌ |
| Quiz Duration | ✅ | ❌ |
| Limit Quiz Attempts | ✅ | ✅ |
| Quiz Hints | ✅ | ❌ |
| Answer Explanation | ✅ | ❌ |
| Quiz Leaderboard | ✅ | ❌ |
| Email Notification | ✅ | ❌ |
Both LMS plugins have drag and drop quiz builder. However, LearnDash has more advanced features than MemberPress.
Built-in Order & Payment Support
MemberPress has built-in support for Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net. LearnDash only has Stripe.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in Order System | ✅ (Stripe Connect) | ✅ (Stripe, PayPal, Offline, Authorize.net) |
| Course Subscription | ✅ | ✅ |
| Revenue Sharing | ✅ | ❌ |
MemberPress has more default payment gateways than LearnDash.
Sales and Ecommerce Integrations
Sales and e-commerce integration options are similar across LearnDash and MemberPress. However, MemberPress doesn’t support third-party membership plugins, as the feature is built right into it.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | ✅ | ✅ |
| WooCommerce Subscriptions | ✅ | ❌ |
| Stripe | ✅ | ✅ |
| PayPal | ✅ | ✅ |
| Razorpay Integration | ✅ | ✅ (via Zapier, Integrately) |
| Easy Digital Downloads | ✅ | ✅ (via Uncanny Automator) |
| Membership Site | ✅ (Paid Membership Pro, Restrict Content Pro) | ✅ (Built-in) |
Both plugins are compatible with third-party sales and eccomerce platforms.
Certificate Builder
LearnDash features a Gutenberg-based drag-and-drop certificate builder, which gives you a lot of control over the design. On the other hand, MemberPress offers premade templates and is less flexible when it comes to customization.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate Blocks | ✅ (4 Custom Blocks) | ✅ (5+ Sections) |
| Pre-built Certificate Templates | ❌ | ✅ |
| Unlimited Certificates | ✅ | ✅ |
| Certificate Dashboard | ✅ | ✅ |
| Auto Attach Certificate to Email | ❌ | ❌ |
| QR Verification for Certificate | ❌ | ❌ |
MemberPress has a beginner-friendly certificate builder whereas LearnDash is better for users with intermediate skills.
We Recommend: That said, there are WordPress LMS plugins that have more feature-rich certificate builders. Take Masteriyo, for instance. It offers QR verification and the ability to automate emails with certificates upon course completion.
Gradebook and Analytics
LearnDash lets you structure custom grades to evaluate your student’s assignments. This feature is missing on MemberPress.
On the other hand, analytics is part of MemberPress’ core feature, whereas you will have to pay an additional fee to unlock it on LearnDash.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Gradebook | ✅ | ❌ |
| Course Analytics | ✅ (Available as ProPanel) | ✅ |
Still, LearnDash comes out on top as it has all the required options
Live Sessions
MemeberPress is not just a membership and LMS plugin; it is also dedicated to the online coaching business. Thus, it comes with all the features required for live interactions.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar | ✅ (Event Calendar) | ✅ (Calendly) |
| Live Interaction | ✅ (Zoom, Google Meet, GoToWebinar) | ✅ (Zoom, GoToWebinar, Crowdcast, Calendly, SSA) |
Thus, MemberPress is better LMS plugins if live interaction is your priority.
Course Protection and Security
LearnDash and MemberPress have measures in place to secure course material as well as user data.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Course Content/Video Protection | ✅ | ✅ (Requires VideoPress) |
| Password Strength Checker | ✅ | ✅ |
| Google reCAPTCHA | ✅ | ✅ |
| Email Verification | ✅ | ✅ |
It’s a tie.
Student Engagement
There is no feature in MemberPress that allows learners to rate and review courses which gives it a disadvantage over LearnDash.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Q&A Section | ❌ | ❌ |
| Review System | ✅ | ❌ |
| Course-wide Announcement | ❌ | ❌ |
| Notification System | ✅ | ✅ |
LearnDash has more features to engage students into the LMS platform.
Course Control and Access
Access rules on MemberPress allow you to restrict and control the release of course content. However, LearnDash supports all of its features, plus a few more, making it the better choice between the two.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Course Preview | ✅ (Available as Sample Lessons) | ❌ |
| Course Content Access for Instructor/Admin | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Prerequisites | ✅ | ✅ |
| Content Drip | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Retake | ✅ | ✅ |
| Challenging Exams | ✅ | ❌ |
| Course Bundle | ✅ (Available as Course Groups) | ✅ |
| Course Expiration | ✅ | ✅ |
LearnDash has a slight edge over MemberPress has it offer more access control features.
User Roles and Membership
LearnDash and MemberPress cover all the essential user roles and membership functions. However, in a broader sense, LearnDash leans more toward the LMS side, whereas MemberPress is more about creating a membership site.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Instructors and Students | ✅ | ✅ |
| User Import and Export | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Content Access for Instructor/Admin | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bulk Course Enrollment | ✅ | ✅ |
| User Profile | ✅ | ✅ |
| Social Login | ❌ | ❌ |
| Multiple Instructor | ✅ | ❌ |
| Membership Site | ✅ | ✅ |
Pick LearnDash for a LMS platform and MemberPress for a membership site.
Design and Customization
Being on WordPress, LearnDash, and MemberPress offer similar design and customization options.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Bundled Theme | ❌ | ❌ |
| Page Builder | ✅ (Elementor, Divi, Beaver) | ✅ (Elementor, Divi, Beaver, WPBakery) |
| White Label | ❌ | ❌ |
| Webhooks | ✅ (Zapier) | ✅ (Zapier, Pabbly, Integrately) |
| Advanced Email Automation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Shortcodes | ✅ | ✅ |
It’s a tie as well.
We Recommend: Still, the two plugins don’t allow you to white-label your website with your logo and branding. If this is important to you, you should consider LMS with white-labeling features like Masteriyo.
Support and Documentation
From documentation to video tutorials, you get plenty of resources with both LearnDash and MemberPress.
| LearnDash | MemberPress | |
|---|---|---|
| Live Chat | ❌ | ❌ |
| Documentation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Video Tutorials | ✅ (YouTube, Academy) | ✅ (YouTube, Academy) |
| Live Walkthrough | ✅ | ❌ |
| Facebook Community | ✅ | ✅ (Unofficial) |
The support options are similar across the two plugins.
LearnDash vs MemberPress: Which should you choose?
Here’s a summary of everything discussed so far. To give you a broader sense of the competition, we’ve also included Masteriyo in the comparison chart.
| Feature | LearnDash | MemberPress | Masteriyo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | 4 ⭐ | 3.5 ⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Initial Setup | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Course Builder | 5⭐ | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Quiz Builder | 5⭐ | 3 ⭐ | 4.5 ⭐ |
| Certificate Builder | 4⭐ | 4⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Live Sessions | 5⭐ | 5 ⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Course Protection and Security | 5⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Student Engagement | 4⭐ | 1.5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Built-in Order and Payment | 4⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Sales and Ecommerce | 5⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Gradebook and Analytics | 4.5⭐ | 3⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Course Control and Access | 5⭐ | 4⭐ | 4.5⭐ |
| User Roles and Membership | 5⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Design and Customization | 4.5 ⭐ | 4.5 ⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Support and Documentation | 5⭐ | 4⭐ | 5⭐ |
To conclude, LearnDash is a better LMS plugin whereas Membership is great for membership site with courses. Moreover, you can use the two plugins simultaneously.
Before you make the ultimate decision, we suggest looking into other alternatives, as there are a lot of new promising LMS in the market. One such plugin is Masteriyo, which has all LMS features and even more flexible pricing.