The eLearning industry got a massive boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it continues to grow even today. This has led to an enormous surge in the popularity of LearnDash and Tutor LMS.
These LMS (learning management system) plugins help you run and manage online learning websites and course marketplaces on your WordPress websites. Both are successful, too, with over 80,000 downloads each.
But which of these two is for you? Let’s find out as we compare LearnDash and Tutor LMS in more detail, exploring their strengths, weaknesses, and viable alternatives.
LearnDash vs. Tutor LMS At a Glance
Before we begin, let’s quickly introduce the two WordPress LMS plugins.
LearnDash is the brainchild of Justin and Kloé Ferriman. It made its debut in 2013 and became a part of StellarWP in 2021.
In comparison, Tutor LMS is a relatively new plugin, having debuted in 2019. That said, it has garnered significant interest in a short period.
LearnDash
By StellarWP
80,000+ Active Installations
Add-ons and Integrations
Premium
Tutor LMS
By Themeum
80,000+ Active Installations
Add-ons and Integrations
Freemium
Plans and Pricing
LearnDash
When it comes to pricing, LearnDash is pretty rigid. It does not have a free tier or a lifetime license, either. You will have to sign up for one of the three yearly subscriptions, which start at $199 per year.
LearnDash doesn’t have many 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 Plan | 1-site license Core LMS Features Free integrations and add-ons 1 year of updates and support |
| Plus | $399/year No Lifetime Plan | 10-site license Core LMS Features Free integrations and add-ons 1 year of updates and support |
| Pro | $799/year No Lifetime Plan | Unlimited site licenses Core LMS Features Free integrations and add-ons 1 year of updates and support |
Tutor LMS
On the other hand, you can start using Tutor LMS at no cost. The free version comes with the core LMS features, but you will have to pay to use advanced add-ons and integrations.
The yearly price of Tutor LMS is comparable to LearnDash. However, it also offers lifetime licenses if you prefer a one-time payment over recurring subscriptions.
| Tutor LMS Plans | Pricing | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | FREE | Free License Free Version Updates Community Support |
| Individual | $199/year No Lifetime Plan | 1 Site License Lifetime Updates Priority Email Support 1 Free Installation Service |
| Business | $399/year No Lifetime Plan | 10 Site Licenses Lifetime Updates Priority Email Support 5 Free Installation Services |
| Agency | $799/year No Lifetime Plan | 50 Site Licenses Lifetime Updates Priority Email Support 10 Free Installation Services |
So, there’s no clear winner when it comes to pricing. LearnDash and Tutor LMS cost the same and there’s no life time license on offer.
If you want even more flexible pricing, we recommend checking out Masteriyo. It offers free starter accounts and budget-friendly premium plans.
It even offers the flexibility of lifetime licenses if you prefer a one-time payment over recurring subscriptions.
Features
Initial Setup
LearnDash and Tutor LMS feature setup wizards will help you get started with the respective LMS plugins.
Tutor LMS’s setup wizard is more comprehensive as it touches on aspects like instructors, quizzes, and profiles. LearnDash focuses more on courses and payments.
You can pick the features you want in your eLearning platform while it is set up in the background. This is more useful for first-time users.
Moreover, you can import demo content to experiment with Tutor LMS.
If you are migrating from a different LMS, you can easily import courses and content using the respective migration tools.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Wizard | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bundled Theme | ❌ | ✅ (Tutor Starter, Skillate, Edumax) |
| Demo Content Import | ❌ | ✅ |
| Migration | ✅ (Tutor LMS, LearnPress, Sensei) | ✅ (LearnPress, LearnDash, LifterLMS) |
There is no clear winner, as LearnDash and Tutor LMS plugins address all major concerns of first-time and migrating users. There is a slight difference in their approach, but not so much that it makes one better than the other.
Course Builder
LearnDash has switched to a Gutenberg-based drop-and-drag course builder. So, if you are on WordPress 5.0 and higher, you can add blocks, videos, and attachments to your course as you would typically do on WordPress pages and posts.
Like LearnDash, Tutor LMS has a backend builder that WordPress users will find familiar. You can create courses with multiple lessons and topics and arrange them through drag-and-drop.
Tutor LMS Pro users can create courses without accessing the WordPress dashboard. This feature is available as a premium add-on on LearnDash.
Moving on, you can create courses on LearnDash using existing YouTube playlist links, which is not possible on Tutor LMS.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | ✅ |
We have a tie yet again! LearnDash and Tutor LMS have all the tools to create online courses with lessons, topics, quizzes, and assignments. Both use Gutenberg-based course builders, which is easy to get used to.
Quiz Builder
Creating quizzes is just as easy as building courses. You can pick from different question types, add them to quizzes, and arrange them via the drag and drop builder.
Tutor LMS supports 10 question types, two more than LearnDash. True/False and Image Answering are exclusive to it. On the other hand, LearnDash lets you create surveys with rating questions based on the Likert Scale.
You can assign points to quizzes, set pass grades, put a time limit, and limit attempts on both LMS plugins.
Furthermore, you can add hints to questions, create quiz-wise leaderboards, and automate email for each quiz completion on LearnDash.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Quizzes | ✅ | ✅ |
| Drop and Drag Builder | ✅ | ✅ |
| Multiple Question Types | ✅ (8, Includes Survey) | ✅ (10, Includes True/False, Image Answering) |
| Quizzes Import and Export | ✅ | ✅ |
| Randomize Questions | ✅ | ✅ |
| Quiz Duration | ✅ | |
| Limit Quiz Attempts | ✅ | ✅ |
| Quiz Hints | ✅ | ❌ |
| Answer Explanation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Quiz Leaderboard | ✅ | ❌ |
| Email Notification | ✅ | ✅ |
Here, we’ll have to give the win to LearnDash as it offers more features that you can incorporate to make your quizzes more engaging.
Built-in Order & Payment Support
Tutor LMS still lacks an order system, so you must rely on e-commerce add-ons and integrations for sales.
On the other hand, LearnDash has added Stripe to its platform with the 4.0 update. Thus, you can still receive payment without a third-party solution.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in Order System | ✅ (PayPal, Stripe, Razorpay) | ❌ |
| Course Subscription | ✅ | ✅ |
| Revenue Sharing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Multiple Currency | ❌ | ❌ |
LearnDash has multiple built-in payment gateways, which differentiates it from Tutor LMS, which doesn’t offer any payment support by default.
You might also like: Unless you target a specific country and region, your eLearning business should have multiple currency support. This is available in Masteriyo but not on LearnDash or Tutor LMS.
Sales and Ecommerce
WooCommerce is currently the most popular e-commerce platform. You can add it to LearnDash and Tutor LMS. Other options for sales and e-commerce integration are similar.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | ✅ | ✅ (via Paymattic) |
| PayPal | ✅ | ✅ (via Paymattic Pro) |
| Razorpay Integration | ✅ | ✅ (via Paymattic Pro) |
| WooCommerce | ✅ | ✅ |
| Lemon Squeezy Integration | ❌ | ❌ |
| WooCommerce Subscription | ✅ | ✅ |
| Easy Digital Downloads | ✅ | ✅ |
| Paid Membership Pro | ✅ | ✅ |
| Restrict Content Pro | ✅ | ✅ |
LearnDash lets you use PayPal and Razorpay without additional cost on top the regular subscription. Thus, it is a better option than Tutor LMS in this regard
You might also like: If third-party e-commerce integration matters to you, Masteriyo is a better option than both LearnDash and Tutor LMS.
Masteriyo lets you use the Lemon Squeezy checkout process and implement multiple currencies in its Free plan.
Certificate Builder
Certificate builder on LearnDash is available as an add-on. In contrast, you need to install a separate plugin on Tutor LMS. There is no extra cost associated with them as they are included in the respective premium plans.
The LearnDash certificate builder is based on the Gutenberg editor and brings 4 custom blocks. On the other hand, Tutor LMS has a separate certificate builder menu complete with a dashboard, templates, and 10+ custom blocks.
Tutor LMS also offers a mechanism to verify issued certificates using QR codes. Likewise, you can auto-attach the certificate to emails.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate Blocks | ✅ (4 Custom Blocks) | ✅ (10+ Custom Blocks) |
| Pre-built Certificate Templates | ❌ | ✅ |
| Unlimited Certificates | ✅ | ✅ |
| Certificate Dashboard | ✅ | ✅ |
| Auto Attach Certificate to Email | ❌ | ✅ |
| QR Verification for Certificate | ❌ | Auto-Attach Certificate to Email |
We can create custom certificates with both LearnDash and Tutor LMS. However, Tutor LMS has a slight upper hand because of additional functionalities.
Gradebook and Analytics
Tutor LMS offers Gradebook add-ons to its Pro users to evaluate the performance of enrolled students. You can structure the point system the way you want.
LearnDash also has a similar add-on, but you must pay a yearly fee in addition to your plugin.
Moreover, analytics related to the course can be obtained under the Tutor LMS’ LMS report. It is available as ProPanel on LearnDash, which, again, requires an additional subscription.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Gradebook | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Analytics | ✅ (Available as ProPanel) | ✅ (Available as Report Card) |
Both LMS plugins offer report cards and course statistics. That said, Tutor LMS is at an advantage as these features are included in the general plans and do not require additional subscriptions.
Live Sessions
In addition to self-paced courses, LearnDash and Tutor LMS let you host live interactions between instructors and learners using Zoom and other platforms. Zoom add-ons and integration make this possible.
Moreover, you can incorporate the Event Calendar into your LMS platform to keep track of scheduled meetings and other course events.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Event Calendar | ✅ | ✅ |
| Live Interaction | ✅ (Zoom, Google Meet, GoToWebinar) | ✅ (Zoom, Google Meet) |
There’s no clear winner here either — both LMS plugins support popular webinar platforms.
Course Protection and Security
Without proper security mechanisms, your course content can be easily stolen using hotlinking and other processes. This can be a massive issue if you own an online course business.
Fortunately, LearnDash and Tutor LMS have all the security features you need.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Course Content/Video Protection | ✅ | ✅ |
| Password Strength Checker | ✅ | ✅ |
| Login Session Management | ❌ | ❌ |
| Google reCAPTCHA | ✅ | ✅ |
| Email Verification | ✅ | ✅ |
LearnDash and Tutor LMS have similar security measures in place to protect you, your users, and course content from hackers.
You might also like: However, they lack a dedicated login session management system for students and instructors to control their active sessions and devices. Masteriyo has this capability, as well as the ability to limit concurrent logins.
Student Engagement
Tutor LMS allows instructors to engage with students enrolled in their courses by making course-wide announcements.
Students can have queries about the course material, and they can raise them in the Q&A Section. Both instructors and fellow peers can answer these questions.
These features are not yet available in LearnDash, natively or through official add-ons. That aside, you can send notifications to students based on pre-defined triggers.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Q&A Section | ❌ | ✅ |
| Review System | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course-wide Announcement | ❌ | ✅ |
| Notification System | ✅ | ✅ |
Thus, Tutor LMS has better options for engaging students in the course.
Course Control and Access
Moving on, LearnDash and Tutor LMS have plenty of settings for adjusting access and pacing. As discussed earlier, both plugins support course previews, which let students take a glimpse of the course before enrolling.
Likewise, you can make your course free and adopt one of many monetization options. You can set up a one-time payment or create subscriptions. Moreover, you can even group courses and sell them as bundles.
Both platforms support Content Drip, which allows you to set dates to unlock specific course material. LearnDash even has a Challenging Exam feature that lets students skip a course if they pass an examination.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Date | ✅ | ✅ |
LearnDash does offer a slight advantage over Tutor LMS in this regard. Otherwise, both LMS plugins support all course access and control features you need.
User Roles and Membership
You can allow instructors and admins to access course content without enrollment on both LearnDash and Tutor LMS. Likewise, you can have multiple instructors collaborate on a single course.
You can also enroll multiple students in a course using a CSV file. You can create profiles for students on both platforms. Tutor LMS allows public profiles for instructors as well. It also allows users to sign up for the platform through social media accounts.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Instructors and Students | ✅ | ✅ |
| User Import and Export | ✅ | ❌ |
| Course Content Access for Instructor/Admin | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bulk Course Enrollment | ✅ | ✅ |
| User Profile | ✅ (Only for Students) | ✅ |
| Social Login | ❌ | ✅ |
| QR Login | ❌ | ❌ |
| Multiple Instructor | ✅ | ✅ |
| Membership Site | ✅ (with Paid Membership Pro) | ✅ (with Paid Membership Pro) |
Here, too, there is not much to differentiate LearnDash and Tutor LMS.
Our Recommendation: However, both are no match to Masteriyo LMS, which offers more advanced features such as Social Login and QR Login.
Design and Customization
Themeum has a dedicated theme for Tutor LMS called Tutor Starter, which has multiple starter themes to give you a head start in the website design process. Most inner pages and sections come premade, so you don’t need many shortcodes.
On the other hand, LearnDash does not have an in-house WordPress LMS theme. However, it is compatible with most mainstream themes, like Kadence, and there are enough shortcodes and blocks to design a learning management system.
Moroever, both LMS plugins are compatible with popular WordPress drag-and-drop page builders. Likewise, there are plenty of advanced functionalities like webhooks and email automation.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Bundled Theme | ❌ | ✅ (Tutor Starter, Skillate, Edumax) |
| Page Builder | ✅ (Elementor, Divi, Beaver) | ✅ (Elementor, Divi, Oxygen) |
| White Label | ❌ | ❌ |
| Webhooks | ✅ (Zapier) | ✅ (WPWebhook, Automator WP) |
| Advanced Email Automation | ✅ (18 Email Triggers for students) | ✅ (16 Triggers for Students, 15 for Instructors, 6 for Admin) |
| Shortcodes | ✅ (25 Shortcodes) | ✅ (6 Shortcodes) |
There is not a clear winner here either. If you wish and have the knowledge to create a website from scratch, LearnDash can be an option. However, Tutor LMS offers better premade options if you don’t feel confident or lack the time.
One significant omission on both of these LMS plugins is white labeling. Despite all customization options, you can add your logo and branding to the platform, which is essential if you are a corporation.
In this case, we recommend Masteriyo, which offers white labeling in addition to all the customization options of LearnDash and Tutor LMS. Moreover, it is compatible with more drag-and-drop WordPress builders.
Support and Documentation
If you encounter any problem with an LMS plugin, you can always look at the documentation. In addition, each plugin has an active Facebook community, video tutorials in the form of a YouTube playlist, an online academy, and live webinars.
| LearnDash | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Live Chat | ❌ | ✅ |
| Documentation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Video Tutorials | ✅ (YouTube, Academy) | ✅ (YouTube) |
| Live Walkthrough | ✅ | ❌ |
| Facebook Community | ✅ | ✅ |
Since LearnDash and Tutor LMS offer similar support and documentation, we recommend weighing other features when making your decision.
LearnDash vs Tutor LMS: Which Platform Should You Choose in 2025?
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 | Tutor LMS | Masteriyo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | 4 ⭐ | 4 ⭐ | 5 ⭐ |
| Initial Setup | 4.5 ⭐ | 4.5 ⭐ | 5 ⭐ |
| Course Builder | 5 ⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Quiz Builder | 5 ⭐ | 4.5 ⭐ | 4.5 ⭐ |
| Certificate Builder | 4⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Live Sessions | 5⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Course Protection and Security | 4.5⭐ | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Built-in Order and Payment | 4.5 ⭐ | N/A | 5⭐ |
| Sales and Ecommerce | 4.5⭐ | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Gradebook and Analytics | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Course Control and Access | 5⭐ | 4.5⭐ | 4.5⭐ |
| Student Engagement | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| User Roles and Membership | 4.5⭐ | 4.5⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Design and Customization | 4.5 ⭐ | 4.5 ⭐ | 5⭐ |
| Support and Documentation | 5⭐ | 5⭐ | 5⭐ |
As you can see, LearnDash and Tutor LMS have strengths and weaknesses. Tutor LMS is better suited for startups as it is more affordable to set up and can be scaled to meet your needs. On the other hand, LearnDash targets corporates with well-defined requirements.
Before you make the ultimate decision, we suggest looking into other alternatives, as newcomers are making a mark in the WordPress LMS segment. One such plugin is Masteriyo, which has all LMS features and even more flexible pricing.