Most people building on WordPress don’t want to overspend. That’s especially true when launching an LMS: you want lessons, quizzes, and the ability to sell courses without an early paywall. LearnDash is capable, but its paid-only model and add-on costs can be a barrier for new creators. Enter Masteriyo — a modern WordPress LMS with a generous free core.
Quick overview
– LearnDash: A veteran, full-featured premium LMS. Strong course and quiz tools, drip content, and advanced capabilities. No free version; pricing starts at $199/year for one site. Some advanced features require paid add-ons.
– Masteriyo: A newer LMS with a free core plugin that includes fundamental LMS features—unlimited courses/lessons/quizzes, certificates, selling capabilities, reviews, and instructor support. Advanced integrations and features are available via Masteriyo Pro.
Course creation
– LearnDash: Drag-and-drop builder (sections, lessons, topics, quizzes), cloning, AI outline helpers in some setups, cohort/course start-end dates. Powerful multi-tier content structures.
– Masteriyo: Guided onboarding wizard, starter templates, choice of block editor or Elementor, and a modern React-based drag-and-drop single-page course builder. All course content is managed in one interface. Free core supports unlimited courses, lessons, and quizzes and offers sequential (“sequential” vs “self-paced”) modes and helpful student options (like “open last lesson”).
Quizzes and assessments
– LearnDash: Advanced quiz builder with many question types, custom scoring, timed tests, question banks, and conditional behavior. Highly suited for rigorous assessment needs.
– Masteriyo: Built-in quiz builder supporting multiple question types, unlimited quiz questions, points, and time limits in the free version. Assignments, a Gradebook, and more advanced quiz features are available in Pro.
Certificates and rewards
– LearnDash: Built-in certificates, points and badges, automatic issuance based on quiz/course completion.
– Masteriyo: Certificate builder included in the free core, with templates and online verification codes for authenticity. Course ratings and reviews are included in the free version (where LearnDash requires an add-on).
Content drip and progression
– LearnDash: Built-in drip by intervals after enrollment or specific calendar dates; supports linear progression.
– Masteriyo: Free core supports sequential and self-paced access; Advanced Content Drip (timed releases by date or days after enrollment) is available as a Pro add-on. If you only need sequential progression, the free plugin covers that.
Selling courses and payments
– LearnDash: Supports selling courses with built-in Stripe/PayPal and WooCommerce integration; subscriptions and one-time payments. Coupons often require WooCommerce or add-ons.
– Masteriyo: Free core includes a built-in order system and supports PayPal, Stripe, Mollie, and Lemon Squeezy out of the box. You can sell courses without WooCommerce and create coupons natively. WooCommerce integration is available if desired.
Multi-instructor and marketplace features
– LearnDash: Base plugin assumes a single author. Instructor Role and Groups Management are paid add-ons that enable multi-instructor setups and group functionality.
– Masteriyo: Natively supports unlimited instructors and students in the free core, with frontend instructor profiles and dashboards. Includes a revenue-sharing mechanism for marketplace-style sites, allowing automatic commission splits between admin and instructors.
Reporting, integrations, and LMS ecosystem
– LearnDash: Large ecosystem of official and third-party add-ons; ProPanel (paid) for advanced analytics; Gradebook and other features often require paid extensions.
– Masteriyo: Integrations and add-ons available; analytics dashboard and pro features in paid plans. SCORM/xAPI support and other integrations exist or are attainable via add-ons.
Pricing
– LearnDash: Paid-only. As of 2025, $199/yr (1 site), $399/yr (10 sites), $799/yr (unlimited). Many desired features are separate paid add-ons (Instructor Role, Gradebook, ProPanel, Ratings/Reviews, Groups).
– Masteriyo: Core plugin is free on WordPress.org and allows course sales, unlimited courses, and students with no upfront cost. Pro plans unlock advanced features (advanced drip, assignments, gradebook, extra integrations) with paid tiers starting around promotional pricing (e.g., $99/yr for one site on promo).
Which should you choose?
– Masteriyo is an excellent free alternative to LearnDash if you want to:
– Start without upfront costs and still sell courses.
– Use built-in certificates, reviews, basic quizzes, and unlimited courses/students.
– Run a multi-instructor site or marketplace without extra paid add-ons.
– Prefer a modern, streamlined single-page course builder.
– LearnDash may be preferable if you:
– Need out-of-the-box advanced quiz capabilities, date-based drip scheduling, enterprise integrations, or highly specialized reporting that you don’t want to assemble via add-ons.
– Prefer an established ecosystem where many niche features are provided by official or third-party extensions.
Bottom line
Masteriyo’s free core covers the essential LMS features most creators need—course management, quizzes, certificates, student enrollment, and built-in payments—making it a compelling cost-effective alternative to LearnDash for many projects. If you later require advanced enterprise features, you can upgrade to Masteriyo Pro or consider LearnDash with its add-on ecosystem. For many single-instructor or small-team courses, Masteriyo lets you start free and grow as needed; LearnDash remains a powerful choice if you’re ready to invest upfront for an established platform and its add-ons.
Which sounds closer to your needs: starting free and expanding, or buying a full-featured paid LMS from day one?
