Quick summary
All five let you create unlimited courses and lessons on the free tier. Differences show up around selling tools, community features, multi-instructor support, drip content, certificates, and which advanced tools require upgrades.

1) Masteriyo — Best all-around free LMS
What it is: A modern, full-featured free LMS that treats “free” seriously. Ideal for creators who want course creation and sales without extra paid tools.
Why use it: Unlimited courses/lessons, drag-and-drop builder, native payments, quizzes, certificates, content drip, and a built-in cart/checkout — all in the free plan.
Using it: Clean dashboard and intuitive builder. Lessons use the block editor; student-facing pages are polished with dashboards, reviews, and Q&A.
Free vs Pro: Free covers most solo creators’ needs — selling, drip, certificates, SCORM import, and more. Pro is for multi-instructor, advanced grading, assignments, cohorts, and deeper revenue-sharing features.
Key features: Unlimited courses/lessons/sections, built-in ecommerce (cart/checkout/coupons), Stripe/PayPal/Surecart/Lemon Squeezy/Mollie support, quiz builder with timed quizzes and grading, certificate builder with QR verification, content drip, SCORM import, ChatGPT-assisted course creation, frontend student dashboards.
Note: Masteriyo is an excellent starting point if you want a lot of capability before paying.

2) LearnPress — The battle-tested classic
What it is: A long-standing, trusted option that follows a more traditional WordPress approach.
Why use it: Familiar interface, comprehensive course and quiz tools, reusable lesson and question banks, and solid free functionality for publishing courses.
Using it: Classic WP admin menu layout. There are two course-building interfaces (one more modern), a straightforward editor, and a functional student view.
Free vs Pro: The free tier includes PayPal and offline payments, quizzes, and many course tools. But certificates, Stripe, advanced drip, and other monetization features require paid add-ons, so monetization may be limited unless you buy the bundle.
Key features: Unlimited courses/lessons, multimedia via WP editor, course/quiz builders, reusable lesson/question banks, OpenAI integration, PayPal and offline payments, external checkout redirects, free auxiliary add-ons (reviews, wishlist, prerequisites, social integrations).
Note: Choose LearnPress if you prefer a tried-and-tested plugin and don’t need modern built-in payment options without add-ons.

3) FluentCommunity — Community-first LMS
What it is: A hybrid — a community platform with a capable LMS module. Think membership + social features + courses in one plugin.
Why use it: If building an active community around your courses (feeds, chats, profiles, activity) matters as much as the course content, FluentCommunity combines both in the free tier.
Using it: Setup wizard for community type, Gutenberg-based course builder, familiar lesson editing in WordPress. Student-facing pages are polished and social interactions are central.
Free vs Pro: The free version includes community features, unlimited courses, lesson discussions, progress tracking, and drip (basic). Pro adds manager roles, leaderboards, badges, verification, and extra automations. The core LMS is not hidden behind paywalls.
Key features: Unlimited courses/lessons, built-in community (feeds, chats, notifications), Gutenberg course builder, lesson discussions, progress tracking, real-time chat, user profiles, enrollment/privacy controls, one-click migration from BuddyBoss/BuddyPress.
Note: Great for creators who want courses plus an engaged on-site community.

4) Academy LMS — Marketplace and multi-instructor focused
What it is: Designed for larger course marketplaces — multi-instructor support and revenue sharing are first-class in the free plan.
Why use it: If you want a Udemy-like site or a marketplace where many instructors sell and manage earnings, Academy LMS gives remarkable free functionality for that use case.
Using it: Helpful onboarding wizard and importable templates to get a professional look fast. Frontend course and instructor dashboards, analytics, and a feature called “Instant YouTube Course” to build courses from playlists.
Free vs Pro: Free is built around multi-instructor marketplaces. However, some expected features (drip, email notifications, assignments, gradebook, SCORM) are Pro-only. If marketplace payouts and multi-instructor workflows matter most, the free layer is very strong.
Key features: Unlimited courses/lessons, multi-instructor system with revenue sharing, instructor withdrawal/payout system, frontend course builder, course engagement tools (reviews, Q&A), lesson banks, YouTube playlist import, certificates and basic quizzes included.
Note: Pick Academy LMS if you need free multi-instructor and marketplace features.

5) Tutor LMS — Solid basics but paywalls appear early
What it is: A well-known LMS that covers core course needs cleanly, but reserves many advanced features for Pro.
Why use it: Reliable for basic course creation, quizzes, student/instructor dashboards, and payment handling via PayPal or WooCommerce.
Using it: Excellent setup wizard and clean dashboard. Course and lesson building is straightforward; the student view is clear and usable.
Free vs Pro: Free includes unlimited courses and students, quiz tools, video lessons, and PayPal payments. But certificates, drip, assignments, gradebooks, live classes, bundles, and some analytics are Pro-only, which means you may hit the paywall sooner than with other plugins.
Key features: Unlimited courses/lessons/students, quiz builder, video lesson support (YouTube/Vimeo/embed), student/instructor dashboards, PayPal and WooCommerce integration, coupon/tax/order management, marketplace support.
Note: Good if you need reliable basics and payment handling, but expect to upgrade as your needs grow.

Conclusion and recommendation
Each plugin has a clear sweet spot:
– Masteriyo: Best all-around free choice — robust course creation and selling tools without an initial payment. Great starting point.
– LearnPress: Traditional, battle-tested, and familiar to long-time WordPress users; good if PayPal/offline payments suffice or you want extensibility via add-ons.
– FluentCommunity: Best when community features are a first-class requirement alongside courses.
– Academy LMS: The free leader for multi-instructor marketplace setups and instructor payouts.
– Tutor LMS: Solid for core course needs but puts many important features behind Pro.

If you’re unsure where to start, try Masteriyo first — it provides the most functionality without requiring a paid upgrade. Pick FluentCommunity if building an active community matters. Choose Academy LMS if you plan to run a multi-instructor marketplace.

Have you tried any of these? Which workflow or feature set matters most to you — marketplace, community, or straightforward solo course sales?

The core problem: discovery, not just review

The plugin directory is seeing an enormous influx of new submissions—driven largely by tools that make plugin creation easier, including AI. That spike has created two separate challenges. First, it increases workload for human reviewers; second, and more crucially, it makes it much harder for good plugins to be discovered among thousands of lookalike options.

Luke notes that the review team has scaled up and improved tooling (and even uses AI internally), so wait times are reasonable—around a week—despite higher queue counts. The deeper issue is product visibility: how users find the right plugin and how authors make their products stand out. The open-source nature of WordPress’ search algorithm helps transparency, but also makes it easier to game. Active installs remain the hardest-to-fake and most important ranking signal, which benefits established plugins but can make it nearly impossible for new, high-quality entries to surface.

Practical experiments to improve discovery

Luke proposes small, achievable experiments to improve the experience without a wholesale redesign. Two linked ideas stand out:

– Connect wordpress.org accounts to individual WordPress installs. With WordPress adding a Connectors API, allowing users to log in with their wordpress.org credentials would let personal preferences and favorites flow into the Add Plugins screen. This could surface a user’s curated list of plugins and improve setup speed across sites.

– Support “untrusted sources” or repo lists in a user profile. Let users register Git repositories (or other repos) in their wordpress.org profile—these might be their own private plugins, client plugins, or premium-only code. When creating a new site, users could install those repos directly from the Add Plugins interface, as if uploading a zip. This gives developers a sanctioned way to distribute custom or premium plugins without undermining the central directory, and makes managing client installs far simpler.

Rethinking commercial distribution on wordpress.org

Luke also raises the contentious idea of allowing premium plugins to be sold directly through the WordPress plugin directory. He frames this as something that would only make sense if wordpress.org were governed by the Foundation and suggests a fee model: roughly 8% (3% payment processing + 5% to “Five for the Future” or similar). Funds could support WordCamps, paid contributor hours, the plugin review team, and other community infrastructure.

There are obvious trade-offs. Introducing money into parts of the project that have long been entirely free risks community split, governance questions, and concerns about preferential treatment. Luke argues the benefit is a more vibrant product ecosystem and easier discoverability for paid offerings, which could re-energize launches and make it simpler for developers to build sustainable businesses in WordPress. He acknowledges that this is divisive and would require transparent governance and strong oversight.

Leadership, urgency, and the role of AI

The conversation turns to leadership and direction. Luke believes WordPress needs clear, decisive leadership to navigate a period of rapid change. He sees a real risk that without a strong strategy, WordPress could lose relevance as alternatives emerge—especially with AI reshaping how websites and content are built.

On AI specifically, Luke distinguishes two things: using AI as an optional feature in WordPress (e.g., plugins that add AI capabilities) versus making AI central to how the project is run (auto-generated docs, PRs, or contributor work). He supports optional, additive AI integrations but is cautious about making AI mandatory or pervasive in contributor workflows. There are ethical concerns and a generational dimension: many younger people are openly skeptical of AI and may be discouraged from participating if AI use becomes a default expectation.

Transparency: an AI disclosure for plugins

One concrete, low-friction proposal Luke offers is an AI disclosure field in plugin metadata. Authors could voluntarily declare the degree to which AI was used during development—ranging from none to minor ideation or automatic code generation. Surfacing this as plugin metadata would achieve two things: it gives users information to make informed choices, and it generates data about how AI usage correlates with plugin quality, update cadence, and support behavior.

Of course, such a system relies on honesty and could be gamed. Still, making the disclosure visible opens a market signal and lets the community observe patterns rather than guess them.

Respecting contributors and users

Underlying all of Luke’s suggestions is a consistent theme: protect the people who use and build WordPress. Whether it’s making it easier for developers to manage their own plugins across sites, funding contributor work through a shared revenue model, or giving users clear information about AI’s role in plugin creation, the aim is to maintain trust and practical utility.

Next steps and community input

Many of Luke’s ideas are presented as experiments—small changes that could be implemented and evaluated. They invite community feedback and testing rather than top-down imposition. They also hinge on governance choices and culture: how much commercialization should wordpress.org accept, how will disclosures be validated, and how will leadership balance innovation with inclusivity?

If you want to hear Luke expand on these ideas, he co-hosts the Crossword podcast (crossword.fm) where he and Jonathan Wold cover WordPress topics in depth. The discussion on Jukebox is a useful primer for anyone interested in plugins, discovery, ethics, and the practical impacts of AI on open-source ecosystems.

Quick overview
– Masteriyo: Best all-around free package for course creation + selling.
– LearnPress: Battle-tested, classic WordPress LMS; monetization via PayPal only in free tier.
– FluentCommunity: LMS + community features; great if community engagement matters.
– Academy LMS: Best free option for multi-instructor marketplaces and instructor payouts.
– Tutor LMS: Solid basics and payments, but many key features are Pro-only.

1) Masteriyo — strong free selling tools and features
What it is: A modern, polished LMS that treats “free” as a full solution. Great for validating course ideas and selling without extra tools.
Using it: Drag-and-drop builder for unlimited courses, sections, and lessons. Block-editor friendly. Frontend student dashboards, reviews, Q&A.
Free vs Pro: The free tier includes built-in cart/checkout, order management, basic coupons, multiple payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Surecart, Lemon Squeezy, Mollie), quizzes, certificates, content drip, SCORM import, and one-click migration tools. Pro is required for multi-instructor, revenue sharing, advanced drip, assignments, cohorts, and gradebook.
Key reasons to pick it: If you want the most functionality before paying — especially built-in payments and certificates — start here. It also has optional AI-assisted course creation via OpenAI.

2) LearnPress — reliable, long-standing WordPress LMS
What it is: A mature, battle-tested LMS that many sites still use. Familiar WP-style interface and classic workflows.
Using it: Unlimited courses/lessons, quiz builder, question/lesson banks, and an OpenAI integration for content creation. Course creation uses the standard WP UI and an alternate modern builder.
Free vs Pro: Free includes PayPal and offline payments, quizzes, and course controls. Many monetization and advanced features (Stripe, certificates, drip, assignments) require paid add-ons or a Pro bundle.
Key reasons to pick it: If you want a familiar, stable plugin and don’t need advanced payment options or drip out of the box, LearnPress is a safe choice.

3) FluentCommunity — LMS plus an integrated community platform
What it is: More than an LMS — a community platform with a built-in LMS module. Think social spaces (newsfeed, profiles, chats) plus courses.
Using it: Smooth setup wizard, Gutenberg-based course builder, lesson discussions, progress tracking, real-time chats, activity feeds, and community spaces. Course pages are clean and modern.
Free vs Pro: Free already includes most LMS and community essentials: unlimited courses/lessons, drip (rigid scheduling), discussions, progress tracking, enrollments, and core community features. Pro adds leaderboards, badges, manager roles, and extra automation.
Key reasons to pick it: If building an active on-site community is as important as delivering courses, FluentCommunity gives both without hiding the LMS behind paywalls.

4) Academy LMS — free multi-instructor marketplace tools
What it is: Focused on marketplace-style setups — instructors can sign up, create courses, and earn payouts. Great for Udemy-style platforms.
Using it: Onboarding wizard, page templates, frontend course and instructor dashboards, analytics, lesson bank, Instant YouTube Course (turn a YouTube playlist into a course), quizzes, reviews, Q&A, and certificates.
Free vs Pro: The free plan stands out for multi-instructor features (revenue sharing, withdrawals) included at no cost. But many other features (drip, email notifications, prerequisites, gradebook, SCORM, assignments) require Pro.
Key reasons to pick it: If you need a free multi-instructor marketplace with payout handling built in, Academy LMS is the best fit.

5) Tutor LMS — solid basics, paywall sooner
What it is: A classic LMS with clean setup and good core functionality. Works well for straightforward courses and selling via PayPal/WooCommerce.
Using it: Smooth wizard and dashboard, robust course/lesson/quiz creation, student and instructor dashboards, and basic built-in cart. The UI is tidy and student-facing pages are clear.
Free vs Pro: Free gives unlimited courses/students, quizzes, video embedding, PayPal (and WooCommerce integration). But drip, certificates, assignments, gradebook, live classes, bundles, and deeper analytics are Pro-only.
Key reasons to pick it: If you need a dependable, easy-to-use free LMS and accept limitations on advanced features, Tutor works. Expect to upgrade sooner if you need richer course features.

Conclusion and recommendation
Each plugin has a clear sweet spot:
– Choose Masteriyo if you want the most complete free package (built-in selling, certificates, drip, SCORM) before paying anything.
– Choose LearnPress if you prefer a long-established, classic WordPress workflow and don’t mind limited free payment options.
– Choose FluentCommunity if community features (feeds, chats, profiles) are central to your plan.
– Choose Academy LMS if you’re building a multi-instructor marketplace and need free revenue sharing and payout tools.
– Choose Tutor LMS if you want a clean, basic LMS with solid payment options but are prepared to pay for advanced features later.

If you’re unsure: start with Masteriyo — it gives the most usable features on the free plan and lets you validate ideas without a subscription.

Have you tried any of these? What features matter most to you (payments, multi-instructor, community, drip, certificates)? I can recommend the best match for your specific needs.

Quick summary (fast pick)
– Best all-round free: Masteriyo — lots of course and selling tools built-in.
– Classic, battle-tested: LearnPress — familiar WP interface, limited free payment options.
– Course + community: FluentCommunity — great if you want an active member space.
– Multi-instructor marketplace: Academy LMS — best free tools for instructor marketplaces.
– Basic but solid: Tutor LMS — good for core features, paywall appears sooner.

1) Masteriyo
What it is: A modern LMS that treats its free tier as a usable product, not just a demo.
What you get free: Unlimited courses/lessons/sections, drag-and-drop builder, quiz builder, content drip, certificates, built-in cart/checkout and basic coupon support, multiple payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, SureCart, Lemon Squeezy, Mollie), student dashboards. AI-assisted course creation via OpenAI is supported.
Using it: Clean admin UI, Gutenberg-compatible lessons, smooth frontend student experience. Course creation is intuitive with a block-based approach.
Free vs Pro: Free covers single-instructor sites and early monetization. Pro adds multi-instructor, revenue sharing, assignments, gradebooks, cohorts, and advanced drip rules.
When to pick it: Start here if you want the most functionality before paying.
Key features: drag-and-drop builder, native payments, quizzes, drip, certificates, SCORM import, frontend student tools.

2) LearnPress
What it is: A long-standing, battle-tested LMS that uses classic WordPress patterns.
What you get free: Unlimited courses/lessons, quizzes, reusable lesson and question banks, PayPal and offline payments, OpenAI integration to help create content, course previews and open-access course option.
Using it: Familiar WP admin layout; course builder is functional though a bit split between classic and a newer panel. Student view is straightforward.
Free vs Pro: Core features are good, but key monetization and engagement features (Stripe, certificates, drip, assignments) require paid add-ons or the Pro bundle.
When to pick it: If you want a reliable, well-tested plugin and are okay with PayPal-only sales initially, or you plan to add paid add-ons selectively.
Key features: lesson/question bank, built-in quizzes, open-access courses, external checkout redirects, many free add-ons.

3) FluentCommunity
What it is: A community platform with a built-in LMS module — think course delivery inside a social environment.
What you get free: Unlimited courses/lessons, Gutenberg-based course builder, content drip, progress tracking, lesson discussions, real-time chats, activity feeds, user profiles, enrollment controls.
Using it: Setup wizard for community/site type, polished UI, courses are edited inside normal WP editor, final course pages are attractive and community-focused.
Free vs Pro: Free includes most LMS and community basics. Pro adds manager roles, badges, leaderboards, verification, and more automations.
When to pick it: Choose FluentCommunity when building courses and an on-site community (forums, feeds, chats) is equally important.
Key features: integrated community + LMS, real-time activity, progress tracking, lesson discussions, one-click migration from BuddyBoss/BuddyPress.

4) Academy LMS
What it is: LMS designed for marketplace-style sites — excellent free support for multiple instructors.
What you get free: Unlimited courses/lessons, multi-instructor system with revenue sharing, instructor earnings and withdrawal tools, frontend course builder, student and instructor dashboards, quiz builder, certificates, YouTube playlist import for instant courses.
Using it: Friendly onboarding wizard, page templates for a marketplace look, frontend-focused dashboards and analytics, lesson bank that can be assigned later.
Free vs Pro: Free is generous for multi-instructor needs. But features like drip, email notifications, advanced gradebooks, SCORM, and assignments are Pro-only.
When to pick it: Best free option if you want to run a multi-instructor or Udemy-like marketplace.
Key features: multi-instructor marketplace tools, revenue sharing, frontend dashboards, YouTube-to-course import, basic quizzes and certificates.

5) Tutor LMS
What it is: A classic, feature-rich LMS with a polished setup wizard and straightforward course builder.
What you get free: Unlimited courses/students, quiz builder, video lesson support (YouTube/Vimeo/embed), student and instructor dashboards, monetization via PayPal or WooCommerce integration, coupon and tax settings, order management.
Using it: Clean setup wizard and dashboard. Core course creation is simple and fast, but many useful features are gated.
Free vs Pro: The free plan covers basics well, but certificates, drip, assignments, gradebook, live classes, bundles, and advanced analytics are Pro features.
When to pick it: Good if you need solid core functionality and plan to monetize via PayPal/WooCommerce; expect to upgrade as your needs grow.
Key features: unlimited courses/students, quizzes, video lessons, WooCommerce integration, order and coupon management.

Conclusion and recommendation
All five plugins have distinct strengths. If you want the most out of a free plan for standalone courses and sales, Masteriyo is the safest starting point. If you need a classic, tried-and-true approach, LearnPress is reliable. For community-driven learning pick FluentCommunity. For a free multi-instructor marketplace, Academy LMS stands out. Tutor LMS gives a clean, familiar toolset but pushes you toward Pro for advanced features.
Start with Masteriyo if you just want maximum capability without spending. If your goals are community or marketplace-first, choose FluentCommunity or Academy LMS respectively.
Question for you
Have you tried any of these? Tell me your use case (single course, community, marketplace) and I can suggest the best fit and setup tips.

A founder’s perspective

Robby describes Beaver Builder as one of the original page builders in the WordPress ecosystem. What began as a way to speed up agency work and hand editable sites to clients has matured into a product used by designers, developers, and non-technical site owners alike. Robby’s personal life has been busy too — a new baby and a house move — yet the company keeps humming along.

Taking AI slowly

Beaver Builder didn’t rush to add superficial ‘AI features’ when everyone was slapping on GPT-based helpers. Robby says they were glad to wait. Early integrations often felt like token features — generate a heading, tweak copy — but recent advances have produced more capable, agentic tools that can write code and meaningfully assist in building experiences.

Because the new generation of models is more useful, Beaver Builder is experimenting seriously with AI: both to accelerate internal development and to offer new workflows inside the product. Robby stresses that their approach is cautious — prototypes first, public announcements only once features are ready — to avoid overpromising.

Two AI workflows

Robby outlines two directions they’re exploring. One is import and convert: take a static page produced by an AI or another tool, drag it into Beaver Builder, and convert it into editable modules inside the builder. The other is an in-context agent: a chat-driven assistant that works inside a page or component (for example, a pricing table) to update copy, change features, or rework design without leaving the editor.

These ideas aim to combine the speed of AI-driven creation with the durability and editability of a visual editor.

Why WordPress still matters

Robby and Nathan agree WordPress offers deep plumbing — drafts, featured images, metadata, extensibility — that AI-first static generators or single-shot builds don’t always replicate. For many use cases, WordPress remains invaluable because it’s designed for long-term maintenance, customisation, and complex needs beyond a five-page brochure site.

There’s also a learning argument: WordPress is a great platform for developers to explore backend and frontend concepts when they need to solve real problems. The danger with fully agent-driven workflows is losing that hands-on exposure to how sites are constructed.

The role of the page builder

Even if AI can create convincing pages from prompts, the need for an intuitive visual editing layer seems likely to persist. Robby imagines page builders pivoting more toward post-creation editing and maintenance: a place to tweak layout, swap images, adjust spacing, and make incremental updates without re-prompting an AI for every small change. In short, AI can accelerate creation, but builders will stay relevant for fine-grained control and client handoff.

Craftsmanship and nostalgia

Both guests acknowledge a bittersweet element to the shift. Robby misses some of the craftsmanship involved in designing and coding by hand, even as he enjoys the productivity gains AI grants. He likens modern iterations to using agentic tools to explore design variations quickly, and then using the visual editor or code to refine and learn.

Personal notes and experiments

Robby shares smaller stories that humanise the conversation. He’s been experimenting with AI to automate tedious tasks related to his ham radio hobby, using chat tools to parse local repeater lists into CSVs for his radio. He’s also embraced dictation and chat workflows while caring for his baby, finding that speaking prompts and letting an agent do longer-running work fits his one-handed life as a new parent.

Concerns about human connection

A recurring theme is the social cost of automation. Agentic tools can mimic human collaboration and provide instant assistance, but Robby worries about replacing real human interactions with faux-human agents, especially for people who work alone. Nathan and Robby both hope for a renewed appetite for in-person community — WordCamps, meetups, and face-to-face conversations — as a counterbalance to increasingly screen-based work.

Business anxiety and optimism

Robby admits the industry has faced repeated existential scares — from early skepticism about visual builders to the arrival of Gutenberg — and sees AI as another inflection point rather than an immediate death knell. He’s optimistic: many WordPress sites and businesses won’t flip overnight, and there will always be niches that need extensible, maintained platforms.

Robby’s approach to AI features is pragmatic: support bring-your-own model keys, avoid locking customers into opaque, token-based systems, expose markup and CSS for developers who want to learn and tweak, and build assistant workflows that enhance rather than replace human control.

Looking ahead

The conversation ends on a hopeful note: the web will keep changing, perhaps in ways we can’t predict, but there’s value in both speed and craft. AI can make creation dramatically faster, but humans will still need tools for editing, maintenance, and meaningful collaboration. For Beaver Builder, that means blending powerful agentic workflows with an open, editable experience that preserves the advantages of WordPress.

If you follow Beaver Builder or are curious about how AI will reshape site building, the episode offers a measured view from someone who’s been in the field since page builders first emerged and is now steering through another major transition.

Plugins tested
– Masteriyo — best all-around free feature set for selling and course tools.
– LearnPress — battle-tested, traditional WordPress experience.
– FluentCommunity — community-first platform with a solid LMS module.
– Academy LMS — most generous free multi-instructor/marketplace features.
– Tutor LMS — solid basics but many advanced features gated.

Quick comparison (high-level)
– Unlimited courses/lessons: All five.
– Payments out of the box: Masteriyo, LearnPress (PayPal), FluentCommunity, Academy LMS, Tutor LMS (PayPal/WooCommerce).
– Quiz builder: Masteriyo, LearnPress, Academy, Tutor. Fluent has basics via lesson blocks.
– Certificates: Masteriyo, Academy (free). LearnPress, Tutor often require paid add-ons for certificates. FluentCommunity lacks built-in certificates in free tier.
– Content drip: Masteriyo and FluentCommunity provide useful free drip tools; others often lock advanced drip behind paid plans.

1) Masteriyo — best all-round free pick
Overview: Masteriyo packs an unusually complete free feature set: unlimited courses/lessons, quizzes, certificates, content drip, and native checkout tools so you can sell courses without adding WooCommerce.
Free strengths: Built-in cart/checkout, order management, coupons, native gateways (Stripe/PayPal and others), quiz builder with timed quizzes, certificate builder (with QR verification), SCORM import, and an AI-assisted authoring option (connects to OpenAI for outlines/drafts).
Limitations / Pro-only: Multi-instructor, revenue sharing, advanced grading, assignments, cohorts, and some advanced drip rules.
Best for: Creators who want to launch and sell serious courses immediately without extra paid add-ons.

2) LearnPress — mature and familiar
Overview: A decade-old, widely used LMS that sticks to classic WP workflows. It’s stable and familiar for longtime WP users.
Free strengths: Unlimited courses/lessons, built-in quiz types (multiple choice, true/false, timed), reusable lesson/question banks, PayPal and offline payments, OpenAI assistance for content, many free add-ons (reviews, wishlists, bbPress/BuddyPress integrations).
Limitations / Pro-only: Stripe and other gateway support, certificates, content drip, assignments, and many commerce features require paid add-ons or a Pro bundle.
Best for: Sites that want a traditional WP admin experience and only need basic monetization (PayPal/offline) at first.

3) FluentCommunity — community + LMS in one
Overview: Not a pure LMS — it’s a community platform with an LMS module. Think site-native community features (feeds, chats, profiles, notifications) plus course delivery.
Free strengths: Unlimited courses/lessons, Gutenberg-based course builder, drip content (simple scheduling), lesson discussions, progress tracking, real-time chats and activity feeds, user profiles, and community spaces.
Limitations / Pro-only: Advanced community management like leaderboards, badges, manager roles, and extra automation are paid.
Best for: Creators who want an engaged, on-site community alongside their courses (Skool-like experience without extra subscriptions).

4) Academy LMS — free multi-instructor marketplace
Overview: Academy LMS is built around the marketplace model: multi-instructor support, revenue sharing, and instructor payouts are available in the free tier.
Free strengths: Multi-instructor system, instructor withdrawal/payout tools, frontend course and instructor dashboards, templates to bootstrap a professional site, lesson bank, quiz builder, certificates, and an “Instant YouTube Course” tool to turn a playlist into a course.
Limitations / Pro-only: Content drip, email automation, course prerequisites, gradebook, SCORM, and assignments are mostly paid features.
Best for: Anyone building a Udemy-style marketplace or multi-instructor platform who needs those marketplace features without immediate cost.

5) Tutor LMS — solid basics, paywall sooner
Overview: Tutor LMS covers the classic LMS needs: course/lesson builder, quizzes, instructor/student dashboards, and monetization paths.
Free strengths: Unlimited courses/students, good quiz builder, video support from YouTube/Vimeo/embeds, PayPal payments and WooCommerce integration, coupon/tax/order management.
Limitations / Pro-only: Certificates, content drip, assignments, gradebook, live classes, bundles, prerequisites, and analytics — many features you might expect are gated.
Best for: Projects that need stable basics and straightforward payment options but can accept upgrading later for advanced features.

How to choose
– If you want the most complete free feature set for selling and course features: start with Masteriyo.
– If you prefer a long-established, classic WP experience and can live with PayPal-only initially: consider LearnPress.
– If community is as important as courses: choose FluentCommunity.
– If you need a free multi-instructor marketplace: Academy LMS is the obvious pick.
– If you need reliable basics and don’t mind paying when courses get complex: Tutor LMS will do the job.

Final thoughts
Free LMS plugins in 2026 are more capable than many people expect. Each plugin has a clear sweet spot: Masteriyo for selling and features, LearnPress for a classic approach, FluentCommunity for community-driven learning, Academy LMS for marketplaces, and Tutor LMS for basic course delivery. Start with the free version that matches your primary need — you can often grow into paid features later as your school matures.

Question for you
Have you tried any of these plugins? What’s your use case (single instructor, community, marketplace)? I can help you pick the best starting point and list any must-have add-ons for your scenario.

Quick snapshot
– All five let you create unlimited courses and lessons.
– They differ most on monetization tools, community features, multi-instructor support, and which advanced features are locked behind paid upgrades.

1. Masteriyo
What it is: A modern, all-purpose LMS plugin that treats “free” seriously. It combines course building, selling, quizzes, certificates, and basic e-commerce into its free tier.
Why use it: If you want the most complete free out-of-the-box experience for launching and selling a single-instructor course, Masteriyo is the strongest choice.
Using it: The interface is clean with a drag-and-drop course builder, block-editor lesson authoring, and frontend student dashboards. Content drip, quiz timers, and grading options are available. You can sell courses using the plugin’s built-in cart and checkout without needing WooCommerce, and it supports Stripe, PayPal, Surecart, Lemon Squeezy, and Mollie.
Free vs Pro: The free plan covers most needs—selling courses, certificates with QR verification, SCORM import, and drip content. Pro adds multi-instructor tools, revenue sharing, assignments, cohorts, prerequisites, and advanced drip rules.
Key features: unlimited courses/lessons, built-in ecommerce (cart+checkout), multiple payment gateways, quiz builder, drip content, certificate builder, SCORM import, AI-assisted course creation (ChatGPT integration), frontend dashboards.
Note: Masteriyo is part of the Themeisle family.

2. LearnPress
What it is: A long-standing, battle-tested LMS plugin built with a classic WordPress feel. Many schools and organizations still use it for reliable, familiar workflows.
Why use it: Choose LearnPress if you want a traditional WordPress LMS experience, solid lesson and question banks, and the comfort of a plugin with a long track record.
Using it: The admin UI resembles familiar WordPress and WooCommerce patterns. You get a course builder, reusable lesson and question banks, built-in quizzes (multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, timed), and an OpenAI integration to speed content creation. Free monetization is limited to PayPal and offline payments; you can also redirect to external checkout systems.
Free vs Pro: Monetization and some advanced features require paid add-ons—Stripe, certificates, drip, and assignments are extra. If you only need PayPal or want a straightforward free LMS, LearnPress is solid.
Key features: unlimited courses/lessons, multimedia lesson support via WordPress editor, quiz and question bank, OpenAI integration, PayPal/offline payments, external checkout redirects, free add-ons for reviews, wishlists, and community integrations.

3. FluentCommunity
What it is: A hybrid community + LMS plugin—think community platform with a capable LMS module built in.
Why use it: If building an engaged community matters as much as course delivery (activity feeds, chats, profiles, discussions), FluentCommunity is unique among these free options.
Using it: Setup includes a helpful wizard. Course authoring uses the Gutenberg editor. The LMS provides drip scheduling, progress tracking, lesson discussions, and course pages that look polished. Community features include real-time chat, activity streams, notifications, and member directories.
Free vs Pro: The free tier includes most LMS and community essentials. Pro unlocks more management and gamification features (manager roles, leaderboards, badges, advanced automations). For many community-driven learning sites, the free tier will be enough.
Key features: combined community + LMS, Gutenberg-based course builder, drip content, lesson discussions, progress tracking, chats and activity feeds, user profiles, enrollment/privacy controls, migration tools from BuddyBoss/BuddyPress.

4. Academy LMS
What it is: A plugin built with multi-instructor marketplaces in mind—ideal if you want to run a Udemy-style platform where multiple teachers sell courses and split revenue.
Why use it: Academy LMS gives the best free support for multi-instructor systems and revenue sharing compared with the other plugins here.
Using it: Nice onboarding wizard and importable page templates make the site look professional quickly. The plugin includes frontend course and instructor dashboards, analytics, Q&A, reviews, certificates, and a quiz builder. Unique features include an “Instant YouTube Course” tool that converts a playlist into a course.
Free vs Pro: The free tier is strong for marketplace features (instructor earnings, withdrawals, frontend dashboards). However, content drip, advanced notifications, gradebooks, SCORM, and assignments need Pro. If a multi-instructor marketplace is your primary goal, Academy’s free tier is the best fit.
Key features: unlimited courses/lessons, multi-instructor and revenue sharing, instructor withdrawal/payments, frontend builder and dashboards, video lesson support (YouTube/Vimeo), engagement tools (ratings, Q&A), basic quiz builder, certificates.

5. Tutor LMS
What it is: A polished, classic LMS with a user-friendly setup wizard and solid basics for course building and monetization.
Why use it: Tutor LMS is good if you want a dependable free LMS and solid payment handling. The onboarding is excellent and core course creation is easy.
Using it: Setup wizard gets you running fast. Course builder, lesson organization, and quizzes are straightforward. The plugin includes student and instructor dashboards and supports PayPal payments and WooCommerce integration.
Free vs Pro: Expect to reach the paywall sooner here—content drip, certificates, assignments, gradebook, live classes, bundles, and prerequisites are Pro-only. If you need only the basics plus selling via PayPal/WooCommerce, Tutor works well.
Key features: unlimited courses/lessons/students in free plan, quiz builder, video lesson support (YouTube/Vimeo/embed), student & instructor dashboards, PayPal and WooCommerce monetization, order management and coupons.

Which one should you start with?
– Best all-around free choice: Masteriyo — most features (selling, certificates, SCORM, drip) without paying.
– Traditional WordPress feel and long track record: LearnPress.
– Want a community-driven learning site: FluentCommunity.
– Building a multi-instructor marketplace: Academy LMS (free multi-instructor tools are rare elsewhere).
– Need a solid basic LMS and don’t mind upgrading later: Tutor LMS.

Final thoughts
Free LMS plugins have matured: you can validate ideas, publish full courses, and accept payments without paying a subscription. Choose Masteriyo if you want the most capability before needing Pro; pick FluentCommunity if community interaction is central; pick Academy if you’re building a marketplace. Try one that matches your immediate needs — you can switch later if your requirements outgrow the free tier.

Have you tried any of these? What worked or didn’t for your courses?

Why translate? Legal and moral reasons aside, Leonardo argues the practical business case: translated sites reach more visitors and expand markets. Historically, translations were expensive and slow — hiring professionals, managing copy, and integrating translated strings into WordPress took time and money. Today, AI can produce high-quality translations for cents (you pay token costs to providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini). That means translating to multiple languages is affordable and can be done in bulk.

Quality and when to use humans
AI translations are excellent for general content; Leonardo estimates they’re accurate the vast majority of the time. However, for technical, industry-specific, or legally sensitive text you still want a human translator to review and correct domain-specific terms and acronyms. A pragmatic approach is to use AI for the bulk of translation and hire professionals only to check and polish tricky spots, reducing time and cost from hours to minutes.

How Gato AI Translations works (and the Polylang approach)
Leonardo’s plugin wraps AI translation services into a workflow for Polylang users. Polylang’s model creates separate posts for each language (rather than keeping one post and translating strings at runtime), which has advantages: translated posts are static entries that can be cached and exported, and runtime string lookup doesn’t incur translation costs on page load.

Typical flow:
– Finalize your source post in the origin language.
– From the posts list you can bulk-select and trigger “translate” actions. The plugin duplicates the post for each selected language and fills in translated content, categories, tags, featured image metadata, etc.
– URLs can use language codes (e.g., /fr/slug) or subdomains (fr.example.com), and Polylang adds hreflang metadata so search engines understand translation relationships.

Managing media and non-text content
Polylang associates translated metadata with the same physical media file rather than duplicating the image file itself. That means captions, titles, and alt text can be language-specific without multiplying storage. Leonardo warns against blindly replicating images with embedded text into every language; instead prefer language-agnostic images or overlay translated text in the page builder so you only translate text, not the image itself.

Practical checks before translating
To avoid wasted token spend and repetitive work, don’t translate until the origin post is final. Common issues that force retranslation include wrong headers, typos, embedded text in images, and third-party embeds (e.g., videos in another language). Leonardo keeps a checklist: finalize headings, captions, alt attributes, and any embedded content before triggering bulk translation.

UI and future WordPress integration
Right now, Leonardo’s plugin provides a simple “translate” action from the posts list that creates translated posts automatically. Looking ahead, WordPress 7.0 brings foundational pieces that will improve AI workflows: an AI Connector for integrations and Phase Three collaborative editing (Google Docs–style comments) inside the editor. Those features could enable AI agents to join editor conversations, flag uncertain translations, or leave inline notes for human reviewers — making review loops smoother.

Different translation strategies
Plugins approach multilingual sites differently: Polylang creates separate posts per language; WPML can translate strings at runtime; others like TranslatePress or Weglot have their own models. Each strategy has trade-offs (performance, cacheability, complexity). Leonardo prefers Polylang for its static entries and caching friendliness, and notes Polylang’s free version is sufficient for many sites (Polylang Pro adds extra features and previously offered DeepL integration). However, Leonardo believes modern AI models outperform older machine-translation services like DeepL for many use cases.

SEO and discoverability
Properly implemented, translations improve discoverability in other languages. Polylang’s hreflang handling tells search engines that pages are translations of one another so users searching in specific languages see the matching pages. Translating into new languages can boost traffic from new regions — but Leonardo also warns of the “arms race” effect: when translations become trivial, everyone will do them, and you may only be keeping up rather than gaining a long-term competitive advantage.

Costs and competition
AI reduces per-article translation costs to cents, so the barrier to translating to many languages is low. That democratization is good but means the strategic edge is diminished as competitors adopt the same tools. Still, for most businesses wanting international reach or compliance, translating is now a practical expectation rather than an expensive experiment.

Tips and takeaways
– Finalize your source content before translating to avoid repeat costs.
– Use AI for the bulk of translation; hire humans to verify high-stakes or technical content.
– Prefer language-agnostic images or overlay translated captions to avoid duplicating image assets.
– Choose the plugin strategy that fits your site: separate posts (Polylang) vs runtime strings (WPML) vs hosted services.
– Watch WordPress’ AI Connector and collaborative features — they’ll enable richer editor-AI collaboration and smoother review flows.

For more details, Leonardo’s talk (Invisible Gotchas of WP Translation) and related links are available in the episode notes on WP Tavern’s podcast page. If you want an efficient, affordable multilingual site today, AI-based translation plugins make it possible — but plan your workflow carefully and keep humans in the loop for the cases that matter most.

Quick summary
– All five let you create unlimited courses and lessons on the free tier. Differences show up in built-in ecommerce, community features, multi-instructor support, and which advanced LMS tools are reserved for paid plans.
– Best overall free package: Masteriyo.
– Best for classic, battle-tested WordPress workflows: LearnPress.
– Best if you want community + courses: FluentCommunity.
– Best free multi-instructor / marketplace tools: Academy LMS.
– Good basic LMS with solid payment options but more paywalls: Tutor LMS.

1) Masteriyo — best all-around free LMS
What it is: A modern, feature-rich LMS that treats the free plan as a usable product rather than a teaser.
Why it stands out: The free tier includes drag-and-drop course building, quizzes, content drip, certificates, and built-in ecommerce (cart, checkout, basic coupons) without requiring WooCommerce. Native payment gateways are supported and there’s even optional AI-assisted course creation.
Free vs Pro: Free is enough to launch and sell single-instructor courses. Pro unlocks multi-instructor, revenue sharing, assignments, gradebooks, cohorts, and advanced drip rules.
Key free features: unlimited courses/lessons, quiz builder, certificates with verification, sequential drip, native payments (Stripe/PayPal/Surecart/Lemon Squeezy/Mollie), frontend student dashboards.
Best for: Creators who want to validate course ideas and sell without adding extra plugins.

2) LearnPress — stable, classic WordPress LMS
What it is: A mature, widely used LMS that feels familiar to experienced WordPress users.
Why it stands out: Long track record, reusable lesson/question banks, and flexible course builder options. It also includes an OpenAI integration to speed content creation.
Free vs Pro: Free covers core course creation and quizzes, but payment options are limited (PayPal and offline). Certificates, Stripe, drip, and many monetization features require paid add-ons or a Pro bundle.
Key free features: unlimited courses/lessons, built-in quizzes, lesson previews, open-access courses, PayPal/offline payments, reusable lesson/question bank.
Best for: Sites that want a proven solution and don’t need advanced monetization immediately.

3) FluentCommunity — courses + community in one
What it is: A community platform that includes a competent LMS module — think a private social network plus course delivery.
Why it stands out: Polished UI and activity features (feeds, chats, notifications, profiles) combined with a Gutenberg-based course builder and drip support.
Free vs Pro: The free tier already covers most LMS and community essentials. Pro adds leaderboards, badges, manager roles, verification, and more automation tools.
Key free features: unlimited courses, drip content, progress tracking, lesson discussions, real-time chat and activity feeds, enrollment/privacy controls.
Best for: Creators who want learners to interact like a community, not just complete lessons.

4) Academy LMS — best free option for marketplaces
What it is: A plugin optimized for building a Udemy-style marketplace with multiple instructors and revenue sharing.
Why it stands out: Multi-instructor system, instructor earnings and withdrawal tools, frontend dashboards, and instant YouTube course import (create a course from a playlist).
Free vs Pro: Free focuses on multi-instructor features; many core LMS extras (drip, email notifications, gradebook, assignments, SCORM) are Pro-only.
Key free features: multi-instructor marketplace, revenue sharing, frontend course builder, student/instructor dashboards, quiz builder, certificates, course templates.
Best for: Anyone building a marketplace or platform with multiple instructors who need payout and earnings workflows.

5) Tutor LMS — solid basics, but more paywalls
What it is: A straightforward, well-designed LMS that covers the essentials and offers good payment handling.
Why it stands out: Clean setup wizard, strong core course/quiz features, and payment via PayPal or WooCommerce. Student and instructor dashboards are included.
Free vs Pro: Many important features are Pro-only: content drip, certificates, assignments, gradebook, live classes, and course bundles. You can launch, but you’ll likely upgrade as needs grow.
Key free features: unlimited courses and students, quiz builder, video lesson support (YouTube/Vimeo/embed), PayPal/WooCommerce monetization, coupon/tax/order management.
Best for: Creators who need basic paid courses and WooCommerce compatibility but don’t require advanced LMS features right away.

Which one should you choose?
– Start with Masteriyo if you want the most functionality for free and the smoothest path to selling without extra plugins.
– Pick LearnPress if you prefer a classic WordPress-style interface and a long-established plugin.
– Choose FluentCommunity when community interaction is as important as course delivery.
– Use Academy LMS if you want a free way to run a multi-instructor marketplace.
– Try Tutor LMS for solid basics and WooCommerce support, but expect to hit paywalls sooner.

Final thoughts
All five plugins will let you publish real courses without paying up front. The differences come down to what you need beyond basic lessons: built-in ecommerce, community, marketplace features, or advanced LMS tools. If you’re undecided, Masteriyo is the safest free starting point because it bundles the most useful tools without forcing an early upgrade.

Have you tried any of these plugins yet? What worked or didn’t work for your courses?

Why translate at all?
Leo separates two obvious cases: legal obligations and opportunity. If you’re compelled by law to provide content in another language, you must do it. If you aren’t required, translating still makes sense: it enlarges your audience and can drive more visitors. With AI making translation cheap and fast, the cost/benefit calculus has shifted—if your potential audience speaks other languages, it’s usually worth translating.

How AI changes the equation
AI models now produce very high quality translations for most general content. That means the heavy lift of paying human translators for full translations is often no longer necessary. Instead, humans are best used to review edge cases: technical jargon, industry‑specific terminology, ambiguous phrases, or legal copy where absolute precision matters. The cost model is now token‑based (fractions of a dollar per translation), so you can translate into many more languages for very little money and only spend on human review where it’s needed.

Gato AI Translations + Polylang: workflow details
Leo’s Gato AI Translations plugin integrates with Polylang. Key points about how this approach works:
– Polylang creates separate posts for each language (one English post produces a French post, a Spanish post, etc.). That static approach helps caching, static exports, and performance compared with translating strings at runtime.
– Gato enables bulk translation from the posts list: select a post, choose “translate,” and the plugin will duplicate and translate content to the target languages you’ve configured.
– Media and taxonomy translations: Polylang keeps language metadata for categories, tags, and media attachments. Media files aren’t duplicated on disk; translations create separate attachment entries with translated titles/captions but reference the same physical file.
– URLs and SEO: Polylang lets you serve languages via language codes (site.com/fr/slug) or subdomains (fr.site.com). It also outputs hreflang relationships so search engines understand which pages are translations of each other.

User interface and future WordPress features
Currently Leo’s plugin handles translation without interactive AI prompts—translation returns a completed string which you insert into the translated post and then edit in WordPress as needed. Looking ahead, WordPress 7.0 introduces two relevant pieces:
– An AI Connector API that opens standardized access to AI services from within WordPress.
– Collaborative editing (phase three of Gutenberg), bringing comments and chat‑like interactions inside the editor.
Together these could let AIs flag uncertain translations, add sticky comments, or participate in editor conversations—so a translation could be automatically created and then annotated with AI suggestions that a human reviewer can accept or correct.

Practical checklist and tips
Leo emphasizes not translating unfinished posts. Every translation run costs tokens (and creates work if you must retranslate). Before translating, validate your source content: fix typos, set correct headings, ensure images have proper alt text, and confirm any embedded media is appropriate for the target audience. He keeps a pre‑translation checklist to avoid wasted effort.

Handling images and non‑text content
Technically AI can extract text from images and regenerate localized versions, but Leo advises caution. Doubling or tripling image assets for each language quickly becomes unmanageable. Prefer language‑agnostic images or use overlay text elements that are translated as normal text. Polylang already stores translated captions and metadata without duplicating the image file itself.

Performance and architecture choices
There are two common strategies among multilingual plugins: create separate posts for each language (Polylang approach) or store one post and translate strings at runtime (some other plugins). Static duplicate posts are often better for caching and scale because they avoid runtime string lookups and expensive translation calls on each request.

The competitive landscape: an arms race
A major observation: because AI makes translation cheap and easy, everyone can do it. Early adopters once gained a big advantage, but as adoption becomes widespread, translating becomes a baseline expectation rather than a unique differentiator. That may still be reason enough to translate—to avoid falling behind competitors.

Final thoughts
AI has dramatically lowered the barriers to multilingual WordPress sites: faster, cheaper translations with quality sufficient for most content. The best pattern now is to automate the bulk translation with AI, use human reviewers for critical or technical content, finalize source posts before translation, and choose a plugin/architecture (like Polylang’s separate posts) that suits your caching and SEO needs. Emerging WordPress features—AI connectors and collaborative editing—promise tighter AI/human workflows inside the editor, making translation and review even smoother.

To hear the full conversation and see Leo’s WordCamp Asia talk, look for the Jukebox episode on wptavern.com/podcast or search WP Tavern in your podcast app.