Independent, hands-on guides · Updated October 2026

Choose the right WordPress LMS plugin, from people who actually tested it

We install each plugin, build a real course, buy it as a student and finish it. Then we tell you what the free version really does, what costs extra, and when to pick something else.

Compare LMS plugins
Read the reviews
  • Real screenshots from our own test install
  • Prices checked on the vendor’s site, with the date
  • No sponsored reviews
Tutor LMS 4 learning area: progress bar, lesson list and Mark as Complete button
LifterLMS course builder with one section and two lessons; the lesson panel shows video and audio URLs, the Free Lesson switch and drip options

Screenshots from our Tutor LMS and LifterLMS tests

Latest reviews and guides

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Summary card: three ways to take payments on a WordPress course site (the LMS's own checkout, WooCommerce, or a merchant of record such as Paddle) and US card fees for Stripe, PayPal Checkout and WooPayments

Guide

Stripe and PayPal for course sites

Three ways to get paid, what each LMS supports for free, the real fees, and a setup we tested step by step.

Updated October 2026 · By Anisur Rahman

Summary card: LearnDash has no free version and includes card payments, certificates, assignments and drip from $259 a year; LifterLMS is free with certificates and drip, and charges $149 a year for Stripe and $299 a year for assignments; Tutor LMS is free with PayPal, and certificates, assignments, drip and card payments need Pro from $199 a year

Comparison

LearnDash vs LifterLMS vs Tutor LMS

What each one includes, what it really costs over three years, and which kind of course site it suits.

Updated October 2026 · By Anisur Rahman

LifterLMS Focus Mode lesson layout with a syllabus sidebar, progress bar and lesson navigation

Hands-on review

LifterLMS review

Certificates, drip and free previews at no cost; every online payment gateway is a paid add-on.

Tested October 2026 · By Anisur Rahman

Tutor LMS 4 learning area: progress bar, lesson list and Mark as Complete button

Hands-on review

Tutor LMS review

A modern student area and a checkout with PayPal for free; certificates, drip and Stripe need Pro.

Tested October 2026 · By Anisur Rahman

Start here

Guides for the decisions that are hard to undo.

Comparison

WordPress LMS plugins compared

LearnDash, LifterLMS, Tutor LMS, Sensei LMS, LearnPress and MasterStudy side by side, and which kind of site each one suits.

Themes

Themes for schools, colleges and courses

What to look for in an education theme, and maintained options that work with the major LMS plugins.

Migration

CoursePress Pro alternatives

CoursePress Pro has been retired. Where to move your courses, and a nine-step plan to migrate without losing students.

How we test

Our full method →

1

Install the free version

On a clean, private WordPress site with a default theme and no other plugins.

2

Build, buy and finish a course

A real paid course with lessons and a quiz, bought as a new student and completed, screenshots all the way.

3

Check prices and date them

Every price comes from the vendor’s own site on the day we publish, and the review says what we didn’t test.

Who’s behind ThemeCycle

ThemeCycle is written and edited by Anisur Rahman, who builds and runs WordPress content sites, and published by PPC Optimizer Pro LLC. Vendors don’t pay for our reviews. More about us

Looking for the old ThemeCycle theme shop?

ThemeCycle.com used to host a shop that sold education WordPress themes, with demos on demos.themecycle.com. That shop has closed, and this site is not connected to it: its themes, demos, downloads and updates are not available here. If your site still runs one of those themes, the education themes guide covers maintained replacements.