Independent guides · Updated October 2026
Build a course or school website with WordPress, without the guesswork
Plain-English comparisons of LMS plugins and education themes: what each one costs, who it suits, and when to pick something else.
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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.
Migration
CoursePress Pro alternatives
CoursePress Pro has been retired. Where to move your courses, and a nine-step plan to migrate without losing students.
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.
How we choose
The job, not the feature list
We compare tools on how courses are structured, how students pay and log in, and how much admin work they create.
The real cost over time
Licenses renew and add-ons add up. We point out what a setup costs in year two and three, not just on day one.
When to pick something else
Sometimes the right answer is a free plugin, or not WordPress at all. We say so when it is.
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.