Learndash is one of the most popular WordPress add-ons today because it’s also a learning management system. Are the pricing plans similar to standalone platforms though? Keep reading below to find out.
Overview of Learndash Pricing
What is Learndash?
Unlike other online course platforms that are standalone apps, Learndash works as a plug-in for your WordPress site. That doesn’t make it any less of a learning management system though.
To install Learndash, simply go to the website and purchase a subscription. You can then download the .zip file and install it on your WordPress site.
Once running, Learndash allows you to create online courses and enrich them with supplemental materials. The course builder lets you create more specific lessons and topics under one course as well.
The Learndash plug-in even has quiz and assignment options that you can customize. You can choose from a variety of assessment types for your students to eventually answer.
Course creators will be glad to know that Learndash allows a drip feed for releasing content. There are options to set conditions on when to send out new course content to the learners.
If you’ve been familiar with how to use WordPress, then the Learndash interface won’t faze you at all. It’s very similar to how Elementor and Gutenberg work.
And once you’re done creating your online course, you can instantly open it up for enrollment. Learndash has essential sales features to help students find out about your course.
You can integrate a third-party application to send out bulk emails to your subscribers and other potential students. An app like MailChimp is popularly used with Learndash.
As for students, Learndash has something called Focus Mode. This is something you can switch on while viewing the courses and lessons. It de-clutters the interface and makes it clean for better viewing.
For users who need guidance, Learndash has a forum that everyone can join. You can post your question there and then other users can respond to help.
Pros
- Drag-and-drop course builder
- Quiz and assessment options
- Drip content tools
- Online course analytics
- Focus mode
- Email triggering
- Third-party integrations
- Monetization options
Cons
- No free trial
- Limited sales features
- Challenging interface
Course Creation and Student Management
Every course creator can set up an unlimited number of courses, lessons, and topics.
Learndash uses a drag-and-drop mechanism for ease of use. You can easily organize and rearrange the layout of your page with it.
There are also a number of quiz types that you can add to your courses. You can choose from these assessment types:
- identification
- matching
- multiple-choice
- free text
- essay
- sorting
- fill-in-the-blanks
- survey
Another interesting quiz feature you can do is add extra photos, audio files, and videos to the sections. They can act as bonus questions or hints for some of the parts.
You can set a maximum number of times that a student can retake the test, as well as have a quiz timer for how long the student can take it.
And once the students are done, you can reward them with certificates and badges of completion.
Each pricing plan also allows you to enroll unlimited users to your courses. In fact, Learndash has a group management feature that lets you group users together for bulk enrollment.
The group management option is helpful, especially if you’re planning to do a drip content schedule. All the same students will be on the same drip feed scheme.
You can even assign a group leader for every group you make. That way, it’s easier to track the progress of every student since the group leader can help out.
Content Protection and Drip Feed
Whichever plan you subscribe to will also give you automatic course content protection. With it, every course you create will only be accessible to enrolled students.
Each course will be locked unless the user secures payment for it. It protects your content from being shared for free.
And as mentioned, Learndash has drip settings for your content. You can set criteria for when certain content will be released to your students.
For example, you can set a schedule that sends out a lesson after a specific number of days from a student’s enrollment. Learndash will not allow the user to view the lesson anytime before the specified date.
Forums and Email Triggering
When you’re registered to Learndash, you can also take part in an open discussion with other users, as well as your instructor. The course creator can post important announcements and updates on the forum.
And there can be one specific forum for each course created on Learndash. That way, you can set specific rules to be followed for a certain course.
Learners can also express any challenges they’re experiencing right on the forum. It enhances communication between them and their instructors.
Apart from forums, creators also set up email triggering for their students. This is similar to how the drip content options work.
The instructor can set a condition for when particular email notifications will be sent out to the students. For example, if a student passes a course, an email can be sent to tell them to move on to the next one.
If a student hasn’t logged into Learndash for a while, email notifications can also be sent to remind them to come back on. Instructors can also send an email when a student fails a quiz or assessment. They can be reminded to do a retake.
And if you aren’t satisfied with the built-in email options on Learndash, you can opt to integrate third-party add-ons as well. Something like MailChimp can help you send out more customized bulk emails to students.
Other add-ons that you can integrate are:
- Easy Digital Downloads
- WooCommerce
- 2Checkout
- Paid Memberships Pro
- Zapier
- ConvertKit
Customer Support and Analytics
Learndash grants all subscribers one full year of unlimited customer support. If there are any app updates or enhancements, your plug-in will automatically be refreshed.
You’ll also receive regular tips, guides, and resources that can help you with your course creation process. And if you encounter an issue with Learndash, you can easily contact the Help Desk for support.
An add-on called ProPanel is also available for users of Learndash. It’s a feature that lets you access analytics and progress reports for your courses.
Each instructor can view their revenue, conversion rates, and students’ activity. However, this feature is only available for Plus and Pro subscribers.
And as an added bonus, all subscribers of all plans get a free demo site template. This will help speed up the setup process for your courses.
Many users love the Astra theme that comes with the template. It’s one of the most popular layouts on WordPress because it makes their website look clean and professional.
Learndash Pricing
Learndash has 3 paid plans that you can choose from, depending on your budget and needs. Common to all of them are great features for course creation, quizzing, and app integration.
Learndash Basic Plan – $159 per year
This is Learndash’s most affordable pricing plan. It costs $159 per year.
With it, you get all the Learndash features that we’ve discussed above, except for the ProPanel feature. It will still have all the essential tools to create online courses and manage students.
What’s unique about the Learndash Basic plan is that you get 1 site license when you’re subscribed to it.
And since it’s the pricing plan with the lowest price, it’s recommended for those who are still starting out with creating online courses. It will help you get started even with a limited budget.
Learndash Plus Plan – $189 per year
As Learndash’s mid-tier pricing plan, the Plus plan gives you more add-ons compared to the Basic plan. It costs $189 per year.
With it, you can have 10 site licenses instead of just 1 site license.
And as already discussed, you can access the ProPanel feature with this pricing plan. You’ll get to view student activity and progress in real-time.
Assessment results, pending requirements, and other statistics will also be compiled through ProPanel. It’s a good feature for those who want to accommodate more learners.
Instructors can also send out specific emails to specific groups of students with the ProPanel add-on.
Learndash Pro Plan – $329 per year
Learndash’s most expensive pricing plan is the Pro plan. It costs $329 per year.
You can have a maximum of 25 site licenses when you’re subscribed to this package. Just like the Plus plan, you can also access the ProPanel feature for analytics.
We recommend you avail of this pricing plan if you’re part of agencies or bigger educational institutions.
FAQs on Learndash Pricing
For answers to the most frequently asked questions about Learndash, see our answers below.
Does Learndash have a free trial?
No, Learndash does not have a free trial.
Instead, Learndash offers a 30-day money-back guarantee to all subscribers. This means that if you aren’t satisfied with Learndash’s service, you can ask for a full refund from the support team.
As long as you request your refund within 30 days of payment, you’ll receive your money back.
Does Learndash offer a monthly subscription?
No, Learndash does not offer a monthly subscription. Each paid plan is billed annually instead of monthly. This is what sets Learndash apart from its competitors.
What payment methods are accepted for Learndash?
Learndash accepts a number of payment methods for your subscriptions. You can pay with whatever card you’re using. LearnDash accepts MasterCard, American Express, Visa, and Discover Card.
And one good thing about paying on Learndash is that you can see your transactions on the site. Just log in to Learndash’s website.
Can you upgrade your current Learndash subscription?
Yes, you can upgrade your current Learndash subscription and you can do so anytime. Your new subscription renewal date will be changed to when you last updated the upgrade.
Similarly, you can also choose to downgrade from your current Learndash pricing plan. The same process will occur for your new subscription renewal date.
Final Verdict – Is It Worth a Subscription?
Learndash has proved to be more than just another WordPress plug-in. It’s a competent application for creating and enriching online courses.
It has all the basic features you’d need to set up fully-working courses. You can even customize your quizzes and assessments.
All you have to do is purchase the plug-in from the Learndash site and then download the file. After you install it, you can finally integrate it into your WordPress site.
And aside from letting you create courses, Learndash also offers other interesting features. You can integrate third-party software for a better user experience.
There are also course and student management features that you can use. You can access analytics and progress reports through the plug-in.
Online forums and discussions are also allowed on Learndash. You can ask for support and guidance from your instructors by posting on Learndash’s forum space.
If you encounter any issues while using Learndash, you reach out to the customer support team. Just go to Learndash’s website and look for the Help Desk. The support team will get to you as soon as it can.
The only downside that Learndash has would be the fact that it doesn’t offer a free plan nor a free trial. You’ll have to pay upfront for a subscription.
But it makes up for that with its 30-day money-back guarantee anyway.
Pros
- Has a 30-day money-back guarantee
- 3 different price plans
- Competent customer support for all plans
Cons
- No free trial or free plan