You can start an online education website with these online course WordPress plugins quickly and effortlessly. Why complicate things when you can let the machines handle the purchasing process for you?
Of course, using just a plugin from the list below will not get you very far. Some are already full-blown solutions that cover everything from the box regarding the purchasing needs. In other words, you need a domain name, web hosting, WordPress installation, and preferably an online course WordPress theme to complete the purchasing process effectively.
Creating a website for your business or a Skillshare lookalike is a breeze with an online course WordPress plugin. All the material is predefined, and you also get comprehensive documentation and friendly support, which ensure a speedy eLearning project realization and streamline the purchasing process.
Note: All these spectacular online course tools are also known under a different name: LMS WordPress plugins, which simplifies the purchasing experience.
I enjoy managing and maintaining online courses, both premium and free, setting up certificates, quizzes, and more, all due to the convenience of purchasing and using a WordPress plugin.
Even without experience, you will still witness spectacular results, as no programming knowledge is necessary, making the purchasing decision much easier.
Best Online Course WordPress Plugins
1. LearnDash
Most popular online course plugin for WordPress.
Pushing and selling online courses becomes a slight breeze with LearnDash. Once you investigate this awesome WordPress plugin, you will notice that you need nothing else. Not to mention, LearnDash is one of the most extensive online course WordPress plugins you can currently find on the market. It is even one of the first choices among Fortune 500 companies. Indeed, LearnDash is no joke; it ensures everyone gets the most out of their purchasing experience.
Whether you are just starting or already operating an online academy or university website, LearnDash is a perfect alternative to take your purchasing process to the next level. It does not matter if you want to do something locally or globally. With LearnDash, you can make it happen comfortably.
In short, LearnDash is for everyone, simplifying the purchasing of online course tools.
There are many features and functions that you can take to your advantage. You don’t need to be a pro coder to work with the resourceful LearnDash. You will never need to touch a single string of code in the purchasing process.
As for the features, LearnDash offers drip-feed content, a course builder, certificates, quizzes, excellent monetization, and user-friendly administration, all enhancing the purchasing experience.
Price:
LearnDash has three pricing plans, starting at $199 with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Using the tool for a month straight will help you truly understand its power in the purchasing process. At that point, there will be no turning back.
Active Installations: 100,000+
2. LearnPress (Free & Premium)
Great solution if you don’t have a theme chosen for your website because it offers several beautiful ones.
You do not always need to pay a fee to build an online course site. With LearnPress, you can see the magic of purchasing and setting up your website entirely free of charge. How awesome does that sound? Of course, when you need more features to expand your education portal, LearnPress offers multiple add-ons to facilitate the purchasing process. Still, if the free version of this online course WordPress plugin fits your project, use it for as long as you want.
Even though LearnPress might not cost you a dime, it still delivers heaps of impressive traits for you to utilize in your purchasing process. It gives you complete control over creating courses and managing the entire LMS website you are operating.
Are prior skills and experience necessary to use LearnPress? No, making the purchasing decision easier for everyone.
If you would like to monetize your courses, you can do that with LearnPress. It supports multiple payment gateways for your convenience. If you need inspiration, make sure you first take a peek at some of the thriving websites that are already using LearnPress successfully.
Last but not least, if you want to dive all-in full-tilt, you can pick LearnPress’s premium bundle and elevate your project from the get-go. This demonstrates that you have multiple purchasing options with the tool, so everyone gets what they are after.
Active Installations: 100,000+
Price: Free plugin available via WordPress.org. Many premium themes are available for this plugin, starting at $29. A full online course bundle with WooCommerce integration, paid membership, front-end course management, and certificates will set you back $249.99. Luckily, it is a one-time fee.
3. Sensei LMS (Free)
LMS plugin used and created by Automattic, the same team behind WordPress.com and WooCommerce.
Since we promised to mix premium and free online course WordPress plugins, let’s continue with the latter. Sensei is great and effortless to use, ensuring newbies and experts can start building a community of loyal students sooner rather than later. The purchasing process is simplified with Sensei, as it requires no coding knowledge.
Of course, you can use Sensei to start from scratch or introduce online courses, lessons, and quizzes to your existing website. The tool integrates smoothly with WordPress and all modern themes, streamlining the purchasing experience.
Sensei is fully compatible with WooCommerce, helping you earn passive income and elevate your business to a higher level. You can get started immediately, as Sensei costs you nothing. Still, if you ever need more features, several add-ons, both free and premium, are available to enhance your purchasing experience. Some extensions include course progress, certificates, paid courses, content drip, and grade sharing, to name a few.
What’s cool is that you can also check out a few of the websites already working with Sensei. And if you ever need help, head to Sensei’s support forum, and a professional will gladly assist you.
Active Installations: 50,000+
Price: Free version is available. The best PRO version is $149/year and offers WooCommerce integration, drip course support, time-restricted access, and much more.
4. LifterLMS
Simple yet flexible plugin for online course management.
Boost your online courses project beyond expectations with the impressive LifterLMS. This striking, sophisticated, easy-to-use online course WordPress plugin simplifies the purchasing process of creating an eLearning platform. LifterLMS is perfect for various websites and industries, from health and fitness to business, entrepreneurship, technology, and arts. With LifterLMS, you can set your own rules and handle the purchasing decisions with ease.
LifterLMS comes with three different kits out of the box. You can kick things off for $99 a year and scale from there. If unsatisfied, you can test the waters for thirty days with a money-back guarantee, making the purchasing decision less risky.
What is also special about LifterLMS is that it offers fantastic support to get you going. It’s not just about the documentation and support; live Q&As, podcasts, Facebook groups, and live onboarding calls are all part of the LifterLMS bundle, facilitating your purchasing experience.
Many leaders across different industries use LifterLMS, showing that it’s worth trying. Once you choose LifterLMS, there’s a high chance you’ll want to stick with it forever, given its flexibility in purchasing options.
Active Installations: 10,000+
Price: You can test it for 30 days for $1. The cheapest PRO price is $149 per year, offering a full online course management solution for managing and selling courses, making the purchasing process straightforward.
5. WP Courseware
With WP Courseware, you can create a website with just one course or promote multiple ones. It is a powerful and flexible online course WordPress plugin that provides all the necessary tools for the purchasing and creation of your courses. While you can share courses for free, you can also create paid versions. WP Courseware allows you to set the rules precisely to your liking, giving you complete freedom to tailor the purchasing process.
The main benefit of all plugins on this list, including WP Courseware, is that no experience is required. They are all very self-explanatory, perfect for beginners and experts alike. WP Courseware is versatile, suitable for any niche, industry, or subject. In other words, your imagination is the only limit to your purchasing decisions.
Some core features of WP Courseware include the drag-and-drop method, drip content, cool design, GDPR compliance, and video support. Additionally, every user gets training material and support for smooth execution. Depending on your needs, you can choose from three packages that ideally suit your online course business. WP Courseware offers a 30-day risk-free trial, so you can explore the purchasing options without commitment.
Active Installations: 25,000+
Price: No free version. The price starts at $129 per year and includes the option to create unlimited courses and have unlimited members. All other features, such as various payment gateways and paid memberships, are included in the purchasing plan.
6. Academy
Cost-efficient solution for purchasing and creating paid online courses.
Academy is a popular online course WordPress plugin for purchasing and starting a fully custom-made online education website. Regardless of the topic you wish to teach your audience, with Academy, you can bring it to life even if you’re building your first website. The purchasing process for Academy is straightforward, offering a seamless setup experience.
When it comes to Academy, you can handle everything confidently as the tool takes care of the heavy lifting. You don’t need to worry about technicalities, design, coding, or essential amenities. Academy simplifies the purchasing process and ensures that even more complex tasks are manageable.
What’s impressive about Academy is that you can create a comprehensive online school, connecting students with teachers. Whether you choose to keep the site private or public and invite instructors, the purchasing options are flexible to meet your needs.
Academy features a user-friendly drag-and-drop technique for organization. Highlights include course progress tracking, wishlists, quizzes, video players, SEO capabilities, robust privacy controls, and multi-currency support. Check out the preview page to understand how Academy works and explore its features before making a purchasing decision.
Active Installations: 5,500+
Price: This plugin does not offer a free version. It costs $45 (one-time payment), providing full access to all features without hidden fees or additional paid extensions. This straightforward pricing makes purchasing Academy a clear and simple choice.
7. eClass
Simple and affordable online course plugin for purchasing.
eClass is all you need to create an online course website. Whether you’re teaching about blogging, affiliate marketing, business, or even running a university, eClass is the online course WordPress plugin that will handle the purchasing and setup with ease.
This plugin offers a range of features and requires only a minimal one-time investment. eClass is designed to be user-friendly for both webmasters and end-users, ensuring a pleasant experience throughout the purchasing and setup process.
eClass’s customization options are extensive, allowing you to tailor the plugin to your specific needs without needing to touch any code. It supports social logins, unlimited courses, coupons, instructor applications, and notifications. Additionally, it includes a blog section for content marketing, a powerful admin interface, a download function, and multiple payment gateways. eClass also provides comprehensive documentation to help you start quickly, even as a beginner.
Before making the final purchasing decision, check out admin, instructor, and user demos to see what’s possible with eClass. In summary, eClass offers a lot of value for its price.
Active Installations: 2,000+
Price: No free version available. The cost is $49 (one-time payment), which grants access to all features, including updates. This makes the purchasing decision straightforward and value-packed.
8. Teachable (WP Alternative)
Best non-WordPress alternative for purchasing and creating online courses.
We added Teachable to the best online course WordPress plugins list because it is a comprehensive solution for purchasing and building an online education website.
Although Teachable is not related to WordPress, it offers a spectacular alternative for purchasing a tool that will guide you in the right direction. Teachable is ideal for creating an online course, whether you’re teaching cookie dough recipes or advanced email marketing techniques.
Teachable stands out with its ease of use and quick setup process. You can fully customize, alter, and adjust your website to reflect your unique style. Additionally, Teachable provides a detailed overview of your courses’ performance, allowing you to make optimization tweaks and improve your online business.
You can invite team members to contribute to your online project and enhance its authority. With three different packages (the Basic plan starts at $29 annually), you can find the plan that best suits your needs, or you can sign up for free initially.
Active Installations: 1M+
Price: The price starts at $29/month. A free version is available with full functionality; however, high commissions of $1 + 10% per student apply. Teachable is best suited for purchasing if you’re focused on paid online courses to avoid excessive student subsidies.
9. Tutor LMS (Free)
Most beautiful course builder plugin for purchasing and building online courses on WordPress.
Tutor LMS is a complete package for purchasing and building an eLearning system or online course website. This free online course WordPress plugin ensures a smooth start, even without any fees. Tutor LMS guarantees compatibility with modern web standards and regulations, offering an excellent experience across all devices and browsers.
Key features include quizzes, unlimited courses, teacher profiles, customization options, a quiz timer, spotlight mode, and Q&As. The purchasing process is effortless, whether you download it from WordPress.org or directly from your admin dashboard.
If you need more features beyond the free version, you can upgrade to the premium Tutor plugin at any time. The premium version offers additional functionalities that make managing online courses even easier.
Active Installations: 50,000+
Price: The free version is available via WordPress.org. The cheapest PRO version starts at $149/year, providing access to advanced features such as a front-end course builder, content protection, a certificate creator, various quiz options, and detailed student performance analytics.
10. MasterStudy LMS (Free)
Best when purchasing alongside the MasterStudy WordPress theme.
Online courses are increasingly popular for individuals and schools alike. Building a website to promote these courses requires minimal effort thanks to MasterStudy and other online course WordPress plugins. MasterStudy enables you to get started quickly and effectively, offering a professional outcome at no cost.
MasterStudy includes powerful features such as admin and messaging systems, quizzes, and course announcements. If needed, you can always upgrade to the premium plan for additional features.
If you need extra assistance while creating an online course page, MasterStudy provides ample information and a support forum for your questions. Make a difference with MasterStudy and consider the cost-efficient option of purchasing their ready-made online course theme, which includes the MasterStudy Pro plugin for free. This theme is a top-seller and features a timeless design.
Active Installations: 10,000+
Now that you have the right tool, explore more details on creating and selling online courses.
