LearnWorlds vs LearnDash: hosted school or WordPress plugin

LearnWorlds vs LearnDash: the short answer

LearnWorlds is a hosted school; LearnDash is a plugin, software added to a WordPress site you host yourself. LearnDash Essentials is $259 a year, one annual license, with hosting bought separately. LearnWorlds Starter is $24 a month, billed annually, plus $5 per paid enrollment, as read on October 4, 2026.

The two prices sit on different bases: a monthly rate billed annually against a yearly license. LearnDash sells annual licenses only, while LearnWorlds Starter is $29 a month, billed monthly, for a buyer who wants no annual plan.

Price, hosting, learner limits and fees side by side

What each one does that the other does not

LearnWorlds hosts the school, so no separate hosting service is needed, and daily backups and unlimited video hosting are on every plan. A custom domain and Stripe or PayPal checkout are on every plan too, and the site builder makes the sales and course pages, as the LearnWorlds website builder guide covers.

LearnDash sets no learner cap and charges no per-student fee: one license covers unlimited courses and unlimited learners. Its Essentials plan lists a quiz builder, memberships, subscriptions, bundles, Stripe and PayPal payment integrations and a certificate builder. Its page pairs the plugin with managed hosting for WordPress but names no hosting price.

Both sell through Stripe and PayPal, and payment processing is separate from either price. Both also say the owner keeps the data. LearnWorlds says you own all the content and learner data of your school and can export learners' contacts and sales at any time, and LearnDash says you keep control of your revenue, customer data and brand.

On a hosted school, uptime and support sit with LearnWorlds. It guarantees 99.90% uptime on Starter, Pro Trainer and Learning Center, with email support 24/5 on Starter and 24/7 from Pro Trainer.

Active learners are learners who access the school during the month. The cap becomes a reason to choose LearnDash when a school passes 2,000 of them a month, the limit on Pro Trainer and Learning Center.

Who should pick LearnWorlds and who should pick LearnDash

Pick LearnDash Essentials, $259 a year, if you already run WordPress, want unlimited learners on a fixed yearly license and will manage the hosting. The guide on where can I host my online course sets that route beside the hosted ones. LearnWorlds caps active learners at 1,000 a month on Starter and 2,000 on Pro Trainer and Learning Center, where a LearnDash license sets no limit.

Pick LearnWorlds if you want the school hosted for you and no separate hosting bill, from $24 a month, billed annually. LearnWorlds pricing has every plan, and LearnWorlds vs Moodle compares it with Moodle.

LearnWorlds can be tried for 30 days with no credit card before any hosting decision is made.