How much does it really cost to build courses on LearnDash?

Do you want to use LearnDash to build online courses? Are you unsure of the actual cost of using it? If you’re trying really hard to dig up the real price and just can’t anymore then this post is for you. 😉

Well for starters, LearnDash can help you create and launch courses online at an affordable price. But, the real cost of building courses with LearnDash can be higher than what you had expected. So it’s good to be aware of other LearnDash alternatives as well.

Note: If you’re interested in other WordPress LMS plugins, take a look at LifterLMS or Memberpress

But, LearnDash is the most popular and trusted WordPress LMS plugin. In fact, it powers more than 100k websites on the internet according to LearnDash usage statistics.  (Yes, that many!!!)

That’s why in this article we are going to explain exactly how much it costs to build courses using LearnDash.

Overview of LearnDash Pricing and Features

LearnDash comes with three annual pricing plans starting from $159 and going upto $329. All plans are easy on the pocket and flexible for all kinds of users.

The pricing plans are listed below:

• LearnDash Basic plan – $159 per year
• LearnDash Plus plan – $189 per year
• LearnDash Pro plan – $329 per year

Currently, the plans don’t include a free trial, but they have a 30 day money-back guarantee. You can choose from the 3 different plans and pay online using Credit Card or PayPal. Licenses for each plan get renewed automatically.

The LearnDash basic, plus and pro packages comes with features that allows the users to:

• Build and manage courses
• Offer an engaging learning experience
• Easily sell and market the courses
• Integrate with the most popular apps
• Use any theme and media

All of the above plans offer features and functionalities to easily build impressive courses and create an engaging eLearning space for the learners. You can go with any of the plans and set up LearnDash to start building your courses.

Recommended: How to set up an LMS with LearnDash?

Comparison of LearnDash Pricing Plans

Features	LearnDash Basic	LearnDash Plus	LearnDash Pro
Price	$159 per year	$189 per year	$329 per year
Free Trial	No	No	No
Site Licenses	1	10	25
Money Back Guarantee	15 days	15 days	15 days
Includes ProPanel	No	Yes	Yes
Unlimited Courses	Yes	Yes	Yes
Unlimited Users	Yes	Yes	Yes
Course Content Protection	Yes	Yes	Yes
Drip-Feed Lessons	Yes	Yes	Yes
Advanced Quizzing	Yes	Yes	Yes
Certificates & Badges	Yes	Yes	Yes
Course Forums	Yes	Yes	Yes
Email Notifications	Yes	Yes	Yes
Free Integrations	Yes	Yes	Yes
1-Year Support & Updates	Yes	Yes	Yes
Demo Site Template	2	5	20
Purchase Link	Buy LD Basic	Buy LD Plus	Buy LD Pro

Note: The only difference is in the number of site licenses and whether or not you get Propanel

As you can see each plan is budget friendly and offers all the key features that you need to create basic LearnDash courses. But to build competent courses that your learners can benefit off of, you may need more than just LearnDash.

Whether you are a single site owner, a small business owner with more than one e-learning website, or a large organization that wants to build an eLearning empire, you should know exactly what you need to create complete courses on LearnDash and the real cost involved.

So, let’s take a look at the requisites to build perfect courses online and the actual price that comes with it.

What do you need to build courses on LearnDash

Themes for design and flow

No. 1 on your priority list should be choosing the right theme for your WordPress LMS. A theme doesn’t only improve the look and feel of your courses but also give you more control over design and presentation of your entire course website.

There are several options to choose from. If you want a super fast, lightweight and multipurpose theme then you can go with Astra starting at $49. If you feel like using a student friendly theme for your courses, you can use BuddyBoss which starts at $228.

And, if you want a stylish, fast, and dynamic eLearning experience with ready to import demos, and sample courses then eLumine is a good option which starts at $100.

Recommended: Choose the best eLearning theme for your LearnDash LMS!

Video integration for live courses 

Let’s face it! Online courses without live videos are just boring. I mean if you really want the learning experience to be engaging then you need to incorporate video lectures.

You can easily do that by using Zapier that allows you to connect with a video conferencing tool (like GoToWebinar). You can also use another third party add-on like Zoom WordPress Plugin that integrates with ZOOM starting at $89 per year. 

If you want to use videos as lessons you might need to invest in tools like Wistia and Vimeo to make your courses interactive.

Recommended:  Check out our Rookie guide to Hosting Videos and Webinars on LearnDash

Game play to create engaging courses

Gamification promotes the learner’s interest and motivates them to study with greater motivation. When you reward your students with awards and certificates they feel encouraged to complete the courses and take on new ones.

You can award them with custom badges and points for various activities with GamiPress or the BadgeOS Integration plugin provided by LearnDash and give your learners a sense of accomplishment. 

Multiple instructors for blended courses

If you’re a teacher or an LMS owner who wants to include multiple authors, and instructors on your site then you can do that easily by allowing multiple course authors to build and manage courses.

For multiple instructors and courses, you might need the Instructor Role for LearnDash. It will allow you to add multiple course instructors who can create and manage their courses without sharing your admin privileges.

Content cloning to quickly build courses

It’s one thing to create multiple courses on LearnDash but when you have a time crunch you need a smarter way to build courses so that you can focus on other important aspects of your LMS. One way is to duplicate the course structure and create clones.

Integrating LearnDash with a  Content Cloner will allow you to copy the entire course hierarchy i.e (course, lesson, topics) without any hassle. 

Want the LearnDash Essentials Kit to build courses? Explore our products!

What is the Real Cost of using LearnDash?

Here’s what the cost might look like if you have a basic LearnDash plan, an LMS theme, Zoom integration, gamification, multiple authors, and a content cloning extension.

	Pricing  (Annual)	Pricing  (Lifetime)	Plan  (Annual/Lifetime)	Total Cost (Annual)
LearnDash Basic Plan	$159	Not available	Annual	$159
Theme – eLumine	$100	$300	Annual	$100
Video Integration – ZOOM	$89	Not available	Annual	$89
Gamification – BadgeOS	$0	$0	Annual	$0
Multiple Course Authors – Instructor Role	$80	$200	Annual	$80
Cloning Extension – Content Cloner	$0	$0	Annual	$0
				$428

Note: The above table still doesn’t include LearnDash hosting. You can go with BlueHost or WPEngine. The cost will change depending on your choice of host.  Don’t forget to read about the popular LearnDash hosting providers before you choose one.

Does all this feel too overwhelming? Let us help you build courses On LearnDash!

Final Word

Look, at the end of the day it’s your LMS and even though we have done the research for you, you are the one who’s going to take the final call.

If you have decided to go with WordPress, then let us remind you that WordPress + LearnDash is the best combination. Together they offer some very powerful features for building comprehensive online courses and having a successful online learning venture.

Read More:  Why LearnDash + WordPress is the best for an online school.

                       How to create a course marketplace using Learndash + WordPress

So, we hope that this article reveals all the hidden costs and brings you one step closer to your decision. And if you decide to go with LearnDash and feel like the initial setup is just too much, you can always reach out to us.

• LearnDash