The e-learning industry has shown exponential growth in the past two years.
While learning management systems (LMS) have been in the game for a long time, the providers have only started to catch up, LearnDash being one of them.
LearnDash’s offerings are not the most comprehensive out there. Fortunately, it is not the only option available.
If you’ve got requirements that don’t fit the mold of LearnDash plans, then you’re in the right place.
In this guide, we’ve rounded up the best 5 LearnDash alternatives that businesses, institutions, or individuals, must try.
But first, let’s check out the unique features of LearnDash.
What Is LearnDash?
LearnDash is a premium WordPress Learning Management System plugin. It works with most WordPress themes, and using it is a breeze because its course creation interface is similar to that of WordPress’s editor.
The interface has a simple drag-and-drop functionality that is great for beginners.
LearnDash supports content formats such as images, video, audio, and PDF. It supports SCORM (SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004) and xAPI (Tin Can API) as well, but only when used with a third-party add-on. Additionally, if you’re looking to use xAPI, then you must specify a Learning Record Store (LRS).
LearnDash does not offer a free trial, but you can fall back on a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Its ProPanel add-on can provide you with all the important statistics on student activity, course progress, quiz results, and more.
The add-on is included in both the Plus and Pro plans.
LearnDash does not support live training or webinar features. But you can still use it along with a live webinar or conferencing platform that integrates with the WordPress site.
Pricing
- Basic plan at $199
- Plus plan at $229
- Pro plan at $369
Customer Support and Resources
Customer support is available to users through start-up guides, documentation, community forums, and a help desk.
LearnDash resources can be accessed through webinars, videos, demos, blogs, and community.
Who Is LearnDash Best For?
LearnDash is best suited for educational institutions, entrepreneurs, training organizations, designers, and developers.
Now that we know what LearnDash has to offer, let’s take a look at some of the LearnDash alternatives.
5 LearnDash Alternatives for Better Learning Systems Management in 2023
1. Podia
Podia is an all-in-one digital website builder that allows businesses to produce and host digital content in one platform, without the need for any third-party apps.
With Podia, you can sell online courses, digital downloads, live coaching sessions, webinars, and host member communities all in one place.
Marketing your course is made easy through advanced marketing features, embed features, affiliate marketing, email marketing, integrations, messaging, and more.
Features
Podia’s best feature is its unlimited offer on products, customers, sales, messages, and files hosted. You also get free migrations to easily transfer all your content and customers from other platforms.
You can use the Podia subdomain included in the subscription or your own custom domain.
If you plan to host webinars, then Podia offers you the option to use its YouTube Live Integration with the Mover package. Those who opt for the Shaker and Earthquaker packages have the option to integrate with Zoom.
You can also add teammates to your Mover and Shaker plan for a fee of $20/month.
The Earthquaker plan comes with five members included. Some additional features only included in premium packages include Zapier triggers, Zapier actions, and the option to remove Podia branding.
One drawback of the platform is that it only allows you to set up payments with Stripe or PayPal.
Podia has a 14-day free trial offering that gives you access to all the features of the midrange Shaker plan. Podia also offers a 30% recurring commission to partners through its referral program.
Pricing
The best feature is Podia’s video tour of the offered pricing packages that will help you find the right plan for your needs and budget.
Podia offers three pricing packages that you can change or cancel anytime.
The monthly and yearly plans are as follows:
- Mover plan at $39/month or $390/year
- Shaker plan at $89/month or $890/year
- Earthquaker plan at $199/month or $1990/year
Customer Support and Resources
Customer support is available via live chat all days of the week, along with weekly demos, live Q&As, weekly Q&As, and the help center.
Resources include blogs, an online wiki, guides, demo videos, and more tools to teach users how to sell and manage their online learning solutions.
- Build your website
- Sell your course
- Grow your community and brand
“Sales page, emails and course all in one place, amazing!”
Who Is Podia Best For?
Podia is best for beginners who have little to no technical skills and want to host their interactive courses quickly. See the Podia review for more.
2. Kajabi
Kajabi is the go-to online course platform when you want to sell, market, and manage your e-learning products without additional plugins and integrations.
Features
With Kajabi, you can sell courses, newsletters, coaching programs, membership sites, podcasts, communities, and more.
Kajabi gives users the flexibility to use a custom domain or a free one on its platform.
You get a fully-integrated website where you can conduct all your business-related transactions in one place.
Kajabi provides great insight into consumer habits with a robust analytics tool. You can view reports and user forecasting, track customer progress, and check engagement behavior all in one place.
This is a priceless tool when you’re looking to grow your business and expand your course offerings.
Some packages include advanced features such as automation, the ability to remove Kajabi branding, a code editor, and more.
Kajabi is an all one solution to getting started!
Get you new Idea or Course online today.
Pricing
Kajabi offers three pricing plans to choose from. If you aren’t sure which one will suit your needs, you can start with a 14-day free trial of whichever package you want.
- Basic plan at $119/month
- Growth plan at $159/month
- Pro plan at $319/month
Kajabi has a 30-day money-back guarantee and the option to upgrade or change your plan at any time.
While the platform doesn’t charge users for transactions, it only integrates payment via PayPal and Stripe.
Customer Support and Resources
Kajabi University is the platform’s answer to creators looking for more information on growing their businesses.
Users can also access 24/7 support, video demos, live chat, webinars, and a supportive community of creators. Users can also access support solutions through the help center.
Who Is Kajabi Best For?
With its long list of offerings, Kajabi is best suited for beginner entrepreneurs trying to build their online businesses from scratch.
Thinkific
Thinkific is a great option for businesses and creators looking to scale. It has a user-friendly interface to design your website and a drag-and-drop course builder which is perfect if you plan to create courses.
Features
Similar to Podia, Thinkific offers users the option to add and create unlimited courses, content, and students.
Users have the freedom to create content, including live lessons, assignments, course templates, quizzes, drip schedules, and more. They can then sell what they created as a bundle, via membership, digital download, or a single course.
Thinkific’s open API and automation are easy to integrate with multiple tools. This way, you can automate emails, create promotional bundles, convert your leads, customize coupons, and do a lot more.
Thinkific also provides SSL certificates and 24/7 monitoring for a reliable cloud hosting experience.
A common drawback with these learning management systems, including Thinkific, is that they only support Stripe and PayPal payments.
Pricing
- Free plan (Limited courses, unlimited students)
- Basic plan at $39/month
- Pro plan at $79/month
- Premier plan at $399/month
When you opt for yearly plans, you get a 20% discount.
Additionally, Thinkific provides a growth add-on package with a bucket of high-powered features and integrations.
Customer Support and Resources
Round-the-clock customer support (online and by phone), help center service and an active community platform make accessing help a breeze. Users can also access a creator support program through Thinkific Academy, specially made for first-time entrepreneurs.
Who Is Thinkific Best For?
If you’re just starting with your online business, Thinkific can be the best choice for you. The option to add unlimited courses, students, and content will surely benefit your e-learning business.
Teachable
Teachable is an online course builder that will help you create online courses and set them up even if you don’t have any technical experience.
Features
The best feature of Teachable is that it provides unlimited products, students, videos, and hosting on all its plans.
With Teachable, users can create engaging content, market it well, and manage the entire process efficiently. You can customize your course pricing, get analytical data from your users, and do your accounting and tax filing on one platform.
One drawback of Teachable is the transaction fees that Free and Basic plan users must pay. Another drawback is that it only supports PayPal and Stripe gateways.
Pricing
Teachable has four pricing plans that are billed annually.
- Free version
- Basic at $29/month
- Pro at $99/month
- Business at $249/month
Customer Support and Resources
Teachable has an extensive knowledge base that can answer all your questions on getting started, setting up products, integrations, accounting, and more. Other resources include the Teachable blog and podcast.
If you need more assistance, Teachable’s help center and customer support are available to you.
Who Is Teachable Best For?
Teachable takes all-in-one a step further with its extended list of services. The plans are cost-effective for the many features offered. This type of comprehensive service is best for individuals or teams trying to integrate all business processes from their websites.
iSpring Market
iSpring Market is an e-commerce platform that allows you to sell your e-learning courses to generate revenue.
Features
With iSpring, you can make content accessible from a range of devices, and the learner portal is available in six languages.
iSpring Market is integrated with Zoom Video Conferencing service and Google Analytics. Both allow you the option to host webinars, coaching sessions and gather insights on consumer behavior. Its analytics and detailed report features help you access revenue data, user activity, test results, and learning progress.
iSpring supports content types such as:
- Video (FLV, MP4)
- Documents (PDF, DOC, XLS)
- Flash clips (SWF)
- Presentations (PPT)
- SCORM packages (SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, SCORM 2004 3rd Edition, SCORM 2004 4th Edition)
- Simulations
- Assessments
The platform also allows you flexible pricing options such as promo campaigns, coupons, lead magnets, and more.
Gamification is another excellent feature that users can leverage to boost engagement. You can use it to motivate your students with the help of badges and certificates upon completion of courses. You can also prevent unauthorized use of your intellectual property through watermarks.
Pricing
iSpring Market offers three pricing plans with monthly or yearly subscription options. You can begin with a 14-day trial, opt for paid subscription programs, or request a custom plan. iSpring Market bills annually, and only its active users.
- $77/month or $924/year
- $147/month or $1.764/year
- $277/month or $3,324/year
Customer Support and Resources
iSpring’s range of resources includes an extensive knowledge base, blog, community, forum, and weekly webinars. Customer support is also accessible to users 24/7 via phone, email, and live chat.
Who Is iSpring Market Best For?
This platform is perfect for organizations looking to automate their learning solutions.
Conclusion
With the rise of e-learning, it has become necessary for businesses and academic institutions to streamline LMS.
A good LMS platform is easy to use, customizable, and offers integrations at an affordable price. Some of the platforms on this LearnDash alternatives list do all this and much more.
Have you been switching between various LMS platforms for a while with no end in sight? We hope our list of LearnDash alternatives will help you find the right one for your needs.
If your dilemma now is to find the best platform among those we mentioned, then here’s a solution: try them all!
Since most of these platforms offer free trials or free plans, giving them a try shouldn’t affect your budget at all. If you’re worried about transferring all of your content from one platform to another, it’s best to try a service like Podia that offers free migrations.
Now you know all about some of the best LMS platforms and how they compare against LearnDash. Let us know what LMS platforms you love and why in the comments below.
Resource Links
