Everything LearnDash does. With AI in every plan.
Masteriyo is the modern WordPress LMS with AI from the entry tier, native payments and multi-currency built in, and licensing that covers up to 10 sites on a single Elite plan. Import your LearnDash courses in a single click.
Why make the move
Three reasons creators leave LearnDash for Masteriyo.
LearnDash is a respected WordPress LMS, and the 2026 pricing reset simplified the buyer story by bundling their add-ons into tiers. Here’s where Masteriyo still pulls ahead.
Cheaper at every tier.
Masteriyo Pro is $149 introductory, $299 at renewal. LearnDash Pro is $399/year flat. Same tier of features, lower bill at every level.
One Elite plan covers 10 sites.
Masteriyo Elite licenses 10 sites for $399 intro, $799 renewal. LearnDash retired multi-site pricing in 2026, so the same 10 sites would mean 10 separate licenses.
AI included from Basic.
AI course outline, lesson drafts, and quiz builder in every Masteriyo plan, from Basic up. LearnDash gates AI to Pro tier and above ($399/year).
The comparison
Masteriyo vs LearnDash, feature by feature.
Each row shows the lowest plan that includes the feature on each side.
1. Pricing & access
Masteriyo prices shown above are introductory; renewal is $199 / $299 / $799, same as the strikethrough. LearnDash prices are flat — same at renewal. LearnDash retired site-count pricing in 2026; each license is for one WordPress installation.
2. Course creation & content
3. AI built in
4. Selling & monetization
5. Student experience & engagement
6. Reporting & admin
7. Marketing & integrations
8. Migration & support
Verified May 2026 against liquidweb.com/software/learndash (LearnDash is now part of Nexcess / Liquid Web) and staging.masteriyo.com. LearnDash retired its add-on catalog and site-count pricing in 2026; previously paid add-ons are now bundled into the Essentials / Pro / Elite tiers. MemberDash is included in every plan. LearnDash Cloud has been discontinued.
Run the numbers
What a switch saves you over 3 years.
Two ways to read this. The single-site comparison is the honest tier-for-tier look. The multi-site comparison reflects what agencies and course networks actually pay.
Single-site, tier for tier, over 3 years
Tier-for-tier, Masteriyo runs about 35% cheaper at Basic vs Essentials and 38% cheaper at Pro vs Pro. At the top tier, Masteriyo Elite is slightly more expensive for a single site, but it covers 10 sites for that price.
An agency with 10 client sites, over 3 years
Masteriyo Elite covers all 10 sites on a single license. LearnDash retired site-tiered pricing in 2026, so the same 10 sites means 10 separate licenses. Net savings with Masteriyo on 10 sites: $15,973 over 3 years.
Masteriyo prices factor in year 1 introductory pricing plus 2 years at renewal (Basic $99 + $199 + $199 = $497; Pro $149 + $299 + $299 = $747; Elite $399 + $799 + $799 = $1,997). LearnDash plans renew at the same price annually — Essentials $259/yr, Pro $399/yr, Elite $599/yr — verified May 2026.
Look closer
What a move to Masteriyo actually changes.
The table tells you the “what.” Here’s the “why it matters.”
Cheaper at every tier. Dramatically cheaper for agencies.
LearnDash simplified pricing in 2026 to three flat tiers: Essentials $259, Pro $399, Elite $599. Masteriyo runs cheaper at every equivalent tier, and one Masteriyo Elite license covers ten client sites where the same on LearnDash Elite is ten licenses.
AI starts at the entry tier, not the mid-tier.
Masteriyo’s AI turns a topic into an outline, drafts lessons, and generates a quiz. In every plan, from Basic up. LearnDash bundles its AI Course Outline & Quiz Builder, but only on Pro and Elite. $99 with AI vs $399 with AI shapes the entry decision.
Commerce that doesn’t depend on a second plugin.
LearnDash handles entry-level commerce natively (Stripe + PayPal + MemberDash). For Razorpay, multi-currency by user locale, smart coupons, taxes, or EDD, you’re on WooCommerce. Masteriyo handles all of that without WooCommerce in the loop.
Honest comparison
LearnDash is a serious product. Here’s where it still wins.
We respect LearnDash. It’s the most established WordPress LMS for a reason. There are specific cases where LearnDash is genuinely the better fit, and we’d rather tell you upfront than have you switch and regret it.
If distraction-free learning is non-negotiable.
LearnDash’s Focus Mode is purpose-built — a full-screen immersive lesson view designed to lift completion rates. Masteriyo has a Distraction-Free Learning Page that covers most of the same ground, but LearnDash invented this category and their version is slicker.
If you sell to enterprise or run nested orgs.
LearnDash Elite bundles Groups course management with delegated group leaders and seat-based learning. Masteriyo supports group sales but not the deep nested-org hierarchies LearnDash supports. If you’re licensing to a Fortune 500 with 50 internal teams, that’s a real edge.
If you depend on a niche third-party LearnDash plugin.
LearnDash has the largest third-party plugin ecosystem of any WordPress LMS — BuddyBoss, Uncanny Toolkit, WPFusion, Tin Canny, dozens more. If your install relies on a specific third-party extension without a Masteriyo equivalent, that integration cost is real.
One more thing worth knowing: LearnDash’s ProPanel analytics, now bundled in their Pro and Elite tiers, runs deeper than Masteriyo’s dashboard if you need custom multi-dashboard reports. It’s not a reason most creators stay with LearnDash, but it’s a fair point.
Make the move
Keep your courses. Keep your students. Keep your orders.
The reason most creators hesitate to switch isn’t price; it’s the fear of rebuilding six months of work. That’s what the LMS Migration Tool solves — one click and your courses, students, quizzes, and orders are in Masteriyo, with nothing deleted on the LearnDash side.
Migrate in one click.
The LMS Migration Tool ships in every Masteriyo plan, including the free version on WordPress.org. Install Masteriyo alongside LearnDash, hit Migrate, and the tool handles the rest in batches so large catalogs don’t time out.
What we import from LearnDash
Courses & curriculum
Courses with sections, lessons, and quizzes. Full structure preserved.
Quizzes
Quiz questions and answers, including the WP Pro Quiz tables LearnDash relies on.
Student enrollments
Every student account and their course enrollments.
Orders
Past sales data from sfwd-transactions, with customer records preserved.
Course metadata
Pricing, access modes, enrollment limits, and curriculum settings carry over.
Nothing deleted
Your LearnDash install stays put during the import. Test on staging first if you want.
Creator voices
Creators made the switch, and didn’t look back.
Real public reviews from WordPress.org and G2. No bought testimonials, no paid creators. 4.8 average across 165+ reviews.
While most people gravitate toward big names like TutorLMS, LearnDash, or LifterLMS, Masteriyo is a true dark horse — lesser known, but just as powerful, if not more so. If you’re looking for an LMS plugin that delivers quality without the bloat, Masteriyo is absolutely worth your attention.
— @Paul
WordPress.org
As a non-techie teacher, I tried LearnDash, LifterLMS, MasterStudy, and Tutor LMS — but I faced issues with all of them. With Masteriyo I finally did it, thanks to the easy setup and ready templates. This LMS has almost everything necessary for online course websites.
— @26book32
WordPress.org
The price and value for money was a great incentive. I used the free plan first, which made it possible for me and my assistant to get a proper feel for Masteriyo before we upgraded to Pro. Very easy to use and easy to implement. Lots of features, and integration was super easy too.
— Anna-Mari P., Managing Director
G2
FAQ
The questions switchers actually ask.
Will my LearnDash courses really come over intact?
Yes. Install Masteriyo alongside LearnDash, run the one-click LMS Migration Tool, and your courses, lessons, quizzes, certificates, students, and order history move over together. Your LearnDash install stays in place during the import, so you can test on staging first. Most creators complete a switch in a single afternoon.
What do I lose by leaving LearnDash?
Honestly, not much most creators miss. If you rely heavily on ProPanel’s specific reports or a niche third-party LearnDash add-on, check our features page to confirm parity. For the vast majority of course businesses, Masteriyo’s analytics, gradebook, and reporting cover the ground LearnDash covers — and then some.
Is Masteriyo really feature-for-feature comparable?
For what 95% of creators use a WordPress LMS for — course building, quizzes, certificates, drip content, assignments, payments, subscriptions, multi-instructor — yes. In some areas (AI, multi-currency, built-in commerce), Masteriyo does more out of the box.
How much will I actually save?
Depends on your tier and how many sites you run. At the Pro tier, single-site: Masteriyo Pro is $149 intro / $299 renewal vs LearnDash Pro at $399/year flat — about $450 saved over 3 years. For agencies, the gap widens dramatically: Masteriyo Elite covers up to 10 sites on a single $399 intro / $799 renewal license. The same 10 sites on LearnDash Elite would cost $5,990/year, or $17,970 over 3 years — a $15,973 difference.
What if I want to come back to LearnDash?
We don’t lock you in. Your courses, students, and data live in your WordPress database — you own them, the same as with LearnDash. You can export and move to another plugin whenever you want.
Is there a free version?
Yes. Masteriyo has a free version on WordPress.org with unlimited courses, students, and core features. You can build a complete course site on it and upgrade when you’re ready to sell. LearnDash has no free version — they offer a 48-hour live demo for evaluation.
Everything LearnDash gives you. Plus AI in every plan.
Join 5,000+ creators who run their course business on Masteriyo. One-click migration from LearnDash included.