Self-Hosted and WordPress LMS
Plugins that turn an existing WordPress site into a course platform, sold as an annual license rather than a monthly subscription, with no cut of what you charge students. They take more setup than a hosted platform, since hosting, the payment processor, and updates are yours to manage, but nothing about your course or student list lives on someone else's server.
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World's most widely deployed open-source LMS with 300 million users across schools and universities, offering quizzes, forums, and thousands of plugins.
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The most widely used WordPress LMS plugin, built to turn an existing WordPress site into a full course platform with quizzes, drip content, and certificates. It's sold as an annual license rather than a subscription with a revenue cut, running from $159 a year for a single site up to $329 for the Pro tier with more features bundled in.
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WordPress LMS and membership plugin by Thrive Themes with visual course builder, drip-content scheduling, and payment integration
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Free WordPress plugin for building and monetizing courses directly on your site, with quizzes, progress tracking, certificates, and a marketplace of paid add-ons.
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WordPress LMS plugin designed for schools with classroom-style organization and instructor programs
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A WordPress membership plugin, MemberPress, with a Courses add-on that layers course delivery on top of its subscription and paywall tools, rather than a dedicated LMS built course-first. Full access, including the Courses feature, starts around $348 a year.
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WordPress LMS plugin with SPA interface, AI content generation, and multi-instructor support
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WordPress LMS and membership plugin combining course hosting with payments and affiliate management
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A WordPress LMS plugin with a genuinely usable free core version, membership tools built in from the start, and paid add-on bundles from around $149 to $360 a year for more advanced features. It's positioned as slightly more membership-and-community-focused than LearnDash's course-and-quiz-first design.
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WordPress LMS with native payments, course builder, quizzes, and built-in Stripe/PayPal support
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Open-source MOOC platform developed by Harvard and MIT, designed for large-scale online courses with video lectures, graded assessments, and learner communities.
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A newer WordPress LMS plugin from Themeum, built with a frontend course builder that lets an instructor create and edit a course without touching the WordPress admin dashboard. Paid plans start around $149 a year, with a genuinely functional free version available on WordPress.org.
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Lightweight WordPress LMS plugin with unlimited courses, lessons, quizzes, progress tracking, and certificate generation
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A WordPress LMS plugin built and maintained by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and WooCommerce, designed to integrate tightly with WooCommerce for selling courses as products. A free core version is available, with a Pro tier around $179 a year adding certificates, quizzes, and deeper WooCommerce integration.
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Enterprise learning platform built on Moodle's foundation, focused on corporate training, mandatory compliance courses, and employee performance management.
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WordPress membership plugin with integrated CourseCure LMS add-on for course creation, payment processing, and gamification
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WordPress LMS platform with offline learning, mobile app support, badges, and social features
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Free WordPress LMS plugin with unlimited courses, native Stripe checkout, and cohort features
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WordPress LMS plugin with course builder, quizzes, assignments, student notes, wish lists, badges, and multiple payment gateways
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Free WordPress LMS plugin with drag-and-drop builder, video lessons, and WooCommerce integration
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WordPress LMS plugin supporting unlimited courses, lessons, assignments, quizzes, certificates, and student management
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Free WordPress LMS plugin with course builder, quizzes, assignments, certificates, and Stripe/PayPal checkout
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WordPress community and LMS plugin with courses, discussions, member dashboards, and licensing
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Open-source learning platform with integrated video conferencing, course authoring, and social learning tools for schools, universities, and training organizations.
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A long-running WordPress LMS plugin built for straightforward course structure, modules, units, and quizzes, without the marketplace or membership ambitions of some competitors. A free core version exists, with a Pro tier around $179 a year adding drip content, certificates, and deeper reporting.
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Open-source LMS developed in Germany with strong adoption at European universities and public institutions, offering course management, online testing, and team collaboration.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between a self-hosted LMS and a hosted platform?
Self-hosted options turn your existing WordPress site into a course platform, meaning you manage your own hosting, payment processors, and updates. While they require more technical setup, you don't have to pay a monthly subscription or give a cut of your sales to a provider.
Do I have to pay a monthly fee to use these plugins?
Most options in this category are sold via annual licenses rather than monthly subscriptions. Some plugins even offer a free core version or a free version that you can expand with paid add-ons.
Can I use these tools to manage memberships alongside my courses?
Yes, several options specifically combine course delivery with membership tools, subscription management, and paywalls. Some even include built-in affiliate management to help you grow your reach.
Are there any free options available for building a course site?
You can find free WordPress plugins that offer core features like progress tracking, quizzes, and certificates. You can then choose to purchase paid add-ons if you need more advanced functionality or marketplace features.
Is there an option for large scale university or institutional use?
There are open-source platforms in this category designed specifically for large-scale use, such as MOOC platforms or systems used by universities for online testing and team collaboration. These often support massive user bases and complex course management.