Thinkific vs LearnDash 2026: Hosted LMS or WordPress Plugin?
Quick verdict: Thinkific is our overall pick for Thinkific vs LearnDash.
Thinkific (4.1/5) is the hosted platform with 0% fees from Start up; LearnDash (3.8/5) is the WordPress plugin that undercuts it on cost at volume.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thinkific Best overall | 4.1/5 | $40/mo (annual, Basic) | Thinkific is a hosted course platform that builds, markets and sells courses, communities … |
| LearnDash Best for teams | 3.8/5 | $259/yr (Essentials, about $21.58/mo) | LearnDash is the WordPress LMS plugin: a one-time annual license you install on your own s… |
Bottom line: Thinkific (4.1/5) for the hosted route — unlimited courses and students on every paid tier, 0% platform fees from Start ($82/mo annual) up, a 30-day trial, and no server to run. LearnDash (3.8/5) for the cost floor and ownership: a $259/yr Essentials license (about $21.58/mo) with unlimited learners and no per-sale fee, installed on your own WordPress site. The decision is ownership versus convenience: Thinkific bills you SaaS-style and holds the infrastructure; LearnDash gives you the domain, the data and the lowest per-learner cost, and asks you to host and secure it. For high-volume courses on an existing WordPress stack, LearnDash is the cheaper business; for staying out of operations, Thinkific.
Pricing and details
Thinkific · 4.1/5
30-day free trial · $40/mo (annual, Basic)
Thinkific bills by tier, not by learner — every paid plan carries unlimited courses and up to 10,000 students. Basic adds a 5% Stripe surcharge; Start and above remove it entirely (0% platform fees). All three paid tiers include the Accelerator program; Plus (quote-based) adds SCORM, SSO and a dedicated success manager. No standing free plan as of 2026 — the 30-day trial replaces it.
Basic $40/mo · Start $82/mo · Grow $164/mo (annual)
Thinkific is a hosted course platform that builds, markets and sells courses, communities and digital downloads without a developer. It bills by tier and is the cluster's standout on fees: 0% platform transaction fees on Start, Grow and Plus tiers, with a 5% surcharge on Basic — and the only cluster member whose free option is a 30-day full-featured trial.
Score breakdown
Pros
- 0% platform transaction fees on Start, Grow and Plus — only a 5% Stripe surcharge remains on Basic
- Unlimited courses and learners on every paid plan; up to 10,000 students per tier
- Built-in community, memberships, subscriptions, email automation and 90+ integrations
- Stability is the cluster's best: self-hosted since 2012, 99.5% SLA on paid tiers
Cons
- Basic keeps a 5% Stripe surcharge — the 0% economics start at $82/mo annual (Start)
- No standing free plan as of 2026 (30-day trial replaced it)
- Marketing depth stops short of Kajabi: no native website or funnel suite
Pricing verified 2026-09-21
LearnDash · 3.8/5
48-hour live demo (no card) · $259/yr (Essentials, about $21.58/mo)
LearnDash is a plugin, not a SaaS: you pay a yearly license (Essentials $259, Pro $399, Elite $599) on top of your own WordPress hosting (roughly $10-20/mo). Every plan includes unlimited courses and learners and no per-sale fee. Since the Liquid Web acquisition, new customers buy the bundled Essentials/Pro/Elite plans; legacy 1-site/10-site/unlimited licenses are grandfathered. MemberDash memberships are bundled into every tier.
Essentials $259/yr · Pro $399/yr · Elite $599/yr (annual, Liquid Web bundled plans)
LearnDash is the WordPress LMS plugin: a one-time annual license you install on your own site, with unlimited courses and learners on every tier. It bills by license (Essentials / Pro / Elite per year), takes no cut of your sales, and is the only cluster member priced annually-only.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Cheapest true cost at volume: $259/yr Essentials with unlimited courses and learners, no transaction fees
- Owns your data and domain — the WordPress stack stays yours, no platform lock-in
- Pro adds AI course/quiz builders, weighted grading, report cards and cohort groups; Elite adds multi-instructor front-end creation
- MemberDash memberships bundled into every tier since the Liquid Web acquisition
Cons
- Self-hosted: hosting (roughly $10-20/mo), security and WordPress maintenance are on you
- Annual-license-only pricing — no monthly option, and the $199 entry price quoted across Google is retired
- No native mobile apps; front-end experience depends on themes and add-ons
Pricing verified 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, Thinkific or LearnDash?
Thinkific is our overall pick (4.1/5 vs 3.8/5). Thinkific (4.1/5) is the hosted platform with 0% fees from Start up; LearnDash (3.8/5) is the WordPress plugin that undercuts it on cost at volume.
Do Thinkific and LearnDash offer free plans?
Neither advertises a free plan; check current trial terms before committing.
What does Thinkific cost?
$40/mo (annual, Basic) — Thinkific bills by tier, not by learner — every paid plan carries unlimited courses and up to 10,000 students. Basic adds a 5% Stripe surcharge; Start and above remove it entirely (0% platform fees). All three paid tiers include the Accelerator program; Plus (quote-based) adds SCORM, SSO and a dedicated success manager. No standing free plan as of 2026 — the 30-day trial replaces it. Prices were last verified on 2026-09-21.