Licence prices for one site
| LearnDash | LifterLMS | Tutor LMS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free version | None listed; 48-hour free trial | Core plugin free and open source | Core free on WordPress.org |
| Cheapest paid option | $350/yr, 1 site | Earth $199/yr first year (listed normal price $398), 1 site | Pro Individual $199/yr, 1 site |
| Lifetime option | Not listed | Infinity Lifetime (price not listed) | Individual lifetime $499, 1 site |
| Multi-site | 10 sites $599/yr; 25 sites $799; 50 sites $899; 100 sites $999 | Universe $299 first year, 5 sites; Infinity $799 first year, unlimited | Business $399/yr up to 10 sites; Agency $799/yr unlimited |
| Renewal terms | Prices shown per year | All renewals at full price; 50% first-year discount | Annual plans include 1 year of updates; renewal price not described |
| Refund | Not stated on pricing page | 30-day money-back guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| WordPress.org installs | Not applicable (no free version listed) | 10,000+ | 100,000+ |
Three-year licence cost for one site
Assumptions: prices unchanged, renewals at the listed full price, one site.
LearnDash: $350 x 3 = $1,050.
LifterLMS Earth: $199 + $398 + $398 = $995, assuming full price equals the listed normal price of $398. LifterLMS Infinity, which you need for Advanced Quizzes and Assignments: $799 + $1,598 + $1,598 = $3,995 on the same assumption.
Tutor LMS Pro Individual: $597 on annual billing, or $499 once on lifetime.
Hosting is extra for all three: SiteGround GrowBig, for example, renews at $29.99 a month ($359.88 a year), about the same as a LearnDash licence; see our guide on LearnDash hosting for concurrent students for sizing logged-in traffic, which applies to any LMS plugin.
Built in versus add-on
| Feature | LearnDash | LifterLMS | Tutor LMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quizzes | Included; 8 question types | Course quizzes listed; Advanced Quizzes only in Infinity | Quiz builder in core; five newer question types and negative marking tagged Pro in the WordPress.org changelog |
| Assignments | Included | Infinity only | Listed on the pricing page; the WordPress.org changelog tags assignment updates as Pro |
| Certificates | Included | Listed as a feature | Certificate Builder listed as a Pro add-on |
| Drip content | By membership level via MemberDash | Listed as a feature | Content Drip listed as a Pro add-on |
| Payments | Stripe, PayPal and WooCommerce integrations | Stripe and PayPal add-ons included in the Earth bundle | Native ecommerce; some native monetization features tagged Pro |
| Memberships | MemberDash included in every plan | Traditional and sitewide memberships listed on WordPress.org | Not covered on the pages read |
What happens when you stop paying
LifterLMS states that if you do not renew, your site keeps working but add-on updates, security upgrades and support stop. This is the common pattern for premium WordPress plugins, but read each vendor's terms: a lapsed licence on a site that takes payments means security fixes stop reaching your checkout.
Tutor LMS lifetime licences avoid renewal entirely for updates, per the pricing page, which is the main reason its three-year cost is lowest. LearnDash pricing lists only annual terms.
Who fits which
| You are... | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A solo creator wanting everything in one licence | LearnDash | Quizzes, certificates, memberships and payment integrations bundled |
| Testing an idea for free first | LifterLMS or Tutor LMS core | Both cores are free; add paid features once sales justify it |
| Cost-sensitive with a long horizon | Tutor LMS lifetime | $499 once for one site |
| Needing graded assignments and advanced quizzes on LifterLMS | LifterLMS Infinity | Those add-ons are only in Infinity |
| Running several course sites | LearnDash 10-site or Tutor Business | $599/yr and $399/yr for up to 10 sites respectively |
Questions before you decide
Is LearnDash free?
No free version is listed. The pricing page shows $350 a year for one site, with larger site bundles.
Does LifterLMS renew at the discounted price?
No. LifterLMS says all renewals are at full price; the first-year price reflects a 50% discount.
Does Tutor LMS offer a lifetime licence?
Yes. The pricing page lists Individual lifetime at $499 for one site, Business at $999 for up to 10 sites and Agency at $1,999 for up to 50 sites.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- LearnDash: Pricing on liquidweb.com Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- LifterLMS: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- LifterLMS on WordPress.org Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Tutor LMS: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Tutor LMS on WordPress.org Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: WordPress hosting plans Accessed 29 Oct 2026
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