What Tutor LMS publishes
On 29 October 2026 the WordPress.org listing for Tutor LMS showed version 4.2.0, last modified 27 October 2026, requiring WordPress 5.3 or higher and PHP 7.4 or higher, with 100,000+ active installations. This guide uses that listing for Tutor LMS's minimums; check Themeum's own documentation for any memory or PHP module requirements before you buy.
Those minimums are lower than what WordPress itself now recommends. WordPress.org lists PHP 8.3 or greater, MySQL 8.0 or greater or MariaDB 10.11 or greater, and HTTPS support. Buying to the WordPress recommendation avoids a forced PHP upgrade later.
The plan-tier checklist
Use this table when comparing plans. Anything in the target column that a host cannot confirm in writing is a reason to keep looking.
| Item | Tutor LMS minimum | Target to buy for | How to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHP | 7.4+ | 8.3+ (WordPress.org) | Host control panel PHP selector |
| WordPress | 5.3+ | Current release | Dashboard, Updates |
| Database | Not stated on the WordPress.org listing | MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.11+ | Tools, Site Health, Info, Database |
| HTTPS | Not stated on the WordPress.org listing | Free certificate, auto-renewing | Host SSL page |
| Staging | Not a plugin requirement | One-click staging | Plan comparison page |
| Backups | Not a plugin requirement | Daily, with self-serve restore | Plan comparison page |
| Concurrent PHP | Not published | 4 PHP threads or more once learners overlap | Ask host or read plan docs |
Where to start: pre-launch and small classes
SiteGround's plan comparison lists GrowBig at $4.99 a month for the first 12-month prepaid invoice, renewing at $29.99, with staging, automated daily and on-demand backups, unlimited websites and a marketing estimate of about 100,000 visits. StartUp ($2.99 then $17.99) is limited to one website and about 10,000 visits; SiteGround's WordPress hosting page lists staging only from GrowBig while its features page lists it on all three plans, so confirm before relying on StartUp for staging.
If you prefer managed hosting from day one, Kinsta's Single 35k at $35 a month has 2 PHP threads. Kinsta says that is fine for dynamic sites with light traffic but that concurrency will be quite limited, so it suits pre-launch work rather than live classes.
When learners start overlapping
Tutor LMS lessons, quiz attempts and progress updates are logged-in, uncacheable requests, so overlapping learners translate into simultaneous PHP work. Kinsta's PHP documentation lists 4 threads and a 1 GB pool on Single 65k ($50 a month or $500 a year) and 6 threads on Single 125k ($90 a month). Kinsta's PHP documentation states the more dynamic a website is, the more PHP threads it will likely need.
A self-managed alternative is a DigitalOcean Droplet: 2 GiB and 1 vCPU for $12 a month or 4 GiB and 2 vCPU for $24, plus 20% or 30% for weekly or daily backups. You then own server updates and recovery; our guide on server panels prices that responsibility.
Budget the plugin as well as the host
Tutor LMS's free plugin is on WordPress.org. Tutor LMS Pro pricing, read on 29 October 2026 and excluding VAT, is shown below. Worked example for one site: SiteGround GrowBig plus Tutor Pro Individual costs $59.88 plus $199, or $258.88, in year one and $359.88 plus $199, or $558.88, in year two at list prices.
| Tutor LMS Pro plan | Annual | Lifetime (one-time) | Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | $199/year | $499 | 1 |
| Business | $399/year | $999 | Up to 10 |
| Agency | $799/year | $1,999 | Unlimited (annual); up to 50 (lifetime) |
Upgrade triggers
- Quiz submissions or lesson completions slow down during live sessions but not at quiet times.
- Your host reports PHP worker or CPU limits reached, or you see 502 or 503 errors under load.
- You add large file uploads for assignments, live lesson integrations, or a second instructor teaching at the same time.
- The promotional term ends and renewal brings the price close to a tier with more PHP capacity.
Questions before you decide
Will Tutor LMS run on cheap shared hosting?
Its published minimums (PHP 7.4+, WordPress 5.3+) are met by most shared plans. Whether it runs well depends on how many learners are active at once; plan to move to 4+ PHP threads when classes overlap.
Is the lifetime Tutor Pro licence cheaper?
At list price the Individual lifetime licence ($499) costs the same as about two and a half years of the $199 annual plan, so it pays off only if you use it beyond that point.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- WordPress.org: Tutor LMS plugin listing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Tutor LMS: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- WordPress.org: Hosting requirements Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: Shared hosting features and plan comparison Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- SiteGround: WordPress hosting plans Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Kinsta: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Kinsta Docs: PHP threads and memory by plan Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Kinsta: PHP thread recommendations for eCommerce and membership sites Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- DigitalOcean: Droplet pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.