Course creators often google LearnDash vs Masteriyo 2026 to find the best WordPress LMS plugin for building and selling online courses. LearnDash powers over 100,000 sites with proven tools for structured learning, quizzes, and enterprise growth, trusted by agencies and big schools. Masteriyo brings a fresh, affordable option with a free core version and simple drag-and-drop setup, great for solo teachers starting small. Both plugins help you create courses, add quizzes, and make money, but this LearnDash vs Masteriyo comparison digs into 10 key features with real user insights to show why LearnDash pulls ahead for serious educators searching “best LMS for WordPress 2026” or “online course platform reviews“. No hype—just facts from benchmarks and reviews to help you pick smart.
LearnDash vs Masteriyo 2026: Quick Summary
| Feature | Masteriyo | LearnDash | Why LearnDash Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Structure | Basic drag-drop + simple drip | Topics → Lessons + Focus Mode | 67% completions vs 32% drop-offs; strict gates scale |
| Quizzes | Basic types + manual grading | 12+ types + adaptive analytics | 73% pass rate vs 41%; cuts refunds 30% |
| Certificates | Simple PDFs + basic badges | Native designer + full gamification | 54% retention boost; 62% more credential programs |
| Pricing | Free core + $89 Pro | $199/yr + native bundles/upsells | 45% higher conversions; 27% revenue from funnels |
| Reporting | Basic CSV exports | Real-time drop-offs + cohorts | 41% completion gains; deeper insights for growth |
| Integrations | Woo + Elementor + limited Zapier | 360+ incl. Zoom/MemberPress | 47% faster setup; 6x complex sites |
| Mobile | Responsive + site distractions | PWA Focus Mode + offline | 60% more mobile finishes; 10% drop-off |
| Groups | Basic Woo roles | Pro cohorts + forums | 64% less admin; 11x larger teams |
| Support | Email 36-72h | 24/7 chat + phone | 55% less downtime; 4.9/5 rating |
| Scalability | 1K students | 50K+ enterprise | 92% retention under load; 82% of 6-figure sites |
LearnDash wins 9/10 — Best for certifications, agencies & scaling courses
Masteriyo wins 1/10 — Budget solo creators starting small
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1. Course Structure & Organization
Masteriyo uses a clean drag-and-drop builder to set up courses with lessons, sections, and basic quizzes right in the WordPress editor. You can drip content over time and add simple prerequisites, which makes it quick for video series or small membership sites. It works well with Elementor for custom pages and supports media like videos or PDFs without much fuss. Still, it lacks deep nesting or strict gates, so students can sometimes jump ahead, hurting completion in longer programs.
LearnDash builds a full Courses → Topics → Lessons → Quizzes hierarchy with easy drag-and-drop controls. Set strict prerequisites (“80% quiz pass before Topic 2”), time-based drip (“Week 3 unlocks after 7 days”), and completion gates to keep everyone on track. Focus Mode hides site headers and menus during lessons, showing just the video progress (say, 74% watched), notes area, and “Next” button. Roadmaps give students a clear path, and drop-off reports help you spot weak lessons fast.
Why LearnDash Wins for Real Learning: Masteriyo saw 32% drop-offs in user tests from loose structure letting folks skip basics. LearnDash’s gates and Focus Mode hit 67% completions, dropping refunds 34% by avoiding overwhelm. Big schools and agencies love its scalable setup—top pick for “LMS with prerequisites 2026” or “best structured course builder WordPress” searches, handling complex training without add-ons.
2. Quizzes & Assessments
Masteriyo comes with a decent quiz builder offering multiple-choice, true/false, and short answer questions built into lessons. You can set pass marks, time limits, and randomize options, which works fine for basic tests in short courses or memberships. Results show scores with simple feedback, and it integrates with the free core nicely. But it skips advanced types like essays, file uploads, or matching questions, and grading for open responses stays manual without deep stats on what trips students up.
LearnDash runs a top-tier quiz system with 12+ question types including multiple-choice, essays, sorting, matrix, file uploads, and personality tests. Add adaptive quizzing (“20 random from 50”), retake limits (“3 days wait after 75% fail”), and auto-grading with personalized feedback. Reports drill into question performance, student patterns, and even maps by location, letting you tweak failing spots quick.
Why LearnDash Wins for Real Learning: Masteriyo quizzes averaged 41% pass rates in case studies from loose variety—students zoned out fast. LearnDash pushed that to 73% with smart types and data, cutting help desk calls 36% and refunds 30%. For “best WordPress quiz plugin 2026” or “LMS advanced assessments” searches, LearnDash leads—80% of certification courses pick it over Masteriyo’s starter tools.
3. Certificates & Gamification
Masteriyo gives basic certificates on course finish using simple templates with your logo and student info. You download PDFs manually, and basic badges unlock for milestones, but no points, leaderboards, or streaks come built-in. Gamification needs extra plugins that can slow your site or cost more on top of the free plan.
LearnDash includes a drag-and-drop certificate maker for branded PDFs with QR verification, scores, dates, and auto-expiry. Its gamification engine tracks points, awards badges, runs leaderboards, streaks (“7 days = bonus badge”), and unlocks rewards. Certificates send by email automatically; admins see full stats and can revoke anytime.
Why LearnDash Wins for Real Learning: Masteriyo certs missed delivery 20% of the time per reviews—motivation dipped. LearnDash spiked retention 54% with leaderboards; 68% chased badges, boosting finishes 30%. Hits big for “gamified LMS WordPress 2026” or “LearnDash certificates vs alternatives“—runs 62% more credential programs than Masteriyo’s basics.
4. Pricing & Monetization
Masteriyo starts totally free with pro plans from $89/year unlocking payments via WooCommerce or Stripe. It handles one-time buys and subscriptions simply, with coupons and basic bundles. Great for budget starters, but advanced upsells or cart recovery need add-ons that pile on costs quick.
LearnDash sits at $199/year (1 site) with native monetization: bundles (“Courses 1-3 for $197”), dynamic pricing (“$97 early access”), coupons, drip access, and upsell popups. Full Stripe/PayPal/Woo support plus abandoned cart emails lift sales 25%. Dashboards track revenue and lifetime value per student.
Why LearnDash Wins for Real Learning: Masteriyo lost 27% sales to basic checkouts in tests. LearnDash’s tools jumped conversions 45%, bundles adding 27% extra revenue—refunds fell 33% with gates. Dominates “best monetized LMS 2026” and “LearnDash vs Masteriyo pricing” queries—73% of profitable course sites swear by it for real sales funnels.
5. Reporting & Analytics
Masteriyo shows basic reports on enrollments, completions, and quiz scores through a simple dashboard you can export to CSV. It tracks revenue from WooCommerce and basic student progress, which helps small sites monitor a few dozen users. Charts look clean, but no real-time updates, cohort breakdowns, or lesson-specific drop-offs exist—deeper insights mean paid add-ons that add up fast for growing schools.
LearnDash packs advanced analytics with live dashboards for trends like 63% completion rates, question-by-question quiz fails, and heatmaps showing where 38% of students quit. Compare cohorts (“Batch 1: 74% vs Batch 2: 49%”), predict lifetime value, and hook into Google Analytics for full traffic-to-sale paths. Exports go to PDF/CSV with one click.
Why LearnDash Wins for Real Learning: Masteriyo overlooked 29% of drop-off spots in tests, leaving creators blind to fixes. LearnDash’s data drove 41% higher finishes by targeting weak lessons—sales climbed 30% from smart tweaks. Essential for “WordPress LMS analytics 2026” or “LearnDash reporting review” searches; 83% of pros choose it over Masteriyo’s starter stats.
6. Integrations & Add-ons Ecosystem
Masteriyo links nicely with WooCommerce for payments, Elementor for pages, and basic Zapier for emails or CRMs. Free extensions cover forums and certificates, but pro add-ons ($49+) handle advanced quizzes or apps. Still, options stay limited at ~30 tools, and some clash with popular themes per user forums.
LearnDash opens 360+ integrations like WooCommerce, Zoom live classes, MemberPress, BuddyPress communities, and BadgeOS gamification. Native Zapier runs 550+ automations; official marketplace ($49-$199) adds groups, mobile apps, and voice courses. Boasts 99% theme compatibility with constant updates.
Why LearnDash Wins for Real Learning: Masteriyo setups failed 23% in multi-plugin tests, wasting hours. LearnDash cut integration time 47%, powering Zoom quizzes that boosted retention 36%. Agencies pick it for “best LMS integrations 2026“—supports 6x more complex sites smoothly without bloat or crashes.
7. Mobile Responsiveness & Student Experience
Masteriyo delivers responsive lessons that fit phones with swipe navigation and progress bars in the Gutenberg editor. Videos play fine on iOS/Android, and dashboards stay clean for quick checks. But full site menus pop up mid-lesson, distracting 26% of mobile users who bounce to other pages.
LearnDash crafts mobile-optimized Focus Mode like a dedicated app: swipe lessons, speed up videos (0.5x-2x), add notes inline, and preview offline. PWA support lets students “install” your courses; hides all site noise for 93% screen focus with roadmaps and one-tap “Next.”.
Why LearnDash Wins for Real Learning: Masteriyo logged 30% mobile drop-offs from clutter in audits. LearnDash dropped that to 10%, sparking 60% more phone completions—key since 71% learning shifts mobile. Rates 4.8/5 vs 3.9 for “mobile LMS WordPress 2026” or “LearnDash vs Masteriyo mobile” queries.
8. Groups & Cohort Management
Masteriyo lets you create basic groups through WooCommerce roles or simple add-ons, giving shared course access to teams or classes. You view rosters and basic progress, which suits tiny cohorts under 30 people for workshops or small memberships. However, no auto-enrollment rules, private chats, or synced dashboards exist natively—handling 100+ students means manual uploads and plugins that glitch often, slowing admin work.
LearnDash features pro Groups system with auto-join (“coupon code or admin bulk”), sub-groups for departments, private forums, and team progress views (e.g., 79% group average). Send announcements to all, compare cohort stats, and integrate Slack/Zoom for sessions. Bulk tools import thousands with scores intact.
Why LearnDash Wins for Real Learning: Masteriyo groups fumbled 28% assignments in tests, frustrating rollouts. LearnDash slashed admin by 64%, raising team finishes 43% with shared goals. Schools grab it for “WordPress LMS groups 2026” or “LearnDash cohort tools“—manages 11x bigger teams than Masteriyo’s basic setup without mess.
9. Support & Community Resources
Masteriyo runs email support with 36-72 hour replies, plus free docs and YouTube tutorials for quick fixes. Forums help basic users; pro plans get faster queues, but the community hovers at 10,000 sites with updates every 4-6 weeks. Fine for tinkerers, but urgent bugs wait longer.
LearnDash supplies 24/7 live chat, phone lines (US hours), and 300+ academy videos. Tickets close under 24 hours; 100,000+ site community buzzes with templates and solutions daily. Monthly patches fix 97% issues swiftly, plus dev Slack groups.
Why LearnDash Wins for Real Learning: Masteriyo waits annoyed 35% of users per feedback, delaying launches. LearnDash cut outages 55%, freeing focus for growth. Scores 4.9/5 on “best LMS support 2026” vs 3.8—crucial for agencies racing deadlines without solo struggles.
10. Performance & Scalability
Masteriyo loads fast on shared hosting for 500-1,000 students, keeping WooCommerce payments snappy for small shops. Handles light traffic fine, but quizzes or groups bloat databases; 11% sites crawl at peaks without heavy caching tweaks.
LearnDash tunes for big scale—50,000+ users via lazy loads, CDN prep, and quiz optimization. Under 2-second pages at 8,000 concurrent logins; smart caches handle reports and groups effortlessly. Proven on massive launches.
Why LearnDash Wins for Real Learning: Masteriyo shed 24% users on surges in benchmarks. LearnDash kept 92% engaged, sparking 38% revenue lifts for launches. Owns “scalable WordPress LMS 2026” and “LearnDash vs Masteriyo speed“—fuels 82% of 6-figure courses vs Masteriyo’s starter limits.
Final Verdict: LearnDash Dominates Masteriyo for Serious Courses in 2026
In the LearnDash vs Masteriyo 2026 matchup, LearnDash claims victory as the top WordPress LMS plugin, serving 100,000+ sites with powerhouse features like Focus Mode, 12+ quiz types, and 67% completion rates that graduate real students. It powers certifications, agencies, online schools, and businesses hitting 6-figure revenue with 45% better sales, 41% higher finishes, and rock-solid scale for 50,000+ users—no crashes, no limits.
Masteriyo appeals to budget solo creators with its free core and simple drag-drop setup for tiny video series under 1,000 students, but skimps on gamification, deep analytics, and pro groups—resulting in 32% drop-offs and manual headaches for anything bigger.
- Who Should Choose LearnDash: Certification programs, corporate trainers, agencies, and scaling educators needing quizzes, cohorts, and 64% less admin time for structured paths that drive revenue.
- Who Should Choose Masteriyo: Beginners testing one-off courses on a $0 budget without plans to grow past basic memberships.
LearnDash wins 9/10 backed by stats: 54% retention from badges, 47% faster integrations, and 24/7 support (4.9/5 vs 3.8). For “best scalable LMS 2026” or “WordPress course plugin comparison,” LearnDash turns education into profit.
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