Learndash

What Learndash does

LearnDash is a WordPress LMS plugin that enables individuals, training businesses, agencies, universities, and corporate L&D teams to create, sell, and deliver online courses directly from their own WordPress websites. First launched in 2013 and currently owned by Liquid Web, LLC (a subsidiary of Nexcess Corp.), the product combines a drag-and-drop course builder, an 8-question-type quiz engine, a built-in membership platform (MemberDash), a real-time analytics dashboard (ProPanel), and — since 2024 — an AI Course Outline & Quiz Builder, all delivered as a native WordPress extension rather than as a standalone SaaS. The product reaches 100K+ active installs and has been used to teach more than 25M learners, with a 4.8-star Trustpilot rating.

The business operates on a self-serve, product-led model with a 48-hour free trial and no credit card requirement. Revenue is generated exclusively through annual SaaS subscriptions for a single license covering unlimited courses and unlimited learners — Essentials at $259/year, Pro at $399/year, and Elite at $599/year — with no per-student fees. Built-in payment integrations with Stripe, PayPal, and WooCommerce handle monetization, and the Elite plan adds enterprise features such as group-based enrollment, seat-style organizational pricing, multi-instructor collaboration, and ratings/reviews to address institutions and corporate L&D teams. Distribution runs through the Liquid Web / Nexcess e-commerce storefront and a bundled hosting-plus-software motion with Nexcess managed WordPress hosting.

The company is privately held under Liquid Web / Nexcess corporate ownership rather than venture- or PE-backed, and no separate revenue, headcount, or funding data is disclosed in the input materials.

Name

Learndash

Legal name

Liquid Web, LLC

Website

https://learndash.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LearnDash is a WordPress LMS plugin, owned by Liquid Web/Nexcess, that lets solo creators, training businesses, agencies, universities, and L&D teams build, sell, and deliver online courses on their own WordPress sites via annual $259–$599 licenses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Learning Management System (LMS) Software

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Educational Digital Courseware & Learning Platforms (LMS-Integrated) (MPAJABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries) (MPACALAL), Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI)

Keywords

• WordPress LMS plugin
• Online course creation
• Learning management system
• Membership site software
• Course builder software

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Annual SaaS Subscription (Single License): LearnDash sells annual subscriptions for a single license with unlimited courses and unlimited learners. No per-student fees. Three tiers: Essentials ($259/year), Pro ($399/year), and Elite ($599/year). Renews annually with cancel-any-time flexibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

LearnDash is a WordPress LMS plugin that lets course creators, training teams, and institutions build, manage, and sell online courses directly from their own WordPress site. The product includes a drag-and-drop course builder with eight quiz question types, AI-powered course outline and quiz generation (Pro plan), an integrated membership platform (MemberDash) with tiered subscriptions and content dripping, a real-time analytics dashboard (ProPanel), group-based enrollment and multi-instructor collaboration (Elite plan), and built-in payment processing via Stripe, PayPal, and WooCommerce.

Product overview

LearnDash is a single, unified WordPress LMS plugin with integrated add-on modules. The core LearnDash platform provides course building, quiz creation, learner management, and payment integrations. MemberDash is a built-in membership platform enabling tiered subscriptions and content dripping. ProPanel delivers real-time analytics and reporting. The AI Course Builder (Pro plan) adds generative AI for automatic course outline and quiz generation. All components operate within WordPress with no platform lock-in.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MemberDash: Full membership platform built directly into LearnDash, letting users create membership tiers, sell subscriptions and course bundles, and manage content access without third-party plugins.
• ProPanel

Products and services

• LearnDash LMS Plugin WordPress LMS plugin that enables creators, training teams, and institutions to create, manage, and sell online courses directly from their own WordPress site. Includes a drag-and-drop course builder with eight quiz question types, learner progress tracking, certificates, achievements, and payment integrations. Sold as an annual subscription license with three tiers: Essentials ($259/yr), Pro ($399/yr), and Elite ($599/yr).
• MemberDash Full membership platform built directly into LearnDash that enables creation of membership tiers, selling of subscriptions and course bundles, and management of content access (content dripping) without third-party plugins. Targeted at course creators and training businesses that want to monetize content via recurring memberships.
• LearnDash ProPanel Real-time analytics dashboard built inside WordPress, included in Pro and Elite plans. Tracks enrollment trends, course completion rates, quiz performance, and identifies at-risk learners. Designed for training teams and institutions that need advanced reporting and analytics.
• LearnDash AI Course Builder AI-powered feature that generates structured course outlines with lessons and quiz questions from a text prompt. Available in the LearnDash Pro plan, it helps instructors and training teams rapidly create curriculum and assessment content for easy customization.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25M+ learners taught through the platform
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe is integrated as a primary payment processor within LearnDash, enabling customers to accept course payments, subscriptions, and bundles directly on their WordPress sites.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayPal is integrated as an alternative payment processor alongside Stripe, providing additional payment options for course sales and subscriptions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/learndashlms
• Facebookfacebook.com/learndash
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/learndash

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Learndash