If you’re looking for deeper insights into visitor behavior without drowning in complex data sets, then you may be debating between MonsterInsights and Site Kit by Google.

Both of these plugins make Google Analytics reports available within WordPress, but each tool approaches this goal differently.

Site Kit, Google’s official WordPress plugin, offers a simple solution, while MonsterInsights is a more comprehensive tool with additional features.

When making the decision for our own website, we picked MonsterInsights because of its powerful features that let us track the evolving needs of our readers. We’re really happy with it, but we know it might not be the best choice for everyone.

In this article, we’ll compare these two popular analytics solutions, considering important metrics like ease of use, tracking capabilities, and overall value. Let’s get to it!

Quick Overview: MonsterInsights vs. Site Kit

Short on time? Here’s a quick comparison of MonsterInsights vs. Site Kit to help you quickly decide which one best fits your needs.

An Introduction to MonsterInsights vs. Site Kit

Analytics plugins and tools can help you understand how your website is performing and how your visitors interact with it. This data helps you improve your strategies and reach your goals.

But many analytics solutions give you so much complex information that it can be hard to understand or make sense of the data. For beginners, this is definitely the case if you’re using Google Analytics 4.

The good news is that if you’re using WordPress, MonsterInsights and Site Kit by Google can help simplify GA4 data. They will show you the most important metrics right in your dashboard, so you don’t need to be a tech wizard.

With MonsterInsights, you can connect to GA4 in just a few clicks. Then, it allows you to view tons of user-friendly reports. For instance, you can see the number of new and returning website visitors, what countries they are from, and what types of devices they are using.

You can even get real-time stats! That means you can see how many people are visiting your site right now.

If you’re running an online store, it helps you easily track sales and revenue. You can also customize reports to focus on things like your top pages or audience demographics.

Plus, MonsterInsights integrates with popular tools like WPForms, WooCommerce, and Yoast, making it a great choice for WordPress users.

Here’s what the MonsterInsights dashboard looks like:

We use MonsterInsights and have seen firsthand how the plugin makes data analytics very simple. It makes it so much easier to actually use the data to make informed decisions.

💡 Curious about our hands-on experience? See our detailed MonsterInsights review for more details.

On the other hand, Site Kit is an official Google plugin for WordPress.

It’s a central place to connect and manage all your Google tools, including Google Analytics, Search Console, and AdSense, right inside your WordPress dashboard.

Site Kit gives you key stats about your traffic, search performance, and earnings. It also integrates smoothly with Google Tag Manager for more advanced tracking without needing extra plugins.

Related: See our detailed comparison of Google Analytics vs. Jetpack Stats.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of MonsterInsights and Site Kit, we’ll explore the key factors we thoroughly tested and researched to help you decide which plugin is right for you.

Here’s what we’ll go over:

Ready? Time to dive in!

Ease of Use

For this first section, we’ll look at the installation process and overall ease of use for MonsterInsights and Site Kit.

Site Kit

To install Site Kit, you can log in to your WordPress dashboard and then go to Plugins » Add New. In the search bar, simply type in ‘Site Kit’ or ‘Site Kit by Google.’

Once you find the tool, you can just follow the prompts to install and activate the plugin.

After that, you can click the ‘Site Kit’ menu in your dashboard.

You’ll then need to sign in with your Google account, grant necessary permissions, and connect services like Google Analytics, Search Console, and AdSense.

After completing the setup, you’ll be able to view key data right inside your WordPress dashboard.

Site Kit is designed with simplicity in mind. You can easily switch tabs to find reports for traffic, top-performing content, site speed, and AdSense earnings.

This can make it feel less overwhelming, especially for beginners who just need the basics without too much complexity.

MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights is a powerful plugin that brings Google Analytics straight into your WordPress dashboard. It makes complex data easy to understand with simple graphs and reports.

To get started, you’ll install and activate the free MonsterInsights plugin.

Once activated, a new ‘Insights’ menu and a welcome screen will appear in your WordPress admin.

The setup wizard will prompt you to choose a website category (business, blog, or online store) and then ask you to connect to your Google Analytics account.

After logging in and granting access, you can select your website profile and complete the connection.

Once you finish the wizard, Google Analytics will be set up to track your site’s data.

Google Analytics gathers tons of information, and it can be hard to sift through it all. MonsterInsights makes it easy by displaying simple, clear reports directly in your WordPress admin area.

You can track essential metrics like:

• Traffic sources: Find out where your visitors are coming from, whether the sources are search engines, social media, or other websites.
• Visitor locations: See which countries your audience is from to better tailor your content marketing efforts to specific regions.
• Device usage: Know which devices (desktop, mobile, or tablet) your visitors are using. This data allows you to make sure your site looks great for all users.
• Top-performing pages: Discover which pages get the most attention to create content your audience loves.

There are also specialized reports for SEO performance and page speed.

With this data at your fingertips, you can make informed decisions to improve your website’s performance without sifting through complex Google Analytics reports.

Winner – Tie

In our opinion, there’s not a clear winner when comparing MonsterInsights and Site Kit for ease of use. So, we’re calling it a tie.

Site Kit excels with its simplicity and fewer features, making it a great choice for beginners. It’s perfect for those who use Google services and want to get basic insights without feeling overwhelmed.

On the other hand, MonsterInsights offers more features. This is great, but it means beginners may need a little more time to learn. However, once you get the hang of it, MonsterInsights is intuitive and far easier to use than Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

Tracking Features

In terms of tracking features, our research revealed that both Site Kit and MonsterInsights come with some serious tools to help you understand your site’s performance.

Let’s see what each one has to offer.

Site Kit

Site Kit’s single report page shows an overview of total visitors and traffic sources. The pie chart breaks down traffic sources by:

• Channels: This covers organic traffic (from search engines), referral traffic (from links on other websites), direct traffic (when users type your URL or use bookmarks), social traffic (from social media), and email traffic (from links clicked in emails).
• Locations: The countries from which your users are accessing the site.
• Devices: The type of device used, whether desktop, mobile, or tablet.

If you scroll down the page, you can also find reports for top search queries, pageviews, and engagement.

Another standout feature is Site Kit’s milestone alerts, which notify you when you hit important milestones for traffic and performance.

This makes it easy to stay updated without constantly checking your stats.

It’s also helpful for small to medium-sized businesses that could use some extra encouragement while growing their site traffic.

If you connect other Google services to Site Kit, you’ll also be able to see the following reports:

• A traffic report showing clicks and impressions from Google Search Console.
• A top queries report showing the most popular keywords on your website.
• A speed report showing your website’s performance according to PageSpeed Insights.
• A monetization report with earnings from your AdSense earnings.

Overall, this makes it easy to manage all your reports and data from one place.

MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights has some awesome tracking features that go way beyond the basics.

The plugin provides a variety of reports in the dashboard. You can easily see how your marketing campaigns are doing – whether it’s an email, social media post, or ad.

You can also easily keep tabs on how your affiliate marketing campaigns are doing and if your affiliate links actually make money.

This report is perfect for bloggers or anyone who relies on affiliate income to figure out what’s working and what’s not.

The popular post feature identifies your most viewed content and then lets you highlight these popular posts in other areas of your site, like the sidebar or footer.

It’s a great way to draw attention to what your audience loves most and keep them exploring your site longer.

In addition, you can track browsers, mobile devices, and form submissions. You can also monitor average scroll depth, real-time data, and more.

The best part? All the features we’ve just mentioned are included in the free version of MonsterInsights.

If you upgrade to the premium plugin, MonsterInsights also provides advanced tracking features that Google Analytics doesn’t support by default, or that can be difficult to set up.

One of these standout features is the eCommerce addon.

With this addon, you can track how many times customers add or remove products from their cart. You can also get insights into abandoned cart rates and distinguish between new and returning customers.

It also helps you identify popular products to highlight in your landing pages, ads, and email campaigns.

Additionally, you can track underperforming products and create targeted campaigns to boost sales, such as upselling or cross-selling.

For online store owners, this is far simpler than using Google Tag Manager or hiring a developer to set up similar eCommerce tracking.

And for those who create video content, MonsterInsights offers a Media addon.

This addon tracks the performance of all your YouTube and Vimeo videos. The report shows video views within WordPress alongside views on the external platform.

If you sell digital products, MonsterInsights also allows you to easily track file downloads for various file types – PDFs, DOCs, ZIP files, and more!

This tracking helps you identify the most popular digital products for promotion in your marketing campaigns.

Winner – MonsterInsights

Based on our testing and research, MonsterInsights is the clear leader in the tracking features category. It is highly flexible and offers a wide range of tracking tools for almost every website element. Plus, many of them are free.

Its campaign tracking and affiliate tools are perfect for business websites, while the popular post feature boosts visibility for bloggers.

Meanwhile, if you sell digital downloads or embed videos, it provides valuable insights into their performance.

These features make MonsterInsights the top choice for anyone who needs more than just the basics.

GDPR Compliance

If you’re running a website that serves users in the European Union (EU), following the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is non-negotiable.

When it comes to WordPress plugins, some are better equipped than others to help you stay compliant. Let’s see how Site Kit and MonsterInsights handle this.

Site Kit

Site Kit helps with GDPR compliance through the WP Consent API. However, you’ll need to enable this feature manually and handle notice and consent requirements yourself.

The good news is that some popular consent software, such as CookieYes, Complianz, GDPR Cookie Compliance, and Cookiebot, work with Site Kit without causing plugin conflicts.

These plugins block data collection until visitors give consent.

MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights, on the other hand, makes GDPR compliance much simpler.

If you purchase a premium MonsterInsights license, you’ll get access to the EU Compliance addon. This addon helps anonymize user data, such as IP addresses, to align with GDPR requirements.

Plus, the addon integrates with popular cookie consent plugins like Complianz. This allows you to display cookie banners and collect user consent for tracking.

Winner – MonsterInsights

Once again, MonsterInsights takes the lead here, thanks to its EU Compliance addon. All you need to do is install the addon and turn the switch to activate it. No complicated setup.

If privacy compliance is a priority for you (and it should be), MonsterInsights is a more straightforward choice.

Integrations

Software compatibility can make all the difference in streamlining your analytics and providing deeper insights. So, let’s compare MonsterInsights vs. Site Kit in terms of integrations.

Site Kit

Site Kit offers some great integrations to make tracking your site easier. As you might have guessed, though, these integrations are mainly with other Google tools and services.

For example, it connects with Google Search Console to bring keyword data directly into your WordPress dashboard. You can also link it to Google Ads to track conversions from ad clicks.

One handy Site Kit feature is the ability to automatically install your Google Tag Manager code.

Plus, it works seamlessly with Google AdSense, automatically adding the necessary code for ad monetization on your site.

MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights integrates with various tools to boost your tracking.

When it comes to Google tools, the plugin connects with both Google Search Console and Google Ads.

However, it doesn’t offer the option to install Google Tag Manager code since it already tracks many of the events where you’d usually need Tag Manager.

But the nice thing is that MonsterInsights can integrate with plenty of software and services outside the Google ecosystem.

For instance, if you’re running an online store, MonsterInsights works seamlessly with WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress, and other eCommerce plugins.

This way, you can enable Google Analytics eCommerce tracking to gain insights into product performance and sales data.

For lead generation, MonsterInsights has the Forms addon to track form views and conversions. It also works well with popular contact form plugins like WPForms.

If you’re running ad campaigns, you can connect Meta (Facebook) to track conversions from your ads by adding your Facebook Pixel ID. You can also link Microsoft Ads with your Tag ID to track conversions from Bing.

Meanwhile, for affiliate marketing, MonsterInsights pairs with Pretty Links to track clicks on your affiliate links. It also integrates with SEO plugins like All in One SEO (AIOSEO) and Yoast to help you track your focus keywords and measure your SEO performance.

For the complete list, just see the ‘Growth Tools’ menu under ‘Insights.’

Winner – MonsterInsights

After careful consideration, we concluded that MonsterInsights wins for integrations. While Site Kit does a great job connecting with Google tools, MonsterInsights goes above and beyond.

It integrates with more tools, including eCommerce plugins like WooCommerce and MemberPress, as well as popular form plugins like WPForms.

Plus, it pairs with Pretty Links to track affiliate link performance, and it works smoothly with SEO plugins like Yoast and AIOSEO.

So, if you’re looking for a plugin with a wider range of integrations, MonsterInsights is the better choice.

Pricing

When choosing an analytics solution, pricing is an important factor. Let’s break down what you should expect with Site Kit and MonsterInsights.

Site Kit

The Google Site Kit plugin is completely free and open source.

You can connect your WordPress site to key Google services like Google Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, PageSpeed Insights, and Tag Manager – all without paying for the plugin itself.

That said, some of the services you connect with might have their own terms and fees. For example:

• Google Ads requires a budget if you want to run ad campaigns.
• Google Maps Platform may charge fees if you go beyond the free usage limits.

The good news is that most tools, like Google Analytics and Search Console, are free to use.

This makes Site Kit a cost-effective choice for site owners looking to monitor and improve their website.

MonsterInsights

The free version, MonsterInsights Lite, lets you add Google Analytics to WordPress regardless of your budget. You can track key metrics, learn about your audience, and set goals.

For more advanced features like eCommerce tracking, form conversions, or compatibility with plugins like WooCommerce, you’ll need a premium license.

MonsterInsights offers 3 plans to fit different needs, whether you’re a solo blogger or running multiple client sites.

Here’s a breakdown of the plans:

• Plus ($99.60/year for 1 site): Includes standard reports, media and event tracking, and EU compliance tools. Ideal for single-site owners or bloggers.
• Pro ($199.60/year for 5 sites): Adds form, coupon, and eCommerce tracking, plus integrations with MemberPress and WP Charitable. Perfect for online stores and membership sites, with priority support included.
• Agency ($399.60/year for 25 sites): Built for agencies, offering advanced access control, client license management, and multisite support.

Winner – Site Kit

If your focus is on budget, Site Kit takes the win as it’s completely free to use and integrates seamlessly with powerful, no-cost tools like Google Analytics and Search Console.

That said, MonsterInsights provides excellent value for its premium plans. Its additional features, like eCommerce and form tracking, are tailored for businesses and agencies looking for deeper insights and advanced integrations.

While it’s not free, the pricing is affordable, considering the wide range of advanced tools you get.

MonsterInsights vs. Site: Which One Is Better?

So, who wins when it comes to MonsterInsights vs. Site Kit?

Ultimately, it comes down to what you need right now.

If you’re just starting out and want a simple, free way to see your Google Analytics data, Site Kit is a good choice. It’s easy to set up and works well for personal blogs or smaller websites. Plus, it includes data from PageSpeed Insights, Google Search Console, and Google AdSense.

But if you’re looking for something that can do more, then MonsterInsights is the way to go.

It’s packed with powerful features, offers deeper insights, and connects seamlessly with tons of other tools. Whether you’re running a store, growing a business, or need smarter insights, MonsterInsights has you covered.

Furthermore, MonsterInsights is hands-down the better option for overall value and flexibility. Especially if you want a tool that grows with your website.

🚨 Looking for another alternative? Consider using OnePageGA, a simple dashboard that makes Google Analytics 4 easy for beginners. No plugins, no coding – just instant, clear reports with 25+ pre-made options, eCommerce tracking, and custom funnels. For an in-depth breakdown, you can head over to our comprehensive OnePageGA review.

MonsterInsights vs. Site Kit FAQs

Choosing the right analytics tool for your WordPress site can feel tricky. Here are the answers to frequently asked questions to help you decide:

Is MonsterInsights free?

Yes, MonsterInsights offers a free version with basic features. But you can also unlock advanced tools and insights by upgrading to a premium plan. For example, you’ll get eCommerce tracking and tons more powerful integrations.

Is MonsterInsights the same as Google Analytics?

No, MonsterInsights is a plugin that connects your WordPress site to Google Analytics 4, making it easier to view and understand analytics data directly from your dashboard. It also comes with powerful WordPress features and integrations that aren’t available in Google Analytics.

How do I download Google Site Kit?

You can download Site Kit for free from the WordPress plugin repository or directly from your WordPress admin area by searching for ‘Site Kit by Google’ under Plugins » Add New.

Will Site Kit work with eCommerce tools like WooCommerce?

Yes, Site Kit integrates with WooCommerce, but it might lack the detailed eCommerce tracking features that MonsterInsights provides in its premium version.

Why do I need an analytics plugin?

An analytics plugin helps you track website performance, understand visitor behavior, and make data-driven decisions – all without needing to log in to external platforms.

This can make it a lot easier to use your data to help grow and improve your site. Without data analytics, it will be much harder to refine your strategies.

Will analytics plugins slow down my website?

When properly configured, analytics plugins like MonsterInsights and Site Kit won’t significantly impact your website’s performance. That said, regularly monitoring your site speed and only using optimized plugins is a good idea.

Should I use MonsterInsights, Google Site Kit, or Google Analytics?

It depends on your needs. MonsterInsights is great for user-friendly analytics in WordPress, while Site Kit offers direct Google integration. Google Analytics is the core tool both plugins rely on, but it requires more manual setup if used alone.

That’s it! We hope this article has helped you learn more about MonsterInsights vs. Site Kit. Next, you might want to read our guide on how to do A/B split testing in WordPress or check out our expert list of website marketing data you must track.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post MonsterInsights vs Site Kit: The Best Analytics Solution for WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

On the one hand, Teachable and Skillshare offer easy platforms for directly uploading, selling, and marketing your courses, but you won’t have full control. On the other hand, MemberPress provides more flexibility and ownership, but you’ll need to run your own WordPress website.

In short, each platform has its own perks, and it’s hard to know which one is the right fit for your online course goals. 🤔

Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! We did a lot of research when deciding where to offer our free online video courses, and we’re here to tell you what we found out.

In this guide, we’ll break down the pros and cons of Teachable, Skillshare, and MemberPress based on what matters most.

Brief Comparison: Teachable vs. Skillshare vs. MemberPress

Let’s dive into a brief comparison of Teachable, Skillshare, and MemberPress to highlight their key differences:

An Introduction to Teachable, Skillshare, and MemberPress

Let’s start by taking a quick look at Teachable, Skillshare, and MemberPress. Later in this article, we’ll compare each platform’s features more in-depth.

Teachable is a user-friendly platform for creating, hosting, and selling digital courses and coaching. It offers unlimited course creation and student enrollment, making it a flexible solution for course creators.

With tools for posting multimedia files and engaging with students through comments, Teachable is perfect for instructors who want more interactive lessons. Plus, it allows you to link your courses to your own website with a custom domain.

💡 And as a standalone platform, you won’t need to worry about updates or backups. This allows you to focus on building a successful training business.

On the other hand, Skillshare is a great platform for teachers who want to share their knowledge and connect with a wide range of learners.

While video lessons are the main way courses are delivered, Skillshare goes beyond that. It also offers features like class projects, community discussions, and downloadable resources.

Plus, Skillshare is great for teachers who enjoy a practical approach. Whether you’re helping students design their first logo or build a photography portfolio, you’ll inspire them to dive in and create.

Finally, MemberPress is an all-in-one membership plugin and online course builder for WordPress websites.

With MemberPress, you can easily add membership levels to your site and offer different course access based on the plan a member subscribes to.

🧑‍🏫 MemberPress has a built-in virtual classroom that is distraction-free and works seamlessly with any WordPress theme.

Additionally, it offers online course-specific addons called Courses and CoachKit. These allow you to create and sell online courses and coaching sessions from your website.

It also includes advanced membership features like flexible pricing plans and drip content scheduling. To help you sell and manage your courses effectively, you’ll also get seamless integrations with top email marketing tools.

Keep in mind that MemberPress is a WordPress plugin, so you’ll need to create your own website to use it. For details, see our guide on how to create a membership website in WordPress.

With that in mind, we’ll show you how each platform stacks up in terms of the following factors. Feel free to go ahead and click on the jump link below to go to the factor you want to compare:

Ready? Let’s get started!

Ease of Use – Course Setup

When it comes to choosing an online course platform, ease of use is a very important factor. A user-friendly platform will make it simple for teachers to create, manage, and share their courses without technical hurdles.

Let’s compare how the 3 online learning platforms measure up in terms of ease of use.

Teachable

Teachable is a standalone platform designed to simplify online course creation and management.

You can set it up on a sub-domain, use a custom domain name to align with your branding, or link it to your school’s page for seamless integration.

Because it operates independently, Teachable handles all the updates, security patches, and backups for you. This means less time spent on administrative tasks and more time to focus on creating high-quality content and growing your business.

This platform has a user-friendly dashboard. The navigation menu is in the left-hand panel. On the ‘Home’ screen, you might notice that Teachable provides a checklist to help you set up your school.

Creating your first course is also very easy.

Teachable has powerful AI tools to help you develop course materials in just a few minutes. All you have to do is to provide a course title and a brief description.

When the AI is done generating, Teachable will take you to the ‘Setup Guide’ page. Here, you can find all the options for customizing your course, which we’ll cover in the course customization section.

To publish the course, you can simply use the bulk publish option.

And that’s it! You’ve created your first Teachable online course. Here’s what it might look like on your Teachable school site:

Skillshare

While Skillshare is more popular for finding online courses, it also lets you sign up as a teacher. With this platform, you can publish a class, offer a 1-1 session, and sell digital products.

Upon signing up as a teacher, you’ll be asked to select your areas of interest. However, this can be tricky as you can only sign up for Skillshare’s pre-listed categories.

Then, you’ll need to organize your classes according to SkillShare’s style guide: Create, Build, and Thrive.

Once you’ve prepared your learning materials, you’re ready to start recording your videos.

You can start by picking the right equipment for recording and editing. Here are some recommendations:

• Camera: Today’s smartphones are often good enough, but if you want to look more professional, you can check out the Sony Alpha ZV-E10 mirrorless camera.
• Microphone: We don’t recommend using a built-in microphone, as it might not produce clear audio. A good one to get started is the Samson C01UPRO USB Microphone.
• Video editing software: If you’re using Mac, then the iMovie is a great option for editing your videos. Meanwhile, Windows users can rely on the free Clipchamp video editor.

Next, you’ll need to set up a neat and professional-looking background. Props and good lighting can make all the difference.

Once your videos and materials are ready, it’s time to upload them to Skillshare. You can follow the platform’s Step-by-Step Uploading Guide to start your class draft and get everything uploaded properly.

MemberPress

MemberPress is a powerful WordPress membership plugin with learning management system (LMS) capabilities. Its Courses and CoachKit addons allow you to easily create online courses. They let you develop courses, add media files, edit lessons, offer 1-1 coaching programs, set up group learning, and more – all without requiring any technical expertise.

To create online courses, you can use the MemberPress Courses addon.

The first step in the course builder is creating the ‘Course Page,’ where you’ll provide essential details like the course topic, title, and description.

Since MemberPress uses the default WordPress block editor, you can get creative with the layout, giving your course page a professional and engaging design.

In addition to the basic content, you can add ‘Course Categories’ and ‘Course Tags’ to help organize your courses, set a featured image, and write a course page excerpt under the settings.

Then, you can move to the ‘Curriculum’ tab. Here, you can create sections that act as course modules. Within each section, add lessons by simply entering a title and then clicking to edit the lesson content.

You can further boost your course by adding quizzes.

Quizzes can be linked to lessons, and you can make them mandatory before users can proceed to the next lesson.

To publish, you will only need to click on the ‘Publish’ button in the course builder.

And that’s it! Here’s how the course might look on the front end:

For more details, you can see our guide on how to create online courses in WordPress.

With MemberPress, you will also need to set up memberships and access control rules.

By creating a rule, you can protect specific content, like a course, and specify conditions, such as requiring users to be part of a membership plan to gain access.

When selling your online course, you can set up one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, or lifetime memberships.

Recurring payments automate billing, saving time and reducing delays or errors for a smoother membership experience. You can set payments to recur monthly, yearly, weekly, quarterly, or at custom intervals.

Alternatively, one-time payments can be set with a lifetime option or an expiration date based on a specific calendar date or duration.

You can also enhance your offerings by including a free trial subscription.

For details on how all of this works, just see our complete MemberPress review.

Winner – Teachable or MemberPress

Overal, Teachable is the easiest online course platform to get set up on. You don’t need to create your own website to use it, and the platform handles all updates, security, and backups so you can focus on creating. Plus, the easy setup and AI tools make course creation quick and simple.

That being said, we think MemberPress is the easiest option for WordPress users. While it has a slightly steeper learning curve than Teachable, it’s pretty easy to learn if you’re already used to the WordPress block editor.

Course Customization Options

Strong customization options are key to making your course stand out. Adjusting everything from the layout to the learning experience can help you create a course that aligns with your vision.

Now, let’s dive into how each platform offers customization to enhance your course.

Teachable

On Teachable‘s ‘Setup Guide’ page, you can go about each section to edit your curriculum, add a course thumbnail, choose the course template, set up the course prices, and more.

For course templates, Teachable offers two types: Simple and Colossal. While this can be a bit limiting, we’re happy to see that the platform allows for customization of these templates.

When it comes to editing the course materials, Teachable’s editor is pretty intuitive to use. However, we have to admit that it looks and feels a little old school.

For example, in the ‘Text and images block’ screenshot below, you can see how simple the editor is. It features a wide area for drafting your materials and a toolbar for styling your text.

Teachable also allows you to upload videos and PDF resources, audio clips, and online quizzes.

Then, you can create a pricing plan for your course. The platform lets you choose from a few payment models, including free, recurring, and a one-time purchase.

To track how your courses are performing, Teachable provides built-in analytics and advanced data reporting. So, you can monitor student engagement, see how many people are completing your courses, and keep an eye on your sales.

Plus, Teachable offers unlimited course creation and student enrollment, which gives you the freedom to build as many courses or coaching programs as you want.

Skillshare

With Skillshare, you can customize the student’s learning path.

You can organize classes into playlists and let students set their own pace. Whether you prefer quick 10-minute tutorials or deeper dives into topics, there’s flexibility in how you structure your learning experience.

The video sequence label is also a great feature. It lets students easily jump between lessons or rewatch specific sections.

Additionally, you can allow students to participate in projects or workshops to promote interactivity.

Now, it’s important to note that Skillshare Originals sets the bar for quality and inspiration.

These professionally produced courses feature concise, well-structured videos with engaging visuals and practical examples. SkillShare continuously audits their content to maintain quality, so they can provide great references as you develop your own content.

MemberPress

One of the most interesting course customization features in MemberPress is cohort, which is a fancy name for group learning.

If you’re interested in setting this up, then you can check out our guide on how to offer cohort-based online courses.

Cohort-based online courses are structured so that everyone learns together, with set start and end dates. This helps create a sense of community and keeps students accountable.

Plus, students get to interact with both their instructors and classmates, making the learning experience more engaging and collaborative.

You can also require users to take a quiz before advancing to the next lesson with the MemberPress Quizzes addon.

Simply toggle the switch next to the ‘Require Previous Lesson/Quiz’ option in the course ‘Settings’ panel. This ensures users must complete the quiz before progressing further in the course.

MemberPress also offers these powerful addons for enhancing your online courses:

• MemberPress Assignments: Assign essays, digital projects, video recordings, and web-based projects to your students.
• MemberPress Gradebook: Manage student grades and real-time progress tracking in one place. It also makes it easier to provide personalized feedback.

Plus, the MemberPress CoachKit addon helps you organize and manage online coaching programs with features like client tracking, milestone setting, habit formation, and communication tools.

Milestones and habits are two key parts of the CoachKit addon. They let you set goals with due dates and organize tasks, respectively.

For each milestone, you’ll add a goal name, due date, and optional check-in questions.

Meanwhile, you can create habits by setting frequency and optional check-in questions.

Once everything is set up, you can click ‘Publish’ for the program to make it available to clients.

Here’s what it might look like in the client’s dashboard:

For details, you can see our guide on how to offer online coaching in WordPress.

Winner – MemberPress

MemberPress takes the lead because it gives you more flexibility and control when creating and selling online courses. For example, MemberPress allows you to set up cohort-based courses where everyone learns together at the same time or offer direct coaching sessions.

You can even offer different kinds of assignments with MemberPress and track student grades directly from your dashboard. These features make it easy to personalize your online courses and keep your students engaged.

Marketing Integrations

Marketing your online course effectively is very important for attracting students and boosting sales. A platform with strong marketing features can help you reach a wider audience and engage with potential learners more efficiently.

Let’s explore how each platform stacks up when it comes to marketing tools and features.

Teachable

Teachable works seamlessly with popular third-party tools, including AWeber, Zapier, and Kit. These integrations are designed to make your life easier by streamlining your marketing and operations.

With AWeber, you can manage email campaigns and engage with your students more effectively.

Zapier lets you automate tasks between Teachable and other apps, saving you time and effort. Meanwhile, Kit helps you with personalized marketing, making it easier to create email campaigns that reach the right audience at the right time.

The platform also offers a powerful sales page builder, which allows you to auto-generate professional-looking pages to market your courses and attract more students.

We also discovered Teachable offers options to enable abandoned cart emails. This allows you to reach out to potential students who didn’t complete their purchase, encouraging them to return and enroll.

Additionally, Teachable offers features for student referrals and affiliate marketing. From a marketing perspective, encouraging your students to share your courses with others helps you grow your business.

Skillshare

Skillshare is pretty limited when it comes to third-party integrations. The platform is designed to be all-in-one, so it’s not the best option if you’re looking to promote beyond your account.

Plus, as a Skillshare teacher, you’ll join a platform with over 30,000 courses. This is a highly competitive market.

Optimizing your Skillshare courses looks pretty much the same as optimizing WordPress website content. By using SEO techniques, you can make your course more visible to its target audience.

For details, you can check out our ultimate SEO guide for beginners.

Then, don’t forget to choose a standout cover image, as it’s one of the first things students notice. You should also make sure you fill out your teacher profile to build trust and credibility with students.

We like that Skillshare has ‘Staff Picks’, which are high-quality classes that are endorsed and promoted by the Skillshare team. Getting one of these badges could make your courses more visible and likely to be chosen by students.

Finally, you can promote your class on your social media, WordPress website, or any other platform to attract students to your Skillshare courses.

Plus, we found that many instructors share external resources, such as apps and websites, that can boost the learning experience.

MemberPress

MemberPress makes it easy to connect with popular email services like Constant Contact, AWeber, and Drip. These tools are perfect for keeping your audience engaged and running effective marketing campaigns.

For referral programs, it works well with AffiliateWP. Plus, it integrates with Stripe and PayPal to accept payments for your memberships and online courses.

On top of that, you can connect MemberPress with many other apps to expand its functionality even further.

We also found features like content dripping and expiration dates to keep your learners engaged. They let you gradually release content and offer exclusive access to time-sensitive material.

This approach taps into the fear of missing out (FOMO), encouraging learners to stay active and invested in your courses or memberships.

Additionally, MemberPress uses automated notifications to keep learners informed about new content, upcoming deadlines, or special offers.

These reminders not only keep them engaged but also prompt them to take action, whether it’s completing a lesson, renewing their subscription, or making a purchase.

MemberPress supports bulk membership purchases and even lets others resell your memberships, too. This means that other businesses and organizations can help grow your audience and boost your revenue.

Winner – MemberPress

When it comes to marketing your online courses, MemberPress stands out.

While Teachable offers some great tools like a sales page generator and email marketing integrations, MemberPress takes it a step further with its deeper integration and more engaging features.

For example, MemberPress lets you connect with popular email services, helping you run highly targeted campaigns and keep your audience engaged.

Plus, it offers content dripping and expiration dates, which tap into FOMO (fear of missing out) to keep your learners invested and motivated to progress through your course.

Pricing

Pricing is a key consideration for course creators, especially since many creators are working with tight budgets. It’s important to understand what each plan offers and how the cost aligns with the features you need.

Let’s take a closer look at the pricing for each platform to help you make the best decision for your needs.

Teachable

The Teachable free version may seem attractive. However, it lacks important features, including content dripping.

Teachable paid plans start at $39 per month, but they tend to be more expensive than most online course platforms.

Additionally, some plans include transaction fees. For instance, the Basic plan charges a 5% fee on each transaction.

We also discovered that Teachable supports payment processing through PayPal, Stripe, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.

However, the timing of when you receive payments depends on the plan you choose.

Skillshare

Skillshare’s pricing is one of its standout features: you don’t need to pay to teach on this platform.

Now, since the platform works on a subscription system, people pay either monthly or yearly for a Skillshare membership. Each month, around 20% of Skillshare’s total subscription income goes towards paying teachers.

It’s important to note that teachers earn money based on the number of minutes of their classes watched and the engagement of students with their content.

Lastly, Skillshare uses Tipalti to process teacher payments.

MemberPress

MemberPress offers 3 main pricing plans to fit different needs:

• Basic ($179.50/year): Great for beginners, this plan supports unlimited members and integrates with Stripe and PayPal for payments.
• Plus ($299.50/year): Adds features like quizzes, certificates, and forums, making it ideal for interactive courses.
• Pro ($399.50/year): Includes bulk membership sales and tools like OptinMonster for advanced course monetization.

Then, you also have Elite. This plan integrates with CoachKit, which is perfect for offering personalized coaching alongside your courses.

When it comes to how much you’ll earn from selling online courses with MemberPress, it’s completely up to you. You have the freedom to set your own prices, whether it’s a one-time payment, subscription, or even a tiered pricing structure.

Plus, you won’t have to pay third-party platform fees to create and sell your online courses.

This flexibility allows you to tailor your pricing to your target audience and business goals, giving you complete control over how you monetize your course content.

Winner – MemberPress

While Skillshare’s no-cost entry and Teachable‘s affordability are appealing, MemberPress takes the win when it comes to pricing flexibility.

With plans starting at just $179.50 per year, MemberPress also offers more control over your earnings. You can set your own course prices, whether you prefer one-time payments, subscriptions, or even tiered pricing. You will also get to keep all of your profits.

This means you can adapt your pricing strategy based on your audience and business goals, giving you much more freedom compared to Skillshare’s revenue-sharing model.

Which Is the Best: Teachable vs. Skillshare vs. MemberPress?

When comparing Teachable vs. Skillshare vs. MemberPress, MemberPress stands out as the best option for most users. While all 3 platforms have their perks, MemberPress offers a unique combination of flexibility, customization, and pricing control that others can’t match.

Teachable is great if you want a straightforward platform with built-in sales pages and email marketing tools. But it can get pricey, especially with its transaction fees on some plans. It’s also less flexible when it comes to setting your own prices and offering memberships.

Skillshare is perfect for those who want to teach through videos without upfront costs. However, it works on a subscription model, where you earn based on how many minutes your students watch. This can be unpredictable, and you have less control over your pricing and monetization options.

MemberPress, on the other hand, gives you full control.

Whether you’re selling courses, memberships, or both, you get to set your own prices and offer different payment options. With flexible plans and features like quizzes, certificates, and automated notifications, MemberPress helps you create a more interactive and engaging learning experience.

Plus, it integrates seamlessly with popular tools, so you can grow your business even further.

Overall, MemberPress is the clear winner if you’re looking for a platform that lets you control pricing, build a community, and provide a personalized learning experience.

FAQs About Teachable vs. Skillshare vs. MemberPress

To help clear up any remaining doubts, let’s dive into some frequently asked questions about Teachable, Skillshare, and MemberPress or any eLearning-related ones.

What platforms are available to create an online course?

There are many platforms that can help you create online courses, including Teachable, Skillshare, and WordPress with an LMS plugin.

For WordPress users, plugins like Thrive Apprentice, AccessAlly, and MemberPress are all great options.

You can check out our expert picks of the best LMS plugins for WordPress for more details.

What is the average cost of creating an online course website?

The cost depends on factors like web hosting, a domain name, and premium tools. Expect to spend on these essentials, but it’s worth it for a professional setup. Generally speaking, you’re looking at $100 to $500 to $3000, to even as high as $30,000 or more.

For more information, you can refer to our guide on how much it really costs to build a WordPress website.

What are free platforms for creating a membership website?

You can start with platforms like Skillshare or Gumroad for free.

However, investing in premium tools like MemberPress combined with its Courses and CoachKit addons gives you more features and better control over your site.

Is MemberPress an LMS?

Not exactly. It’s a membership plugin that works great for online courses when paired with its Courses and CoachKit addons. To learn more about how MemberPress works, you can check out our complete MemberPress review.

We hope this article has helped you see the differences between Teachable vs. Skillshare vs. MemberPress. Next, you might want to check out our guide on how to create and sell online courses and how to run a virtual classroom.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

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Among other options, we looked closely at both MemberPress Courses and LearnDash.

In our opinion, MemberPress Courses stands out for its built-in, powerful membership features, while LearnDash is great for its course management tools and simplicity.

But which WordPress courses plugin is the best fit for your business?

In this article, we’ll dive in and compare MemberPress Courses and LearnDash to help you make the right choice for your online business.

Quick Overview: MemberPress Courses vs. LearnDash

Looking for a summary? Here’s an at-a-glance comparison of how the 2 plugins perform in each category:

An Introduction to MemberPress Courses vs. LearnDash

When it comes to creating and selling online courses, MemberPress Courses and LearnDash are two of the most popular WordPress Learning Management System (LMS) plugins available. Both offer powerful tools for building professional courses but cater to different needs.

MemberPress Courses is perfect for people who want a straightforward and familiar LMS experience. It features a course builder based on the WordPress block editor, allowing you to create lessons, topics, videos, and more using the tools you already know.

Its built-in virtual classroom is distraction-free and works seamlessly with any WordPress theme, saving you time on styling and improving course completion rates.

Plus, it includes advanced membership features like flexible pricing plans, drip content scheduling, and integrations with top email marketing tools to help you sell and manage your courses effectively.

On the other hand, LearnDash stands out for its versatility and beginner-friendly features. Its drag-and-drop course builder makes it easy to create unlimited lessons, quizzes, and categories.

LearnDash also offers built-in AI tools that help you generate course outlines and quizzes in just a few clicks.

With advanced quiz management options, drip content scheduling, and tools to keep students engaged, LearnDash is designed for course creators who want control and interactivity.

Both plugins have unique strengths. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at MemberPress Courses and LearnDash to help you decide which one is the best fit for your online learning business.

Here’s a quick overview of the factors we will cover:

Now, let’s break down the features of these two WordPress form plugins to find out which one suits your online project better.

Ease of Use

A beginner-friendly LMS plugin will enable you to build and personalize online courses without any coding knowledge.

Let’s explore how the ease of use compares between these two WordPress LMS plugins.

LearnDash – Ease of Use

LearnDash makes it easy to set up and start building online courses. After installing and activating the plugin, the onboarding wizard walks you through everything.

It collects your information, sets up group settings, and helps you integrate a payment gateway like Stripe and even your WooCommerce store.

When testing it out, one of the coolest features of LearnDash that we discovered was its AI course builder.

This tool uses OpenAI to generate a course outline for you. All you have to do is enter some basic information about your course, and the AI will create an outline with lesson titles. You can then tweak these titles and add your own lesson content.

If you prefer a more hands-on approach, then LearnDash also offers a drag-and-drop course builder. This user-friendly builder lets you create lessons, sections, and headings without any coding. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to build courses quickly and easily.

In addition to text-based content, you can also add multimedia to your lessons using the drag-and-drop builder. You can upload videos, images, audio files, SWF files, HTML5, and more.

This makes it simple to create rich, engaging content that keeps your students interested.

MemberPress Courses – Ease of Use

The MemberPress Courses addon uses the WordPress block editor, so if you’re already comfortable with WordPress, then you’ll feel right at home.

Once you click on the ‘Add new course’ button, you’ll arrive at the ‘Course Page’ tab in the course builder. Here, you can add essential details such as the course topic, title, and description.

Then, there are also options to add the course categories and tags. You can also set a featured image for your course for a more polished look.

The ‘Curriculum’ tab in the course builder is where you’ll create the course sections. They serve as modules for your course.

Within each section, you can add as many lessons by entering a title and editing the lesson content as needed.

The next step is to add the learning materials.

You can upload downloadables and add links to your learning materials in the ‘Resources’ tab. MemberPress Courses also allows you to compose your text-based materials directly in the text area.

After that, you can customize how the course is presented and organized in the ‘Settings’ tab. Here, you are able to:

• Add a lesson title
• Include the course in your listings
• Create a sales page to attract students
• Require users to complete previous lessons or quizzes before moving forward
• Display an accordion layout on the course page or sidebar
• Enable automated content dripping to release lessons over time

In the final step, you can choose to enable certificates for the course.

All you have to do is switch the toggle in the ‘Certificates’ tab and then follow the customization options, field by field.

Once all lessons and resources are added, you can go ahead and click the ‘Publish’ button to make your course live.

Winner – LearnDash

LearnDash is the easier option for beginners, thanks to its simple setup process and helpful onboarding wizard. The Course AI builder and drag-and-drop course builder make creating courses fast and intuitive.

On the other hand, MemberPress Courses uses the familiar WordPress block editor. However, it can feel a bit complex for beginners to set up initially, as it doesn’t give you a live preview of what the course might look like.

eLearning Features

eLearning features can simplify and speed up the course creation process. With the right tools, you can easily build and customize online courses to suit your needs without needing technical expertise.

Here’s how LearnDash vs. MemberPress Courses compare for eLearning features.

LearnDash – eLearning Features

To create interactive quizzes with LearnDash, you can choose from a variety of question types, like multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, or even rating-based assessments. This flexibility helps you keep quizzes engaging and varied.

We personally love how you can add hints to guide learners and offer custom feedback based on their answers, making the learning experience feel more personal.

LearnDash also gives you control over how students interact with quizzes. You can set time limits, limit the number of attempts, and even randomize questions to keep things fair.

But quizzes aren’t the only way to assess learners.

You can also ask students to upload assignments for review. LearnDash lets you add assignments to lessons or topics and even set specific file type limits or maximum file sizes. When assignments are submitted, you can choose whether to approve them automatically or manually.

If you want to make sure students put in their best effort, then you can hold off on letting them move forward until you’ve reviewed their work.

Plus, LearnDash goes even further with Adaptive Learning Paths. This means you can set up a challenge exam at the start of a course to see if the learner is ready. If they pass, they can skip ahead to more advanced material.

To help students focus, LearnDash offers a Focus Mode.

This mode removes distractions like sidebars and navigation menus so learners can concentrate on the course material.

You can also create a custom menu that only appears when the student hovers over their profile picture, making it easy for them to access important pages without being distracted.

MemberPress Courses – eLearning Features

MemberPress Courses is a great tool for creating and selling courses on your WordPress site, whether you’re running a small course or building an entire online school.

We really appreciate the virtual classroom feature, which automatically takes care of the styling. So, you don’t need to worry about making the course look good, as it’s already perfectly integrated with your WordPress eLearning theme.

Plus, the classroom is designed to be distraction-free, which helps keep students focused and boosts course completion rates.

Then, there’s the Quizzes add-on for MemberPress Courses.

It allows you to create interactive assessments that engage students, improve material retention, and track their progress.

With diverse question types, such as multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay formats, you can customize quizzes to suit your teaching style.

It even offers advanced formats, such as Sort the Values and Match Matrix. These questions ask your students to order scrambled questions/answers and connect question/answer pairs, respectively.

Then, you can set passing scores, allow retakes, and provide tailored feedback to help students improve.

For even deeper engagement, assigning projects is easy using the Assignments add-on. This add-on supports task link submissions and multimedia project assignments, where students can combine different media types.

All assignments can be submitted directly through the course interface, making it simple for both students and instructors.

To tie it all together, the MemberPress Courses Gradebook add-on keeps track of all quizzes and assignments in one place.

This feature makes it easy to evaluate performance at a glance and provides a streamlined grading experience.

Additioanlly, if you’re looking to create a coaching program, then you can consider integrating the MemberPress CoachKit™ addon with your courses.

This add-on lets you set up unlimited online coaching programs with milestones (goals with set due dates) and habits (tasks with due dates) to track learners’ progress. It also allows you to schedule both in-person and virtual coaching sessions, and offer cohort-based group coaching.

Winner – MemberPress Courses

While LearnDash offers solid quiz features and customizable learning paths, MemberPress Courses takes the lead with its all-in-one solution.

It has everything you need to create an online course: a distraction-free classroom, interactive quizzes with diverse question types, and an assignments feature for media files and link drops. The gradebook feature ties it all together so you can track and evaluate student progress effortlessly.

Plus, the CoachKit™ add-on for coaching programs adds incredible value for educators.

Course Customization Options

To maintain great communication with your students and learn more about their progress, you will need to set up notification emails and configure tracking. You may also wish to customize your course settings to control who can enroll and when, restrict specific content, and make more money from your online courses.

In the following sections, let’s look at the different customization options offered by LearnDash and MemberPress Courses.

LearnDash – Customization Options

With the LearnDash Notifications addon, you can send automated emails whenever a learner takes certain actions, like completing a course or passing an assignment. You can also further personalize these emails with the learner’s name, score, and course title.

Then, to help keep learners connected and encourage them to take more classes, you are able to use these emails to suggest other courses or notify students about new releases.

In addition, LearnDash lets you set course expiration dates to encourage learners to complete their training by a certain time or renew their subscriptions. You can set a specific time limit based on when a student enrolls.

Alternatively, you have the option to apply the same start and end dates for everyone.

If you set a start date, you can even use FOMO to build excitement by pre-selling your course before it launches.

MemberPress Courses – Customization Options

Creating and selling courses with MemberPress is super flexible. You can offer different pricing options or create subscription membership plans.

That being said, setting up your first plan may require some time and attention to detail, especially if you’re new to membership sites.

Now, creating membership levels is relatively straightforward, and you can restrict access to content types like posts, pages, categories, tags, and even online courses.

Restricting content is also manageable. With just a few clicks, you can limit access to specific pages or entire sections of your site.

The plugin also makes it easy to keep your members engaged and informed with built-in emails like welcome messages and payment receipts. These emails help members feel valued and encourage them to visit your site.

You can easily customize these emails using the user-friendly editor.

Then, you might want to use your own messaging, logo, and branding to make the emails feel more personal. Plus, you can use smart tags to insert the member’s name, membership level, and other details to increase engagement.

MemberPress integrates with top email marketing services, so you can easily add new students to your email list and keep them engaged. This also allows you to release lessons on a schedule using the automatic drip content feature to prevent students from feeling overwhelmed.

You can even set expiration dates for content, creating a sense of urgency and encouraging learners to act before the content is gone.

Additionally, MemberPress allows you to set up a content paywall.

This means that you can restrict access to certain content and either ask members to pay or sign up for a free account, which is a great way to grow your email list or make money over time.

You can also allow non-members to see a portion of the content for free, encouraging them to sign up for full access.

Winner – MemberPress Courses

MemberPress Courses wins when it comes to customization. To sell your courses, you can easily create flexible membership plans and levels from the main MemberPress area.

Its built-in emails, like welcome messages and payment receipts, are fully customizable with your branding and smart tags. Plus, tools like content dripping, expiration dates, and paywalls help you manage access, create urgency, and drive sign-ups.

Additional Features and Integrations

Extra features and third-party integrations can make an online course more powerful. They add new functionality, automate tasks, and improve data management.

Let’s look at MemberPress Courses vs. LearnDash when it comes to extra features and integrations.

LearnDash – Additional Features and Integrations

LearnDash offers some powerful additional features and integrations for eLearning sites.

If you want to reuse content across different courses, then you can clone an existing course with just one click. This is perfect for creating multiple versions, like beginner and advanced, or starting new courses with your standard template.

LearnDash supports PayPal, Stripe, Razorpay, and 2Checkout for payments and works well with other eCommerce plugins like Easy Digital Downloads.

Additionally, LearnDash has templates from Kadence and other themes that are designed specifically for the plugin, helping you customize your site further.

MemberPress Courses – Additional Features and Integrations

As an eLearning platform, MemberPress Courses offers some powerful features.

You can sell group memberships with the Corporate Accounts add-on, which allows group members to create sub-accounts and easily manage them. You can even set limits to prevent misuse of corporate accounts.

This can be handy if you want to expand your online courses to businesses and other corporate organizations.

When it comes to payment gateways, MemberPress supports PayPal and Stripe, making transactions quick and easy for your learners.

MemberPress also supports many popular email marketing providers like AWeber, Mailchimp, and GetResponse.

For more flexibility, the plugin integrates with WooCommerce to allow you to sell products or create a private members-only online store. You can also connect it with Zapier and Uncanny Automator to automate workflows.

Winner – MemberPress Courses

While LearnDash has some great features, MemberPress Courses takes the lead with its versatile tools. Features like group memberships make it easy to manage content and memberships, and it also integrates seamlessly with PayPal, Stripe, WooCommerce, and email tools.

Pricing Plans

When it comes to getting the most value for your money, the price tag is something you can’t overlook. In this section, let’s take a look at how MemberPress Courses and LearnDash stack up in terms of cost.

LearnDash – Pricing Plans

LearnDash offers 3 pricing plans based on the number of sites you need. Overall, in our opinion, LearnDash’s pricing is competitive for those needing scalability in course management.

• The Single Site plan costs $199 per year and is perfect for solo course creators or small businesses. It includes all features and support.
• The 10 Site plan is $399 per year, ideal for people managing multiple sites or niches.
• For maximum flexibility, the Unlimited Sites plan is $799 per year. It can be used on unlimited sites, making it great for agencies or large businesses.

MemberPress Courses – Pricing Plans

MemberPress offers 4 pricing plans to suit different needs. All plans offer unlimited members, no transaction fees, and scalability, making MemberPress a solid option for membership site management.

• The Basic plan costs $179.50 per year and includes essential features for beginners, like no transaction fees and integrations with Stripe and PayPal for selling memberships.
• The Plus plan, at $299.50 per year, adds engagement features like forums, quizzes, and certificates, ideal for small businesses.
• The Pro plan, priced at $399.50 per year, is designed for larger sites with bulk membership sales, plus tools like OptinMonster and TrustPulse for growth.
• The Elite plan, also $399.50 per year, integrates with CoachKit to offer personalized coaching services.

Winner – Tie

When it comes to pricing, MemberPress Courses and LearnDash both offer solid options depending on your needs, but they target different types of users.

MemberPress is a great choice for creating online courses and membership sites with features like content protection, subscriptions, and integration with popular payment systems. Its pricing plans are scalable, making it ideal for growing businesses.

On the other hand, LearnDash is a better option for users who want a more traditional LMS solution that focuses on course creation, delivery, and student management. Its multi-site plans make it very attractive if you plan to run multiple training websites.

MemberPress Courses vs. LearnDash: Which One Is Better?

MemberPress Courses and LearnDash are 2 great options. But if you’re looking for a complete solution, then MemberPress Courses is the better pick in our opinion.

While LearnDash is known for its powerful course creation tools, MemberPress Courses offers something extra: it lets you manage memberships, too.

This means you can sell courses and handle memberships all in one place. It’s a great choice if you want a simple way to manage both your courses and your members without needing multiple plugins.

Plus, MemberPress Courses is packed with everything you need to craft an engaging online course:

• The Classroom mode offers a distraction-free learning environment.
• The Quizzes add-on provides a wide range of question types.
• The Assignments add-on allows for media uploads and link sharing.
• The Gradebook add-on ties it all together, making it easy to track and evaluate student progress without the hassle.

Plus, for educators looking to take their teaching to the next level, the CoachKit™ add-on offers powerful features for coaching programs.

MemberPress Courses also works smoothly with the WordPress block editor, which makes creating and organizing your content easier.

On the other hand, LearnDash offers advanced tools for course creators who need more flexibility, such as complex quizzes and detailed content scheduling. If you’re focused mainly on creating courses with a lot of extra features, then LearnDash is definitely a strong contender.

FAQs About MemberPress Courses vs. LearnDash

Let’s clear up some common questions about MemberPress and LearnDash. We hope these answers can help you decide which tool is best for your online courses and memberships.

Is LearnDash an LMS?

Yes, LearnDash is a learning management system (LMS) designed for creating and selling online courses. It’s packed with tools for building lessons, quizzes, and other educational content.

Is MemberPress worth it?

Absolutely! MemberPress is an excellent choice for selling courses and managing memberships. Its user-friendly features and flexibility make it a solid investment if you want to make more money online.

What is MemberPress used for?

MemberPress is a WordPress plugin for managing memberships and selling content, including online courses. It lets you restrict access to pages, posts, and files while offering flexible pricing options.

How do I create a course in MemberPress?

Creating a course in MemberPress is simple with the MemberPress Courses addon. You can use the built-in course builder with the WordPress block editor to design lessons, add videos, and organize topics. For more details, you can check out our article on how to create and sell online courses.

Do membership sites make money?

Yes, membership sites can be highly profitable. By offering valuable content like courses or exclusive resources, you can earn recurring income through subscriptions or one-time payments.

We hope this article on MemberPress Courses vs. LearnDash has been helpful. If you still have doubts, you might want to have a look at our expert picks of the best LMS plugins for WordPress and our guide on how to create and sell online courses.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

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