Whether it’s a small education business that you are running or an entire training institute, opting for the right online platform for your business is imperative – a trusted software solution with not just a system for seamless content delivery but also with functionalities for assessment, practice, and user management to go with it.
However, in a market of over 800 Learning Management Systems (LMS) with ‘n’ number of features, it may be difficult to pin down the best one out there.
Being around as one of the top players in the LMS industry for nine years, LearnDash has definitely gained trust but when it comes to taking big business decisions, it’s best not to move with haste.
We have charted out a detailed comparison of some of the equally amazing alternatives handpicked by us that may prove beneficial for your business.
Table of Contents
Top 6 LearnDash Alternatives: In-depth Review
1. Graphy
Graphy is an all-inclusive online platform that lets you create, market, and sell digital courses globally through the completely white-labeled websites and mobile apps that come with the package.
It offers unlimited learners, live session recordings, course notifications, in-built email integration, in-app community interaction, and much more.
While LearnDash may be easy to pick up on, it trails behind when it comes to these aspects. As a matter of fact, Graphy covers everything that doesn’t come with a LearnDash subscription, making it an even more preferable choice – an LMS solution that is truly hard to beat.
Who is it for?
Graphy is a platform equally beneficial to new and old players in the educator economy.
It provides an array of features for you to launch your courses as a beginner and advanced marketing tools to get your sales numbers up and make it to the top. Trusted by the best in the business, it is one platform that you can definitely rely on for years to come.
Course Creation
Be it images, video, audio, PDFs, quizzes or SCORM files, Graphy supports it all! You can upload any type of content one by one or in bulk through their multimedia course builder and make your course content-rich.
The built-in Zoom feature also lets you conduct live classes and if you have an active Zoom license, you can integrate it with the platform as well.
Whether you want to launch self-paced or instructor-led courses or you wish to schedule your content as per dates and specific time intervals, you have complete control of it.
Pros
- It contains a wide range of features such as unlimited users and courses, effective payment gateways, Content Scheduling, Promo Codes, Refer and Earn, etc.
- It provides the users real-time round-the-clock customer support.
- You can conduct live classes through the in-built Zoom feature or integrate your existing Zoom license and use the Enforce Sequential Learning feature for impeccable results.
- It offers 360-degree security of your content through Content Encryption & Protection (Digital Rights Management) and Secure Video Streaming,
- It is super convenient to use and thus is considered to be a beginner-friendly platform.
- Its content features include PDFs, Videos, Audio files, SCORM Packages, Downloadable files, Text files, Quizzes – both subjective and objective (MCQ as well), Live Tests, Assignments and Forms.
- It is a solid Learning Management System providing all the tools required to make an efficient course and market it to the widest possible audience.
Cons
- Graphy consists of a plethora of features. So, for a beginner, it might be a little difficult to navigate through the platform without the help of a demo or a relationship manager.
Pricing Plans
They have the following pricing options:
- Their Free plan lets you use the core features absolutely free of cost.
- The Basic plan is priced at $54/month, billed annually.
- The Pro plan is priced at $109/month, billed annually.
- The Business plan is priced at $182/month, billed annually.
- The Advanced plan is priced at $320/month, billed annually.
And if you wish to get a custom package designed as per your business model and requirements, you can opt for their Enterprise plan.
2. Thinkific
Thinkific is one of the top platforms designed for launching courses with minimum technical skills.
While you work on your course content and sales, Thinkific aids with everything else you need to launch it like website hosting, security, and updates. Using this platform, anyone can quickly launch and deliver content on their own branded website.
Who is it for?
Thinkific is a cloud-based platform best suited for those who prefer not to do the heavy-lifting and want to get their courses launched quickly.
The platform offers options for coding and programming but there are certain limitations to it. Hence, it would make for a perfect fit for small businesses and entrepreneurs who are more focused on online course creation and promotion.
Course Creation
While creating your course, you need to add existing resources as part of the course content. Thinkific also supports a handful of file types like MP3 & WAV audio, MP4 videos hosted on Wistia, PDF, and iFrame links.
Like Graphy, you can also upload multiple files using their Bulk Importer feature and make the process less tedious and more efficient.
Pros
- Courses can be very easily created and customized through their course builder. The content can be organized in categories and hence becomes easy to manage.
- A countless number of integrations are available on the platform. You keep getting access to handy integrations as you pay more and more.
- You can add prerequisites in the course content on the Pro plan and above.
- Their site builder comes equipped with highly customizable features like styles, colors, typography, etc and you can do it all without any coding headaches.
- They have tons of marketing tools like coupons, sales widgets, the affiliate dashboard, etc.
Cons
- They have very limited tools and functionalities to market your courses since the efforts are more inclined towards creating and launching courses
- Lack of built-in community features and email marketing, You’ll need to opt for third-party tools and services.
- It doesn’t come with an elaborate built-in analytics dashboard.
Pricing Plans
They have the following pricing options:
- Their Free plan offers the core features free of charge.
- The Basic plan is priced at $39/ month.
- The Pro plan is priced at $79/ month.
- The Premier plan is priced at $399/ month.
Just like Graphy, Thinkific also offers an Enterprise plan for those who run businesses of large volumes and require custom packages.
3. Teachable
Teachable is one of the most budget-friendly LMS solutions available out there, serving as an avenue for online educators to build and sell courses of their own.
The customization options are less than LearnDash in number but it ranks higher considering the pricing factor.
Teachable also has an edge when it comes to student engagement and interaction, ease of navigation, selling & marketing tools, and customer support.
Who is it for?
Teachable caters to the needs of a similar set of audiences like that of Thinkific – solo entrepreneurs and small companies that wish to build a passive income source by selling courses without going into the nitty-gritty of it.
It is a common choice for educators who are more inclined to create video-driven course content. It is most sought after by those who want to get Thinkific-like offerings at a much lower price point.
Course Creation
After uploading your course content, you can organize them into sections and lectures. Teachable follows the standard course creation process, supporting common file types like MP4, MOV, or AVI video, PNG or JPG images, MP3 audio, and PDF.
SCORM packages are not supported by this platform and the quiz builder also offers relatively fewer options.
Pros
- Teachable comes with an extremely user-friendly interface that is intuitive and attractive at the same time.
- You can register your custom domain and use their built-in blogs for better accessibility.
- It comes with a built-in payment processor and has taxation settings for those who wish to dive in-depth.
- Teachable offers a good range of marketing & sales tools like single checkout pages, affiliate marketing tools, and customized thank you pages.
- You can also add discussion and comment sections in the course so as to gather feedback and build credibility.
Cons
- The website is not completely white-labeled like that of Graphy. There will always be a Teachable URL on your pages for branding purposes.
- Only basic level customizations are available in their site builder. For advanced features, you will need to hire someone with good programming skills
- While Thinkific offers 3 themes, Teachable provides only 1.
Pricing Plans
They have the following pricing options:
- The Free plan is to let you use the core set of features, free of charge.
- The Basic plan is priced at $29/ month, billed annually.
- The Pro plan is priced at $99/ month, billed annually.
- The Business plan is priced at $249/ month, billed annually.
4. Kajabi
Kajabi is a web-based software platform that goes beyond creating and delivering courses. It reigns supreme when it comes to emphasizing more on email and marketing campaign-related efforts.
With its built-in email management, sales funnel builder, and marketing automation, Kajabi has a high market standing as an all-in-one course platform that doesn’t require third-party tools.
Who is it for?
Kajabi is ideal for educators who prefer to operate a wide variety of digital products from a single dashboard.
It is best suited for training centers and institutes that are selling simple products and those who do not want to worry about having to use multiple solutions for one tool.
Course Creation
While it supports all major audio, video and image file types, you can also upload PDFs, PPTs, DOCs and TXTs as part of your course content.
It facilitates dragging and dropping of content but managing the builder comes with quite a learning curve. The uploading of your content and designing of structure is done through Product Blueprint which also comes with sample structures and editable preset templates.
It comes with a quiz builder of its own but does not support advanced features like question banks.
Pros
- Kajabi is marketing-focused and comes with a full suite of options for digital marketing.
- There is flexibility in pricing and you can offer course bundles or announce limited period discounts.
- You get unlimited Wistia hosting for you to add videos to your course content or its landing page, as per your needs.
- There is versatility when it comes to site design – different themes can be picked for different products.
- You can grow your audience and market your courses to a wider audience via testimonials, sales pipeline builders and a variety of other tools.
- The analytics dashboard is a bonus as you get to track the performance of your videos too.
Cons
- There isn’t any central media library. To re-use a piece of content, you will most likely need to re-upload it onto the platform which makes the process a little tedious.
- For a more robust and customized design experience, you will need to borrow help from a pro coder or consider platforms like WordPress.
Pricing Plans
They offer 3 pricing options:
- The Basic plan is priced at $119/ month, billed annually.
- The Growth plan is priced at $159/ month, billed annually.
- The Pro plan is priced at $319/ month, billed annually.
5. Podia
Podia is a relatively new name but noteworthy when it comes to cloud-based platforms that take care of all the hosting and other technical areas for you while letting you create and sell your content in the form of courses.
You can use the Podia subdomain or integrate a custom domain to build a stunning website for yourself with even zero prior experience in designing.
Who is it for?
Podia is best suited for entrepreneurs or individuals who wish to sell a chunk of digital products, courses or memberships online, in one single unified platform.
However, there are certain limitations to the platform as a fully-functional Learning Management System.
It is considered to be a good alternative to LearnDash, but if you are looking to scale your education business, you might want to consider the rest of the alternatives in the list since it’s a more creator-centric platform.
Course Creation
Podia supports all the necessary file types – audio, images, video, PDFs, except for SCORM packages. The interface is very minimalistic and self-explanatory.
You can easily upload your pre-designed content, edit course information, create & rearrange sections and create simple quizzes as part of your course.
Pros
- Podia doesn’t charge any extras costs. You get to create unlimited courses and there is no restriction on the number of students enrolled, storage, bandwidth or free downloads.
- It supports the bundling of courses and facilitates email & affiliate marketing campaigns.
- Podia plans have been priced affordably well for the features they provide.
- You have the option to launch your own affiliate platform for your fans to earn by promoting your courses and other digital products.
- They give you the storage and bandwidth to host your own video. Hence, you need not opt for any third-party video hosting services.
Cons
- Email personalization features are very limited in Podia.
- There are no built-in certification features or integration options to launch certificates.
- You cannot conduct a test run in the form of a free plan.
Pricing Plans
They offer 3 pricing options:
- The Mover plan is priced at $33/ month.
- The Shaker plan is priced at $75/ month.
- The Earthquaker plan is priced at $166/ month.
6. iSpring Market
iSpring Market is another fantastic alternative that can help digital trainers create and sell courses in the blink of an eye. You can simply upload the resources and build your online store in a matter of minutes.
The platform and the features available are pretty much easy to get a grasp, both for the instructors and the learners. It is a fully functional LMS service that lets you assign user roles to not just moderate the sales processes but also track learner performance.
Who is it for?
This platform best serves training centers, education businesses, and coaches who want to sell their courses quickly since the process is as easy as just uploading existing content to your site and the hosting and heavy-loading is taken care of by the platform.
It is also a solid bet for training institutes that wish to provide professional certification programs as the admin can view and manage all learner data and issue certificates accordingly.
Course Creation
The course creation process in iSpring Market is a cakewalk. With unlimited storage and bandwidth, you wouldn’t require a 3rd party hosting provider. It supports SCORM packages, MP4 & FLV videos, MP3 audio files, and other file types like PPT, PDFs, and DOCs.
Whatever the content, you can just upload and organize them into folders and you’re good to go! The completion settings of each learning path can also be adjusted for each chapter.
Pros
- iSpring Market is an intuitive platform that requires little-to-no technical knowledge and can be mastered in a jiff.
- The unlimited bandwidth and storage that the platform offers gives you the ease of getting started without having to purchase subscriptions to other hosting platforms.
- User roles can be customized as per different access levels.
- Certificates are unique to each course.
- Gamification features like leaderboards and badges are also available.
Cons
- Integrations and reporting features are very limited as compared to other platforms.
- Knowledge articles aren’t organized into dashboard-wise categories like that in Graphy.
- There is no option for discussion forums. Learners cannot reach out to each other directly.
Pricing Plans
Their pricing plans vary according to the number of users or subscribers you have on your course:
- 500 users, 25 GB for $77/ month, billed annually.
- 1000 users, 50 GB for $147/ month, billed annually.
- 2000 users, 100 GB for $277/ month, billed annually.
Final Thoughts- LearnDash Alternatives 2023
The table below shows a quick comparison of the platforms we have reviewed:
| Platform/ Categories | LearnDash | Graphy | Thinkific | Teachable | Kajabi | Podia | iSpring Market |
| Unlimited courses | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited Storage | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Plan for Trails | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Video Hosting | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| SCORM Content Support | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Zero Transaction Fee | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Live Chat Support | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Migration | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Starting Prices | $199/ year | $54/ month | $39/ month | $29/ month | $119/ month | $33/ month | $77/ month |
To sum it up, all the platforms listed here are known and trusted industry-wide. You need to figure out your business goals and requirements to go for the best suitable one.
While LearnDash is a great option if you want to build an eye-appealing website for selling courses, it makes sense only if you have used WordPress before or are tech-savvy.
Irrespective of whether you’re technically inclined or not, Graphy however is a great one-point solution for all your online education business needs.
Being feature-rich and affordable at the same time, Graphy caters to the largest section of the entire educator economy and is thus the clear winner that tops the list of LearnDash alternatives.
Teachable and Thinkific are similar in many ways but if you wish to take care of the basic course setup and leave the rest to an automated software at reasonable prices, Teachable is the right choice for you.
And if you prefer to get more flexibility in customization options, you can consider purchasing Thinkific’s paid plans.
For those who want to set a minimal course structure and cover the basics, Podia can make for a great choice, provided you’re not focused on marketing it as much.
If you’re into Digital Marketing and selling digital products instead of full-fledged courses, you can give Kajabi a try! You can never go wrong with the wide range of options available to improve your marketing strategy.
If you want to launch your courses as quickly and conveniently as possible, iSpring Market is the go-to platform.
However, if you’re looking to build super engaging communities and dive deeper into performance and sales reports, it’s best to go for the options listed above.
After all, the best platform for you will all come down to the kind of course content you wish to deliver and the way you envision your knowledge-based business to flourish.
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