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LMS · head to head

ClassDojo vs LearnDash

ClassDojo logo

ClassDojo

LMS

Build amazing classroom communities

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LearnDash logo

LearnDash

LMS

WordPress plugin that turns a site you already own into a course platform with no revenue share

From
$199/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ClassDojo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ClassDojo the AI homework helper, the 2,000 plus digital book library, detailed progress reports, memory albums and calendar sync are all restricted to the paid ClassDojo Plus subscription; LearnDash the flat licence excludes everything around it. Hosting, backups, security patching, video hosting and email deliverability are now your cost and your responsibility, and they are not small once traffic grows.
  • They diverge on capability: ClassDojo covers Behavior tracking, LearnDash covers Course builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClassDojo and LearnDash actually diverge.

Attributes where ClassDojo and LearnDash differ
AttributeClassDojoLearnDash
Starting priceFree$199/year
Pricing modelfreemiumPer site per year
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, WordPress
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (LMS).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ClassDojo

  • Behavior tracking
  • Parent messaging
  • Class story
  • Student portfolios
  • Dojo points
  • Translation
  • School story
  • Mobile app

Only in LearnDash

  • Course builder
  • Quiz engine
  • Certificates
  • Groups and group leaders
  • Commerce integration
  • Ownership of data

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ClassDojo

  • classroom communication and behavior trackingnot LearnDash
  • teacher-parent communicationnot LearnDash
  • student engagement toolsnot LearnDash

LearnDash

  • A creator whose course revenue has grown to the point where a percentage based platform costs more than a developer wouldnot ClassDojo
  • Organisations that already run WordPress and want courses on their own domain and brandnot ClassDojo
  • Training businesses that need learner data in a database they control rather than in a vendor accountnot ClassDojo
  • Agencies building course sites for multiple clients under one unlimited site licencenot ClassDojo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ClassDojo

  • The AI homework helper, the 2,000 plus digital book library, detailed progress reports, memory albums and calendar sync are all restricted to the paid ClassDojo Plus subscription
  • ClassDojo Plus is sold to families rather than to schools, so parents pay for the premium tier
  • The Plus page publishes no monthly or yearly price, only a 7 day free trial
  • No pricing is published for the school leader or district offerings

LearnDash

  • The flat licence excludes everything around it. Hosting, backups, security patching, video hosting and email deliverability are now your cost and your responsibility, and they are not small once traffic grows.
  • WordPress plugin conflicts are a live risk. A core or theme update can break checkout or course progression at a moment you did not choose, and there is no vendor operations team standing behind uptime.
  • Performance under load needs deliberate hosting work. Shared hosting handles a small course and fails visibly during a launch, and fixing that is a hosting migration rather than a setting.
  • Selling requires assembling several plugins for payments, memberships and email, so the true stack is four or five vendors with independent update cycles rather than one product.
  • Support covers the plugin, not your site. When the fault sits in the interaction between your theme, your host and another plugin, resolving it is your problem and often a contractor invoice.

Pricing, plan by plan

ClassDojo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Behavior points
    • Messaging
    • Class story
  • Plus$7.99/month
    • All free features
    • Beyond School
    • Dojo Islands
  • School$undefined/month
    • School story
    • Admin tools
    • Analytics

LearnDash

$199/year
  • LearnDash LMS, 1 site$199/year
    • Single site licence
    • All course, quiz and certificate features
    • No share taken of course revenue
  • LearnDash LMS Plus, 10 sites$399/year
    • Up to ten sites
    • Same feature set
    • Suits agencies and multi brand operators
  • LearnDash LMS Pro, unlimited sites$799/year
    • Unlimited sites
    • Same feature set
    • Priced for agencies building for clients

Which should you pick?

Choose ClassDojo if

  • You need behavior tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want parent messaging.
ClassDojo review

Choose LearnDash if

  • You need course builder.
  • You work on Web, WordPress.
  • You also want quiz engine.
LearnDash review

Questions people ask

Is ClassDojo or LearnDash better?
Neither clearly leads. ClassDojo starts at Free and LearnDash at $199/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClassDojo or LearnDash?
ClassDojo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ClassDojo and $199/year for LearnDash.
Does ClassDojo or LearnDash run on more platforms?
ClassDojo runs on Web, IOS, Android. LearnDash runs on Web, WordPress.
Can I use ClassDojo for free?
Yes. ClassDojo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LearnDash starts at $199/year.
What is ClassDojo best used for?
ClassDojo is most often used for classroom communication and behavior tracking, teacher-parent communication, student engagement tools. Of those, classroom communication and behavior tracking and teacher-parent communication are not what LearnDash is typically brought in for.
What can ClassDojo do that LearnDash cannot?
ClassDojo covers Behavior tracking, Parent messaging, Class story, Student portfolios. LearnDash covers Course builder, Quiz engine, Certificates, Groups and group leaders.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ClassDojo: Is ClassDojo free?

Yes, ClassDojo core platform is free for teachers forever; the service is positioned as a free tool for educators without required payment.

Source
LearnDash: Does LearnDash take a percentage of my course sales?

No. It is a flat annual licence per site and you keep all revenue. That is the main financial argument against percentage based hosted platforms once sales volume is meaningful.

ClassDojo: What is ClassDojo Plus and how much does it cost?

ClassDojo Plus is the premium tier; specific pricing details are not published on the ClassDojo website and require direct inquiry with the company.

Source
LearnDash: What is the real total cost?

The licence plus hosting capable of handling your traffic, plus video hosting, plus an email service, plus whatever developer time keeps the stack working. Budget for the stack, not the plugin.

ClassDojo: Are parents charged to use ClassDojo?

ClassDojo does not charge parents for the service; the free platform includes parent-teacher communication features at no cost to families.

Source
LearnDash: Should I use LearnDash Cloud instead?

If you want the plugin without administering WordPress, yes. You give up some of the cost advantage and some control in exchange for not being responsible for the server.

ClassDojo: Why is ClassDojo free if there's a premium tier?

ClassDojo offers free core features to teachers to drive adoption; premium features for advanced needs or professional development are available as paid add-ons.

Source
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