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LMS · head to head

Cornerstone Learning vs LearnDash

Cornerstone Learning logo

Cornerstone Learning

LMS

Enterprise talent management and learning

From
On request
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

  • Each has a real cost: Cornerstone Learning no pricing is published and no tier structure is shown; 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: Cornerstone Learning covers Learning management, LearnDash covers Course builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cornerstone Learning and LearnDash actually diverge.

Attributes where Cornerstone Learning and LearnDash differ
AttributeCornerstone LearningLearnDash
Starting priceOn request$199/year
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer site per year
PlatformsWeb, IOS, Android, APIWeb, WordPress
Founded1999Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Cornerstone Learning

  • Learning management
  • Compliance tracking
  • Content marketplace
  • Skills development
  • Social learning
  • Analytics
  • Mobile app
  • AI recommendations

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.

Cornerstone Learning

  • Enterprise learning management and compliance trainingnot LearnDash
  • Talent development and skills tracking across a workforcenot LearnDash

LearnDash

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cornerstone Learning

  • No pricing is published and no tier structure is shown
  • The vendor states cost depends on organisational needs and size, with an estimate available only after a demo
  • No minimum purchase or user count is disclosed

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

Cornerstone Learning

On request
  • Learning$undefined/month
    • Course management
    • Compliance
    • Mobile
  • Talent Suite$undefined/month
    • All Learning
    • Performance
    • Recruiting

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 Cornerstone Learning if

  • You need learning management.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, API.
  • You also want compliance tracking.
Cornerstone Learning review

Choose LearnDash if

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

Questions people ask

Is Cornerstone Learning or LearnDash better?
Neither clearly leads. Cornerstone Learning starts at On request and LearnDash at $199/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cornerstone Learning or LearnDash?
Cornerstone Learning starts at On request and LearnDash at $199/year.
Does Cornerstone Learning or LearnDash run on more platforms?
Cornerstone Learning runs on Web, IOS, Android, API. LearnDash runs on Web, WordPress.
What is Cornerstone Learning best used for?
Cornerstone Learning is most often used for enterprise learning management and compliance training, talent development and skills tracking across a workforce. Of those, enterprise learning management and compliance training and talent development and skills tracking across a workforce are not what LearnDash is typically brought in for.
What can Cornerstone Learning do that LearnDash cannot?
Cornerstone Learning covers Learning management, Compliance tracking, Content marketplace, Skills development. LearnDash covers Course builder, Quiz engine, Certificates, Groups and group leaders.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cornerstone Learning: How does Cornerstone Learning determine pricing?

Cornerstone Learning uses custom pricing based on each organization's needs and size. The company does not publish standard pricing and requires organizations to contact their sales team for a personalized estimate through a free demo.

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.

Cornerstone Learning: Is there a free trial or demo available?

Yes, Cornerstone Learning offers a free personalized demo where you can discuss your requirements and receive a pricing estimate tailored to your organization.

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.

Cornerstone Learning: Does pricing vary by organization size?

Yes, pricing depends on your organization's needs and size. Each organization receives a different cost estimate based on these factors.

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.

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