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LMS · head to head

D2L Brightspace vs LearnDash

D2L Brightspace logo

D2L Brightspace

LMS

The LMS built to focus on the learning moment

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: D2L Brightspace no pricing tiers, subscription costs, or feature pricing published; requires contacting sales; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which D2L Brightspace and LearnDash actually diverge.

Attributes where D2L Brightspace and LearnDash differ
AttributeD2L BrightspaceLearnDash
Starting priceOn request$199/year
Pricing modelquotePer site per year
PlatformsWebWeb, WordPress

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 D2L Brightspace

Nothing recorded that LearnDash does not also cover.

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.

D2L Brightspace

  • Learning management system for educational institutionsnot LearnDash
  • Online course management and deliverynot LearnDash
  • Student engagement and retention trackingnot LearnDash
  • Course content creation and distributionnot LearnDash
  • Learner achievement and certification managementnot LearnDash

LearnDash

  • A creator whose course revenue has grown to the point where a percentage based platform costs more than a developer wouldnot D2L Brightspace
  • Organisations that already run WordPress and want courses on their own domain and brandnot D2L Brightspace
  • Training businesses that need learner data in a database they control rather than in a vendor accountnot D2L Brightspace
  • Agencies building course sites for multiple clients under one unlimited site licencenot D2L Brightspace

Where each one falls short

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

D2L Brightspace

  • No pricing tiers, subscription costs, or feature pricing published; requires contacting sales
  • Quote-based pricing model with no transparent cost information available
  • Multiple add-on modules (Lumi, Creator+, Achievement+, Performance+, Course Merchant, D2L Link) available but pricing not 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

D2L Brightspace

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the D2L Brightspace review.

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 D2L Brightspace if

Nothing in the data separates D2L Brightspace from LearnDash on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

D2L Brightspace review

Choose LearnDash if

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

Questions people ask

Is D2L Brightspace or LearnDash better?
Neither clearly leads. D2L Brightspace 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, D2L Brightspace or LearnDash?
D2L Brightspace starts at On request and LearnDash at $199/year.
Does D2L Brightspace or LearnDash run on more platforms?
D2L Brightspace runs on Web. LearnDash runs on Web, WordPress.
What is D2L Brightspace best used for?
D2L Brightspace is most often used for learning management system for educational institutions, online course management and delivery, student engagement and retention tracking, course content creation and distribution. Of those, learning management system for educational institutions and online course management and delivery are not what LearnDash is typically brought in for.
What can D2L Brightspace do that LearnDash cannot?
LearnDash covers Course builder, Quiz engine, Certificates, Groups and group leaders.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

D2L Brightspace: How much does D2L Brightspace cost?

D2L Brightspace does not publish pricing on its website. Prospective customers must request a demo or contact D2L sales to receive pricing quotes customized to their institution's needs.

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.

D2L Brightspace: What add-on modules does Brightspace offer?

Brightspace offers multiple add-on modules including D2L Lumi, Creator+, Achievement+, Performance+, Course Merchant, and D2L Link. Specific pricing and features for each are available by contacting D2L.

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.

D2L Brightspace: What is D2L Brightspace's retention rate?

D2L reports an 82% retention rate among customers, though this does not reflect pricing or costs.

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.

D2L Brightspace: Can I see D2L Brightspace before purchasing?

D2L Brightspace is available by demo request only. Contact D2L directly to schedule a demo and discuss pricing options for your institution.

Source
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