Softwr

LMS · head to head

Edmodo vs LearnDash

E

Edmodo

LMS

Social learning network for K-12 education

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 Edmodo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Edmodo covers Class management, LearnDash covers Course builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Edmodo and LearnDash actually diverge.

Attributes where Edmodo and LearnDash differ
AttributeEdmodoLearnDash
Starting priceFree$199/year
Pricing modelfreePer site per year
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, WordPress
Founded2008Unknown

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 Edmodo

  • Class management
  • Assignments
  • Quizzes
  • Messaging
  • Library
  • Progress tracking
  • Parent accounts
  • 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.

Edmodo

  • Classroom communicationnot LearnDash
  • Assignment managementnot LearnDash
  • Resource sharingnot LearnDash
  • Parent engagementnot LearnDash

LearnDash

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

Where each one falls short

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

Edmodo

Nothing recorded yet. See the Edmodo review.

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

Edmodo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Classes
    • Assignments
    • Messaging

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 Edmodo if

  • You need class management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want assignments.
Edmodo review

Choose LearnDash if

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

Questions people ask

Is Edmodo or LearnDash better?
Neither clearly leads. Edmodo 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, Edmodo or LearnDash?
Edmodo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Edmodo and $199/year for LearnDash.
Does Edmodo or LearnDash run on more platforms?
Edmodo runs on Web, IOS, Android. LearnDash runs on Web, WordPress.
Can I use Edmodo for free?
Yes. Edmodo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LearnDash starts at $199/year.
What is Edmodo best used for?
Edmodo is most often used for classroom communication, assignment management, resource sharing, parent engagement. Of those, classroom communication and assignment management are not what LearnDash is typically brought in for.
What can Edmodo do that LearnDash cannot?
Edmodo covers Class management, Assignments, Quizzes, Messaging. LearnDash covers Course builder, Quiz engine, Certificates, Groups and group leaders.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

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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