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LMS · head to head

LearnDash vs TalentLMS

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
TalentLMS logo

TalentLMS

LMS

Cloud LMS built for training success

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TalentLMS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; TalentLMS the free plan is capped at 5 users and 10 courses
  • They diverge on capability: LearnDash covers Course builder, TalentLMS covers Course creation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LearnDash and TalentLMS actually diverge.

Attributes where LearnDash and TalentLMS differ
AttributeLearnDashTalentLMS
Starting price$199/yearFree
Pricing modelPer site per yearsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, WordPressWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2012

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 LearnDash

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

Only in TalentLMS

  • Course creation
  • Gamification
  • Mobile learning
  • Certifications
  • Reporting
  • Video conferencing
  • E-commerce
  • SCORM support

What people use each for

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

LearnDash

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

TalentLMS

  • Delivering employee onboarding and compliance trainingnot LearnDash
  • Running separate branded training portals for customers or partnersnot LearnDash
  • Authoring courses and tracking completion across teamsnot LearnDash

Where each one falls short

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

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.

TalentLMS

  • The free plan is capped at 5 users and 10 courses
  • Custom domain and single sign on are excluded from the free plan and start at the Core tier
  • Core at $119 per month allows only 1 branch portal; Grow allows 3 and Pro allows 15
  • Learning paths are capped at 5 on Grow and are unlimited only from Pro upward
  • AI credits on Core are a one time allocation of 5,000 rather than a monthly refill
  • Enterprise pricing is custom with no published rate and targets 1,000+ users
  • The advertised annual rates require paying for a year up front

Pricing, plan by plan

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

TalentLMS

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 users
    • Unlimited email support
    • Up to 10 courses
  • Core$119/month
    • 1-40 users
    • 1 branch
    • Unlimited courses
  • Grow$229/month
    • 1-70 users
    • 3 branches
    • Starter onboarding
  • Pro$449/month
    • 1-100 users
    • 15 branches
    • Premium AI credits

Which should you pick?

Choose LearnDash if

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

Choose TalentLMS if

  • You need course creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want gamification.
TalentLMS review

Questions people ask

Is LearnDash or TalentLMS better?
Neither clearly leads. LearnDash starts at $199/year and TalentLMS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LearnDash or TalentLMS?
TalentLMS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $199/year for LearnDash and Free for TalentLMS.
Does LearnDash or TalentLMS run on more platforms?
LearnDash runs on Web, WordPress. TalentLMS runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use TalentLMS for free?
Yes. TalentLMS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LearnDash starts at $199/year.
What is LearnDash best used for?
LearnDash is most often used for a creator whose course revenue has grown to the point where a percentage based platform costs more than a developer would, organisations that already run wordpress and want courses on their own domain and brand, training businesses that need learner data in a database they control rather than in a vendor account, agencies building course sites for multiple clients under one unlimited site licence. Of those, a creator whose course revenue has grown to the point where a percentage based platform costs more than a developer would and organisations that already run wordpress and want courses on their own domain and brand are not what TalentLMS is typically brought in for.
What can LearnDash do that TalentLMS cannot?
LearnDash covers Course builder, Quiz engine, Certificates, Groups and group leaders. TalentLMS covers Course creation, Gamification, Mobile learning, Certifications.

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.

TalentLMS: What is the minimum starting price for TalentLMS?

The Core plan starts at $119 per month for 1-40 users. A free plan is available for up to 5 users with basic features.

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.

TalentLMS: Is there a free version of TalentLMS?

Yes, TalentLMS offers a free plan supporting up to 5 users, up to 10 courses, unlimited email support, and access to test AI features.

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.

TalentLMS: Do paid plans include API access?

API access is included in all paid plans starting from the Core tier ($119/month).

Source
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