Thinking about starting an eLearning business? With so many options out there—ranging in cost, features, and complexity—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. How do you choose the right platform for your needs?
Should you go with a simple SaaS solution that promises ease of use, or is it too limiting? Is building a custom LMS from scratch worth the effort and cost? And where does a WordPress LMS fit into the mix? What are the pros and cons to a WordPress LMS?
If these questions are on your mind, you’re in the right place.
Our LMS experts are here to break it all down. We’ll explore the pros and cons of WordPress LMS, show you what they offer, and help you figure out if they’re the right fit for your online course business.
What is a WordPress LMS?
A WordPress LMS is a learning management system built using the WordPress platform. By installing specialized plugins like LearnDash, LifterLMS, or TutorLMS, you can easily transform a regular WordPress site into a fully functional eLearning platform. These plugins provide all the core features you need to run an online course—course creation, quizzes, student progress tracking, certificates, and more.
Compared to standalone platforms like Moodle or SaaS solutions such as Teachable and Thinkific, a WordPress LMS gives you the advantage of combining your eLearning system with the flexibility and control WordPress is known for. You have full ownership of your site and content, along with the ability to customize your LMS however you see fit. This flexibility is comparable (even though not quite as tailored) to custom-built LMS solutions but without the higher costs and longer development times.
In short, a WordPress LMS delivers a powerful solution for launching and managing online courses without the limitations of SaaS or the heavy lifting of a custom platform. Now, let’s look at the pros and cons of a WordPress LMS.
The Pros of Using a WordPress LMS
Customizability and Flexibility
One of the biggest strengths of a WordPress LMS is the sheer level of customization you can achieve. With access to thousands of themes and plugins, you can craft a course experience that’s truly your own. Want personalized learning paths, custom features, or third-party integrations? It’s all possible with WordPress. Unlike many SaaS platforms, you’re not limited by rigid templates or features—you’re free to shape your LMS as you envision it.
While custom LMS platforms do offer ultimate flexibility, they often require significant development time and resources. WordPress strikes a balance by providing robust customization options without the steep costs of building a system from scratch.
Cost-Effective
When it comes to cost, WordPress LMS solutions tend to be much more affordable than dedicated LMS platforms or custom-built options. WordPress itself is open-source, which means you’re not locked into high subscription fees. You have full control over the costs, from hosting to plugins, and you can scale at your own pace without any hidden surprises. This makes it ideal for businesses looking to keep their upfront investment low while still getting a robust platform. And if your needs scale or evolve, you can always invest in customizing your LMS plugin on a need basis, ensuring you invest your resources where they matter the most.
Scalability
As your eLearning business grows, so can your WordPress LMS. It’s easy to start with the essentials and add new features as your student base expands. For example, you can uplevel your hosting and add membership options, payment gateways, or advanced reporting tools over time, ensuring your platform evolves with your needs. This scalability is a major advantage, especially compared to more rigid SaaS solutions where scaling can quickly become expensive or standalone platforms like Moodle, which can be rigid and challenging to adapt.
Ownership and Control
With a WordPress LMS, you maintain full ownership of your content, data, and website—something that many other platforms can’t offer. You’re not locked into any particular service or pricing structure. If you ever want to switch hosting providers, make significant changes to your site, or even integrate with a new eCommerce solution, you can do so without losing access to your courses or content. This level of control is critical for course creators who value long-term flexibility and independence. It’s also important to note that custom LMS solutions also offer ownership but at a significantly higher cost and complexity.
Integration with Other Tools
WordPress seamlessly integrates with a wide range of tools and services, making it easy to enhance your online learning experience. For example, you can use WooCommerce to sell your courses, add Zoom for live classes, and connect with email marketing platforms to nurture your students. These integrations enable you to build a holistic learning business that covers everything from course delivery to marketing, all within a single platform.
While SaaS platforms may provide basic integrations, they typically restrict you to what their system supports. Custom LMS platforms may require extensive development work for integrations. With WordPress, adding new functionalities is usually as simple as installing a plugin.
The Cons of Using a WordPress LMS
While WordPress LMS solutions offer many benefits, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Here’s where the trade-offs come into play:
Requires More Hands-On Management When Compared To SaaS
Unlike SaaS platforms that handle the back end for you, a WordPress LMS requires a bit more attention. You’ll need to stay on top of regular updates, perform routine maintenance, and ensure your backups are up-to-date. For non-technical users, this might seem like a daunting task. That said, many of these challenges can be offset with managed hosting services or a solid maintenance plan. If you work with a reliable developer, many of these concerns can become a non-issue. But if you prefer a hands-off approach, WordPress might feel like more work than you bargained for.
Performance Challenges
As your site grows and you add more features or plugins, you might encounter performance issues, especially if your hosting isn’t up to the task. Slow load times or sluggish performance can frustrate learners, and you are responsible for optimizing your site. This issue is not only limited to WordPress, though. Moodle and Custom LMS users have the same load to carry.
Security Considerations
With great flexibility comes greater security responsibility. WordPress, being open-source and widely used, can be more vulnerable to hacking if not properly secured. You’ll need to be diligent about installing security updates, carefully choosing plugins, and ensuring your SSL certificate is always in place. But again, this is where your hosting provider, security plugins, and a good developer can step in to help lock things down.
Key Considerations Before Choosing a WordPress LMS
If you’re a solo educator, a continuing education provider, or a school seeking tailored functionalities that align with your unique teaching style or course requirements, a WordPress LMS is an excellent choice. With its extensive library of plugins and themes, you can effortlessly customize the learning experience to suit your audience and business model—without the headaches of complex custom LMS development.
WordPress LMS solutions are also often more affordable than fully custom-built platforms. You can sidestep the high upfront costs typically associated with custom platforms while still accessing a wide range of features through plugins and very carefully applied development work. If you’re looking for a platform that allows you to scale your offerings without stretching your budget, WordPress offers a cost-effective alternative to both SaaS and custom solutions.
And since WordPress is open-source and has a large community of users and developers, you’ll have a wealth of resources at your fingertips compared to platforms like Moodle or Blackboard, ensuring that you can always find support when you need it for your LMS needs.
When is WordPress LMS not a good fit?
Let’s weigh WordPress LMS pros and cons. If you prefer a plug-and-play solution that requires minimal management and technical oversight, a WordPress LMS might not be the best fit. Without the technical expertise to handle website management, updates, or troubleshooting, a WordPress LMS might pose challenges. While managed hosting and maintenance services can help alleviate some of these concerns, they still require a basic understanding of the platform. If you’re not comfortable navigating a more hands-on environment or if you don’t have the resources to invest in amnaged maintenance or external help when necessary, it might be best to consider other options.
Still not sure if WordPress is the right move for you? Here’s some inspiration!
If you’re still on the fence about choosing WordPress for your eLearning platform, let us inspire you with real-life success stories! Here are two standout examples of client sites that have harnessed the power of WordPress to create engaging and effective learning experiences.
Flash University
By leveraging the flexibility of WordPress, we developed a platform designed to sell and deliver both hands-on and virtual training programs for aviation lighting, with different training options available at different locations.
Their site also implemented diverse user roles, both for students and internal management, with different access rights and enhanced e-commerce features that support bulk user onboarding and payment processing for employee groups undergoing training together.
You can learn more about how this site was built here.
NetCBT
NetCBT used a WordPress-based LMS to provide certified continuing education credentials to project managers and accountants. After the successful development cycle and launch of their WordPress site, our client surpassed over $1 million in sales.
You can read more about their success story and how their site was developed, using LearnDash LMS, here.
WordPress LMS Pros and Cons
In summary, a WordPress LMS stands out as an ideal solution for those eager to craft a personalized eLearning experience that can evolve over time. With its flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and supportive community, it empowers educators and businesses alike to build and manage their courses with confidence. If you’re ready to embark on your eLearning journey with WordPress, our LMS experts are here to help you get started!
