WordPress plugins for online courses
Online presence is vital in the current technological era, either it is for business purposes or for education. The availability of online courses provides a lot of comfort for students who want to join specific courses, but they can’t attend classes regularly.
WordPress is a flexible platform that not only allows users to create business websites but also helps to offer an online education system.
The functionality of online courses is available in various WordPress plugins which assist users to develop online educational websites.
These plugins help to create different functions like online registration of students; provide information on course availability, course schedules, time tables, and many more. Some of these plugins are free to use, while some require subscriptions for providing access to various advanced features that we will discuss below.
There is a massive range of plugins that offer an online learning management system, but finding the perfect one is a challenging task
Therefore, by performing extensive research, we make a list of WordPress plugins that are important for developing the website for online courses. We made a selection based on the top ratings provided by current users. Let’s take a brief look at them.
1. MasterStudy LMS
MasterStudy LMS is developed by StylemixThemes that is beneficial to create an online learning management system on the website. Online education is getting popular nowadays because it facilitates students from distant learning.
Besides, this method is comparatively cheap and allows the students to learn the skills that are not available in their country or area.
This plugin is useful for creating attractive course pages by using slides, graphs, fee structure, and many more.
Key Features:
1. Constructing Quizzes: This feature allows the users to create quizzes with a single choice, multiple choices, true and false options for a particular lecture or course.
2. Developing Lessons: It is easy to create a different type of course lessons like video lessons, text lessons, and slide lessons.
3. Comment Systems: This plugin allow the students to comment during the lecture and for questioning with the teacher.
The free version is enough to integrate a simple online course system, but if you want some advanced features like tests, import lectures from other platforms like Udemy, Grade Books, and many more. Premium plans are available that start at $39 per year.
Pros:
- User-friendly
- The real-time countdown timer in a quiz
- Quiz retake
Cons:
- May create a clash with other plugins
Why Should We Use This Plugin?
This plugin is easy to use, and users can create a course for different skill levels and duration. It allows the users to integrate different filters for course selection like date range, the number of students and course level, etc.
User Comments:
riversdale1844: “My experience with this plugin was fantastic to deal with students, and the admin panel of the plugin is straightforward to use. I like the user-friendly and simplicity of the plugin. Thanks
Onixfernando: “Congratulations for developing this great plugin. Continue with excellent service and hard work.
2. LearnPress
LearnPress is the most popular WordPress plugin used for managing and selling online courses. The user interface is easy to use and allows the users to install various features on websites like course review, import/export, certificate builder, and many more.
This plugin is widely used by educational institutions from around the world to enroll their students and offer the most advanced features essential for the online course system.
Key Features:
1. Multiple Payment Methods: This plugin allow the institutions to sell their courses and receive payment using various payment methods, including PayPal.
2. Fill in Blank: Users can integrate a testing system for their students during course using fill in the blank method.
3. Announcement: For the promotion of online courses, the announcement is a great way. This feature allows the users to send an email notification about any update or the upcoming session.
The basic plan is free to use with various add-ons that are not included in the standard plugin. The premium version offers the inclusion of many paid add-ons to integrate certain functions like student profile, certificate generation, and many more. The premium plan starts at $49, but you can include more add-ons by paying an additional amount.
Pros:
- Multiple instructors support
- Support various languages
- Random questions quiz
Cons:
Why Should We Use This Plugin?
This plugin is beneficial to create a collection of courses for providing multiple skills in a single session, depending on the category. This feature creates a lot of attraction for people who don’t have the time to join multiple courses to gain knowledge. Additionally, it creates a sense of low cost for students.
User Comments:
Georgesbecherel: “It seems that this plugin is developed by a team of professionals. A highly customizable template helps to get the desired result. It is worthwhile to spend money on it.
Mclaurie: “It is a beautiful theme with a great plugin that provides various features and functions that any school will use for course management. The support team is very responsive. Thumbs up!
3. LifterLMS
LifterLMS Plugin is the most popular and widely used by the websites that offer online courses as well as training based membership websites. A team of professional developers makes this plugin, and it is compatible to use with any WordPress theme developed in a well-mannered coding.
This plugin allows users to integrate many other plugins like monster insights, affiliate WP, WP fusion, and many more. The smooth integration attracts many web developers as well as beginners, to use this plugin.
Key Features:
1. Assignment Submission: It offers file attachment features for learners at the end of course in the shape of assignments and helps the instructors to judge the learning level of students.
2. Privacy Options: This feature is beneficial for instructors and allows them to make their course content available for everyone or only allow for a specific group of students.
3. Video Learning: This feature can restrict the learners from watching the complete video, of course, before getting the completion certificate.
However, this plugin allows the users to integrate individual add-ons and also offer three premium plans with a group of add-ons. The basic plan starts at $99+ per year.
Pros:
- Course builder
- Student dashboard
- Forum integrations
Cons:
Why Should We Use This Plugin?
This plugin allows the users to build their custom training or online program with the help of drag and drop builder. It is capable of integrating different features with highly customization options like quizzes, testing systems, and many more.
User Comments:
Careerdoctor: “I find it the best plugin for LMS ever I used for my website. However, few others are good too, but every one offers limited tools for developing the perfect and custom system. The wide range of tools makes it outstanding over its competitors.
Aryanrajseo: “It is a fantastic plugin, and I have tested many advanced and fashionable options in this plugin. All the functions work smoothly and accurately. Massive range of customization options make it easy to use, especially I like the membership levels that are great.
4. Edwiser Bridge
Edwiser Bridge is developed by WisdmLabs, and it is one of the best plugins available for integration stable and robust learning management system (LMS) on websites. This plugin acts as a bridge between the WordPress platform and Moodle sites.
Besides, for complete automation, this plugin offers integration of the entire eCommerce solution for website owners.
Key Features:
1. Support Bulk Purchase: This feature is useful when students or buyers want to purchase or enroll in multiple courses at the same time and helps to select many as they want.
2. Multiple Form Creation: It is easy to create various forms in Moodle sites. For example, it supports creating and integrate contact form, survey form, feedback form, registration form, and many more.
3. Built-in Course Formats: It facilitates the users to use two built-in course formats for easy integration. You can also create or modify the existing one.
Pricing
This plugin is free to use, and it provides complete documentation and licensing rights in the free version.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- User-friendly interface
- Import-export options
- Automation user registration
Cons:
- Customer support needs improvement
Why Should We Use This Plugin?
It is easy to create categories for courses you offer on your website. This helps the students to get the detail of all courses available in a particular group. You can also assign categories to courses imported from Moodle sites.
User Comments:
Moodlemuse: “Selling online courses was very difficult, but this plugin makes it easy for getting the desired results. I had tried many plugins but found it the best LMS system.
Erickfrench: “I am using this fantastic plugin on my website for more than 3 years. Whenever I face a problem, the support team helps to solve it quickly. I highly appreciate the developers and recommend this plugin for everyone.
5. Tutor LMS
Tutor LMS is the perfect option to create and sell courses online. It is equipped with all the necessary options required for the integration of comprehensive learning management services. It allows users to develop student engagement activities like challenging and fun quizzes. The inclusion of powerful reports and stats enables the tutors to manage the strategy for better output.
It is easy to administer, manage, and monetize your online educational institute with this plugin, and even it doesn’t require a single line of coding to add any functionality.
Key Features:
1. Intuitive Course Builder: It is easy to create courses by adding relevant information like benefits, topics, a summary with the help of videos, attachment, and many other options.
2. Smart Course and Lesson Manager: It is easy to manage teachers and students for particular courses by using limit options for lessons, classes, quizzes, etc.
3. Frontend Student Dashboard: This plugin offers the student dashboard at the front end to check the course status, notifications, progress, announcement, or any other thing the teacher assigned to the student.
However, this plugin offers sufficient features to build a good learning management system. But if you want to add some advance features like Multimedia Attachments, Assignment Submission, Grading System, and a few more, you can select any of the premium plans. The basic plan starts at $149 per year for integration on one website only. For inclusion in multiple sites, check advanced plans.
Pros:
- Quiz Creator
- Student Question And Answers
- Email Notifications
Cons:
Why Should We Use This Plugin?
The earning and commission system in this plugin makes it easy to distribute the profit, of course, between instructors and admin. You have to just insert the decided percentage along with any other charges you want to distribute or deduct. The comprehensive reports will provide you all the information about earnings and expenses in terms of commission etc.
User Comments:
Kenan: “Thanks for providing this great plugin. Amazing job! As a teacher, I would like to suggest some improvements like a teacher or co-teacher can get access to courses without enrolment. Additionally, there could be a form that allows the teacher or institution representative to add/enroll new students. Best regards
Solomonhk: “I faced issues in embedding and playing YouTube videos by using the default player and get the error message on the course page. I contact the customer support, and amazingly my problem was solved quickly.
6. CLUEVO LMS, E-Learning Platform
CLUEVO LMS is an open-source WordPress plugin designed to add a learning management system on WordPress based websites. It is an excellent option to add various types of media for online courses like SCROM e-learning modules, podcasts, video tutorials, and many others.
This plugin helps the users to organize the online courses in a well-mannered way by converting it in different chapters and modules. It is much easy to manage permission for access to different user groups.
Key Features:
1. User Management: This plugin divides the access permission in three different groups’, i.e., no access, limited access, and full access.
2. Progress Reports: The reports provided by this plugin are useful to monitor the performance of users you made on it. It also offers statistics for SCORM parameters.
3. Competence: This feature is useful to define the competency area along with the number of competencies in that area.
Pricing
This is another plugin that offers its services without any cost. Users can use it in an unlimited number of sites with access to all features.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Support multiple languages
- support SCORM 2004 4th edition
Cons:
Why Should We Use This Plugin?
This learning management system provides support for different types of audio and video formats, including mp3, mp4, wav, and WebM. It also provides an oEmbed extension to support the embedding of videos from third-party platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, and many others.
User Comments:
Votreformatrice: “I use various LMS to help my students but can’t get success in achieving my goal. Finally, I find this one, and it fulfills all my needs. Additionally, it is easy to use for both instructors and students to manage their lessons. Thank you
Lefrye: “I needed a plugin that supports the SCORM course and to track the user’s performance as well without paying too much. Fortunately, I got this plugin that is totally free to use and achieve the desired results that I want, with the help of this plugin.
7. WP Courses LMS
WP Courses LMS is another popular WordPress plugin that facilitates users with easy and user-friendly integration that was not possible before with any plugin. This plugin offers various tools with drag and drops feature along with video tutorials as well.
This plugin is compatible to integrate practically with any theme irrespective of category. It offers a wide range of design options so that you can select the one that suits the design of the website.
Key Features:
1. Progress Tracking: It is perfect for tracking the progress of students with the help of different icons and progress bars. This technique is beneficial to increase the attraction and to engage the students.
2. Restrict Lesson Content: It allows the users to restrict access to various lesson content for logged in users only by just pressing a single button.
3. Create Any Type Of Lesson: This plugin supports different types of lessons, including videos, images, audio, and many more. Additionally, the support for embedding videos from a third-party platform makes it prominent among the competitors.
However, the free version facilitates the users very well. But if you want to use a few advanced features like lesson attachment, quiz creation, woo commerce integration, and few more, a premium version is available. You can get it at $79 per year.
Pros:
- Mobile friendly
- Drag and drop builder
- Doesn’t require any type of coding
Cons:
- Expensive as compared to features offered
Why Should We Use This Plugin?
This plugin allows the users to create an unlimited number of courses. The visitors or students can search for different courses or groups of courses by applying filters based on categories of courses. Every course is presented on separate pages and has sufficient area for course description that could either be in video, image, text, or in any shape.
User Comments:
Netcircuit: “When I start using WPCourses, I faced a few issues, but the responsive support team helps to solve it in a few hours. Thanks
MS416: “It is easy to install this plugin. I tested different features of this plugin like forms, membership, and a few more. All the functions work smoothly and provide fantastic user interference. Thanks to the developers of this plugin.
8. Namaste! LMS
Namaste! LMS is the perfect option to create a learning management system and offer support for adding an unlimited number of lessons, courses, assignments, and students. It also allows users to create specific custom rules depending on the needs and requirements for providing access to lessons and courses.
Admins can also allocate different roles to users depending on the nature of their involvement with this system.
Key Features:
1. Easy To Create Course: It allows the users to create a course simply and quickly, just like to create a standard post on the WordPress website.
2. Shopping Cart (Premium): This feature enables the users to sell their subscriptions, courses, or anything you want to sell and receive payments against every individual sale.
3. Grading System: This plugin offers grading and points systems for students depending on their performance.
Along with the free version, this plugin offers three premium plans for providing access to different advanced features like assign instructor for a particular course, reordering of classes and courses, shopping cart, and many more. The basic plan starts at $67 per year.
Pros:
- Compatible with other plugins
- Certificate system
- Easy integration
Cons:
- Support limited languages
Why Should We Use This Plugin?
This plugin offers support to monitor the performance of users for every individual course with the help of the progress bar. Furthermore, the students are awarded badges after completion of the course and pointing criteria as well.
User Comments:
Cmouze: “The free version is excellent, but it lacks features that I need for my online courses. But the premium version is unique, and I am delighted with the smooth performance of every function.
Davackers: “Great plugin. I give five stars rating, and I don’t mean that I am affiliated with the developers of this plugin. This plugin offers everything that you need in the online learning management system.
9. Sensei LMS
Sensei LMS is developed by a group of known plugin developers to facilitate the users to maximize the skills development programs through LMS. It is easy to install on the website and allow the users to create courses, lessons, and other student engagement materials.
Key Features:
1. Evaluate Student Progress: The inclusion of a quiz system helps to assess the understanding level of students and evaluate their performance.
2. WooCommerce Course Extension (Paid): This feature helps to sell the course online just like the eCommerce platform and receive payment by using different payment methods.
This plugin offers its services without any cost, but to add a cart system for selling online courses, you can use a paid add-on that starts at $129 per year.
Pros:
- User-friendly
- Compatible with any theme
- Support integration with other plugins
Cons:
Why Should We Use This Plugin?
This plugin is easy to install and provides seamless integration. Therefore, you don’t have the need to hire a developer to add coding for getting the desired design and layout for courses.
User Comments:
Nmschaller: “Sensei offers all the essential features and functions that you need for the creation of an online course system. It is an excellent solution for LMS from the developers of WordPress. It offers simple but not overloaded functions.
Mavos: “It is one of the best LMS plugins that offer all the necessary tools, great customization options, and extensive quiz functionality as compared to other LMS. Huge thanks to developers for providing this useful plugin.
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