LifterLMS has everything you need to easily create, launch, and scale courses from your own WordPress LMS website.
- Free version
- Yes
- Price
- From $199/year
- Category
- Membership & LMS
Not announcedBlack Friday deal for LifterLMS
LifterLMS vs WP Shell
Evenly matched on the points we can measure. Here's how they compare on price, features, ratings and deals.
At a glance
| Feature | LifterLMS | WP Shell |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 8/10 | Not rated |
| Starts at | $199/year | $196 |
| Free version | Yes | – |
| Refund window | 30 days | – |
| Billing | Subscription | Not listed |
| Active installs | 10K+ | – |
| Last Black Friday | – | – |
| Category | Membership & LMS | Membership & LMS |
| Vendor | Lifterlms | WP Shell |
| Black Friday 2026 | Not announced | Not announced |
Which should you choose?
Choose LifterLMS if…
- Course creators on WordPress
- Membership sites that need a free starting point
- You want to start free
Choose WP Shell if…
An online course that teaches how to run and manage your own WordPress site on dedicated servers or the cloud.
Features
LifterLMS
- Course builder
- Memberships and access plans
- Payment gateways
- Cart abandonment recovery
- Email and form integrations
- Quizzes and assignments
- Private groups and cohorts
WP Shell
- 26 lessons free in the Starter plan
- Lifetime access with the Premium plan
- Access to 92+ lessons
- Certificate of completion
- Advanced modules
- Discord community
Pros and cons
LifterLMS
- Core LMS plugin is free with unlimited courses and students
- Paid bundles include ecommerce and marketing add-ons
- 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans
- Ecommerce and advanced features need a paid bundle
- Paid bundles renew at full price after the first year
WP Shell
- Pricing page at wpshell.com/pricing/ returned HTTP 404
- Homepage at wpshell.com shows a self-hosting WordPress course, not a plugin
Pricing plans
LifterLMS
LifterLMS Core Plugin
Free
Unlimited sites
- Unlimited courses
- Unlimited memberships
- Unlimited students and teachers
EarthStarts here
$199/year
1 site
- Unlimited support for 1 user
- Ecommerce add-ons for Stripe, PayPal, and WooCommerce
- Cart abandonment recovery add-on
Universe
$299/year
5 sites
- Unlimited support for 2 users
- Sky Pilot theme
- Email marketing and CRM add-ons
WP Shell
Plans not listed. See WP Shell pricing
What Reddit says
LifterLMS
Reddit mentions of LifterLMS are thin: a 2019 sysadmin thread lists it as one WordPress LMS option for a 500-user organisation, and a 2026 post reports that Elementor editing did not work on course pages until course and lesson options were enabled in Elementor settings.
WP Shell
Not enough Reddit discussion yet.
LifterLMS vs WP Shell questions
Is LifterLMS better than WP Shell?
They're evenly matched on the points we can measure. Pick by features and budget.
Which is cheaper, LifterLMS or WP Shell?
LifterLMS starts at $199/year and WP Shell starts at $196.
Can I get LifterLMS or WP Shell cheaper on Black Friday?
Both are on our Black Friday tracker. We'll add each discount the moment it goes live.
Both products
An online course that teaches how to run and manage your own WordPress site on dedicated servers or the cloud.
- Free version
- –
- Price
- $196
- Category
- Membership & LMS
Not announcedBlack Friday deal for WP Shell
