Building a high-ticket dropshipping business puts you in a position most people never reach – you understand a niche deeply, you know how to source products, negotiate with suppliers, build stores, run Google Ads, and manage operations. That expertise has real value beyond your own store. Many of the most successful ecommerce entrepreneurs in the EP community eventually build online courses, coaching programs, or membership sites to share what they know – and create a recurring revenue stream that complements their dropshipping income.
LifterLMS is a WordPress LMS (Learning Management System) plugin that turns a WordPress website into a full-featured online course and membership platform. The core plugin is free and open source with no limits on courses, students, or memberships. Paid bundles add payment processing, email marketing integrations, advanced quiz tools, and professional themes. Trusted by 10,000+ creators, LifterLMS is the #1 rated LMS plugin on WordPress.org and has won “Best LMS Platform” from eLearning Industry.
This is an independent review covering what LifterLMS offers, how the pricing actually works, what the free version genuinely includes, and whether it’s the right LMS for ecommerce entrepreneurs building course businesses.
What Is LifterLMS?
LifterLMS (lifterlms.com) is a WordPress plugin that adds complete learning management system functionality to any existing WordPress website. Rather than a hosted SaaS platform like Kajabi or Teachable (which charge monthly fees and take a percentage of your revenue), LifterLMS runs on your own WordPress site – meaning you own the platform, control your data, and keep all revenue from your courses.
The plugin was built by a team with hands-on experience building custom WordPress LMS websites for clients. CEO Chris Badgett hosts weekly Office Hours mastermind sessions giving users direct access to the team. LifterLMS is GDPR compliant, uses SSL encryption, and supports two-factor authentication.
The fundamental model is modular: the free core plugin is genuinely capable on its own, and you extend it with paid add-ons or bundles when you need specific features like Stripe payment processing, email marketing integrations, or advanced quiz tools.
LifterLMS Pricing
LifterLMS uses a four-tier model: free core plugin plus three paid annual bundles.
Free Core Plugin: Forever free, unlimited courses, memberships, enrollments, and students. Includes the course builder, student progress tracking, drip content, quizzes, certificates, badges, membership/subscription management, and manual/offline payment processing. You can collect payments manually without spending anything.
Earth Bundle ($149/year, 1 site): Core plugin plus Stripe, PayPal, and WooCommerce payment gateway add-ons. The essential step up for anyone who wants to accept card payments without manual invoicing.
Universe Bundle ($249/year, 5 sites): Everything in Earth plus the Sky Pilot eLearning theme, email marketing and CRM add-ons (Mailchimp, ConvertKit), forms integration add-ons (Gravity Forms, WPForms, Ninja Forms, Formidable Forms), access to the weekly mastermind, and the private Facebook community group. Best value for most course creators.
Infinity Bundle ($749/year, unlimited sites): Everything in Universe plus advanced quizzes, assignments, private groups and coaching tools, LifterLMS Powerpack (professional certificate backgrounds and achievement badge graphics), LaunchPad Theme, and all remaining advanced add-ons. Designed for agencies and high-volume course businesses.
Infinity Lifetime License ($10,000 one-time): Everything in Infinity forever, no future renewal payments.
Important pricing notes: First year pricing is introductory; annual renewals are at full price. Individual a-la-carte add-ons can be purchased separately. A $1 demo site gives you 30 days access to the full Infinity Bundle pre-installed on a test site. 30-day 100% money-back guarantee on all paid purchases.
What the Free Core Plugin Actually Includes
The free version of LifterLMS is significantly more capable than most “free” WordPress plugins. You get:
Course creation: Drag-and-drop course builder with sections, lessons, and prerequisites. Supports video, audio, image, and text lessons. Content drip scheduling (release lessons on a set schedule or based on enrollment date). Rearrange everything without code.
Student engagement: Basic quizzes (timed and open format), completion certificates (customizable), achievement badges and gamification, student profiles showing progress and achievements, direct login (students don’t need to go through the WordPress login page).
Membership and subscriptions: Create membership tiers, recurring subscription plans, free courses, paid courses, and mixed access models. Content restriction and protection built in.
Progress and reporting: Student progress tracking, enrollment management, course completion reporting.
Multi-instructor support: Add multiple instructors to handle specific courses. Run cohort-based learning where groups progress together.
Payment (free tier): Manual/offline payments only. To accept credit cards via Stripe or PayPal, you need the Earth Bundle ($149/year) or the individual gateway add-ons.
Key Features
Course Builder: Drag-and-drop course builder for creating sections, lessons, and quizzes. Prerequisites ensure students complete earlier content before accessing advanced lessons. Drip scheduling controls when content becomes available.
Quizzes and Assessments: Free core includes basic timed and open quizzes. Universe and Infinity bundles add dynamic/advanced quizzes with more question types. Infinity adds assignment submissions where students upload files for instructor review.
Memberships and Subscriptions: Create unlimited membership tiers with different access levels, pricing models (one-time, recurring, payment plans), and bundled course packages. Ideal for building ongoing membership communities alongside course content.
Certificates and Gamification: Auto-generate completion certificates that students can download, embed, or print. Badges and achievement systems create engagement incentives. Powerpack (Infinity) adds professional designer-quality certificate backgrounds and badge graphics.
Email Marketing Integrations (Universe+): Mailchimp and ConvertKit integrations automate student communication based on enrollment events, progress milestones, and course completions.
Forms Integration (Universe+): Gravity Forms, WPForms, Ninja Forms, and Formidable Forms integration adds form entries to LMS reporting, enables custom registration forms, and embeds forms within lessons.
Community and Social Learning: Integrate community forum or discussion areas. Multiple instructor support. Private groups (Infinity) for cohort-based learning with shared progress reporting.
Sky Pilot Theme (Universe+): A fully integrated WordPress theme built specifically for eLearning, ensuring visual design consistency with LifterLMS course layouts out of the box.
LifterLMS for Ecommerce Entrepreneurs
Turning ecommerce expertise into course revenue: Many EP community members know things other entrepreneurs will pay to learn – high-ticket niches that work, how to find and vet suppliers, how to build Google Ads campaigns that produce ROI, how to build and manage a team. LifterLMS on their existing WordPress site gives them everything they need to package that expertise into a paid course or membership program without moving to an expensive hosted platform.
Building on existing WordPress infrastructure: If your ecommerce store or EP-style content site already runs on WordPress, LifterLMS adds LMS functionality as a plugin rather than requiring you to maintain a separate platform. One site, one hosting account, one maintenance cycle.
Membership sites for communities: Dropshipping businesses that build supplier networks, buyer communities, or niche-specific directories can use LifterLMS’s membership and subscription tools to gate premium content, create recurring revenue streams, and build community around their expertise.
Keeping 100% of course revenue: Unlike Kajabi ($149-$399/month) or Teachable (5% transaction fee on free plans), LifterLMS lets you keep every dollar your students pay. Your only costs are the annual bundle fee plus payment processor fees (Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30).
What Real Users Say
According to WordPress.org reviews of LifterLMS (where it holds the #1 LMS rating), the plugin is consistently praised for the depth of its free tier, the quality of its community and documentation, and the support team’s responsiveness. Users highlight the course builder’s ease of use and the platform’s stability. The most common criticism: some features that feel like they should be free (payment processing in particular) require paid add-ons.
According to Capterra reviews of LifterLMS, the customer support team receives exceptional specific praise – multiple reviewers describe it as “the best support in the WordPress universe” and express being “truly astounded” at the quality of experience. Capterra reviews highlight scalability (one user migrated from another LMS and quickly scaled up their course offering), CSS customization flexibility, and integration with the broader WordPress plugin ecosystem. The most common criticism: for non-technical users, WordPress in general has a steeper learning curve than hosted platforms like Kajabi or Teachable.
According to Learning Revolution’s independent LifterLMS review, LifterLMS is “rightly considered one of the best WordPress LMS plugins on the market” with a robust course builder, advanced student engagement features, extensive admin options, and an intuitive interface. The review identifies pricing as the main consideration – noting it is “expensive compared to other LMS solutions” if you need multiple add-ons, but that the free core covers everything needed to start.
Pros and Cons
What I like about LifterLMS:
The free core plugin is genuinely capable – not a stripped demo. Unlimited courses, students, memberships, and enrollments with no limits, forever.
The $1 demo site for 30 days is one of the best evaluation offers in the LMS space. You get the full Infinity Bundle on a hosted test site with demo content pre-installed.
30-day 100% money-back guarantee on all paid plans reduces financial risk.
Support quality is consistently and specifically praised across independent review platforms. Weekly Office Hours mastermind with CEO Chris Badgett is a rare level of access for a software product.
You own your data and platform. If Kajabi or Teachable raises prices or changes terms, you’re dependent on their decisions. LifterLMS runs on your WordPress site.
Revenue retention: you keep 100% of course revenue minus payment processor fees. At significant course revenue, the savings vs. platforms that take a percentage are substantial.
Scales from a single course to a full multi-instructor online school with cohort learning and group management.
What I’d flag:
Payment processing requires at least the Earth Bundle ($149/year). The free core processes payments manually only. For anyone selling online, this is a near-universal upgrade.
Bundle pricing can escalate depending on what features you actually need. If you need email marketing integrations, advanced quiz tools, and the professional theme, you’re looking at Universe ($249/year) or Infinity ($749/year). Budget for the full feature set you need.
Annual renewals are at full price. First-year introductory pricing is lower; year two and beyond cost more. Budget for this from day one.
WordPress technical knowledge is required. LifterLMS is a plugin, not a hosted platform – you need a domain, hosting, and basic WordPress familiarity. For non-technical users, the learning curve is real.
Reporting and analytics are limited in lower-tier bundles. Advanced student behavior data requires the Infinity plan.
LifterLMS vs Alternatives
| Platform | Model | Starting Price | Revenue Cut | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LifterLMS | WordPress plugin | Free (Earth Bundle $149/year) | 0% | WordPress users; maximum control; keep all revenue |
| LearnDash | WordPress plugin | $199/year | 0% | WordPress; similar to LifterLMS; paid-only |
| Kajabi | Hosted SaaS | $149/month | 0% | All-in-one hosted; non-technical users; high budget |
| Teachable | Hosted SaaS | Free (5% cut) | 0-5% | Easy setup; smaller audiences |
| Thinkific | Hosted SaaS | Free ($36/month+) | 0% | Hosted; growing course businesses |
| Tutor LMS | WordPress plugin | Free ($199+/year) | 0% | WooCommerce users; WordPress |
LifterLMS and LearnDash are the two strongest WordPress-native LMS plugins. LifterLMS wins on the free core’s capability; LearnDash is paid-only but has strong built-in quiz tools. Kajabi wins on simplicity and all-in-one hosting but costs $1,800-$4,800/year. LifterLMS is the clear choice for WordPress users who want to keep 100% of revenue and own their platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is LifterLMS?
LifterLMS is a WordPress LMS plugin that turns a WordPress website into a full online course and membership platform. The core plugin is free and open source with unlimited courses, students, and memberships. Paid bundles add payment processing (Stripe, PayPal), email marketing integrations, professional themes, and advanced quiz and assignment tools. Trusted by 10,000+ creators, it’s the #1 rated LMS on WordPress.org. CEO: Chris Badgett.
Is LifterLMS free?
The core plugin is free forever with unlimited courses, students, memberships, and enrollments. No credit card processing in the free tier (manual payments only). The Earth Bundle ($149/year) adds Stripe and PayPal payment processing. A $1 demo site for 30 days lets you try the full Infinity Bundle with all add-ons before committing.
What are LifterLMS’s pricing plans?
Free core plugin (no payment processing), Earth Bundle ($149/year, 1 site, adds Stripe/PayPal/WooCommerce), Universe Bundle ($249/year, 5 sites, adds email marketing/CRM, forms integrations, Sky Pilot theme, weekly mastermind), Infinity Bundle ($749/year, unlimited sites, adds advanced quizzes, assignments, private groups, Powerpack). Infinity Lifetime is $10,000 one-time. All paid plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Does LifterLMS work with any WordPress theme?
Yes. LifterLMS works with any well-coded WordPress theme. The Universe and Infinity bundles also include Sky Pilot (Universe) and LaunchPad (Infinity), both integrated themes built specifically for eLearning sites that work without additional customization.
How does LifterLMS compare to Kajabi?
Kajabi is a hosted all-in-one platform starting at $149/month ($1,788+/year) with a polished UI requiring no technical knowledge. LifterLMS requires WordPress (technical knowledge needed) but costs significantly less and takes 0% of revenue. You own your data and platform. For WordPress-comfortable entrepreneurs who prioritize revenue control and flexibility, LifterLMS delivers more at lower long-term cost. For non-technical users who want simplicity and don’t mind the monthly cost, Kajabi is easier to launch.
Can I sell memberships and subscriptions with LifterLMS?
Yes. LifterLMS has robust built-in membership and subscription tools – you can create membership tiers with different access levels, recurring subscription pricing, payment installment plans, and bundled course packages. This works in the free core (with manual payments) or with card payments added through the Earth Bundle.
My Verdict on LifterLMS
LifterLMS earns an 8.5/10 for ecommerce entrepreneurs and course creators who want to build, sell, and scale online courses and membership sites on WordPress without paying SaaS platform fees or surrendering a percentage of their revenue.
The free core plugin is genuinely capable – it’s not a demo. Unlimited courses, students, and memberships with no revenue limits. The $1 demo site removes evaluation risk. The 30-day money-back guarantee removes purchase risk. The support quality is specifically and consistently praised as the best in the WordPress ecosystem.
The honest trade-offs: payment processing requires at least the Earth Bundle ($149/year), annual renewals are at full price, WordPress technical knowledge is required, and the cost escalates if you need email marketing integrations, advanced quiz tools, and professional themes. Budget for the full feature set you’ll actually use – not just the entry-level tier.
For EP community members who run WordPress sites and want to monetize their ecommerce expertise through courses or coaching programs, LifterLMS is the best WordPress-native option available.
Monetizing your ecommerce knowledge is one piece of building a location-independent business. Start with these free resources from Ecommerce Paradise:
- Free Beginner’s Guide to High-Ticket Dropshipping
- Free Mini Course
- Free High-Ticket Niches List
- Free Supplier Directory
Or if you want personalized guidance on building your ecommerce business, check out our private coaching program or join the Ecommerce Paradise community. I wish you guys the best of luck out there.
Trevor Fenner is an ecommerce entrepreneur and the founder of Ecommerce Paradise, a platform focused on helping entrepreneurs build and scale profitable high-ticket ecommerce and dropshipping businesses. With over a decade of hands-on experience, Trevor specializes in high-ticket dropshipping strategy, niche and product selection, supplier recruiting and onboarding, Google & Bing Shopping ads, ecommerce SEO, and systems-driven automation and scaling. Through Ecommerce Paradise, he provides free education via in-depth guides like How to Start High-Ticket Dropshipping, advanced training through the High-Ticket Dropshipping Masterclass, and fully done-for-you turnkey ecommerce services for entrepreneurs who want a faster, more hands-off path to growth. Trevor is known for emphasizing sustainable, real-world ecommerce models over hype-driven tactics, helping store owners build scalable, sellable, and location-independent brands.
