Use LearnDash or a Hosted Course Creation Platform?

By: Justin Ferriman • August 14, 2017
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You have decided that you want to create and sell an online course. Now you need to choose your platform – which one is best for you?

Many people who write us with pre-sales questions are usually trying to decide between using WordPress with LearnDash or choosing a hosted solution for creating & selling their online courses.

It’s a tough decision, no doubt. Both paths are certainly viable and there are pros and cons to whichever you select.

First let me clarify this important point: there is no “perfect” option for creating & selling online course. You will at some point find yourself questioning your decision. With so many shiny objects out there this is quite common.

Knowing this will likely be the case for you as well, one thing worth doing is determine which solution is best for your requirements and couple that with what you value.

Choose Your LMS Based on What You Value

Our values drive our purchasing decisions.

Sure, the online course software we choose has to meet our immediate needs “right now” via their features, but it also has to align with what we value in a software offering. If we don’t then we will feel some buyer’s remorse.

I’ll give a few examples.

If you are a developer and you value open source software, then WordPress & LearnDash is a clear choice over a platform like Thinkific. You won’t be handicapped by a closed code-base that you can’t control.

Similarly, if you already have a website that is built on WordPress and you wish to leverage that for your online courses then LearnDash is going to be your best option.

Or, if you are on a tight budget and value cost savings, then LearnDash becomes an attractive choice over a hosted option.

On the other hand, if you value the ability to call someone up on the phone for technical support for your courses then you would be better served by a hosted solution since this is often offered in exchange for monthly payments.

Also, while some people value feature flexibility (and therefore choose WordPress & LearnDash), others value fewer setup steps, so they choose hosted course creation tools since less options often means quicker setup.

Figuring out what you value ahead of time will help you feel more confident in the solution you choose. Before you start comparing features across the options out there, take a moment to first define what you value you most. This will save you time and money down the line.

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter