Ready to turn your knowledge into an online course, but feeling a little overwhelmed by all the options? You’re not alone.
The WordPress LMS ecosystem is packed with plugins, and while many come with a hefty price tag. But there are some truly powerful, flexible, and most importantly, free tools you can rely on.
If you’re a solo educator, a coach on a budget, or a small training center just testing the waters, you need a smart starting point that won’t require a massive upfront investment.
So, in this article, we’ve decided to give you an That’s where Creator LMS Free and LearnPress Free come in. They are two of the most popular, no-cost options, and they can both get you up and running quickly.
But which one is the better fit for your specific goals? Do you prioritize a feature-rich, all-in-one experience, or a lightweight, more foundational tool for the basics?
Let’s figure out which free tool should be your perfect partner for launching your first (or next) online course!
Why Start With a Free LMS Version in 2026?
Before investing in a premium LMS, most course creators want clarity on one thing:
“Will this tool actually work for my teaching style and business model?”
That’s exactly why starting with a free LMS version is still the smartest move in 2026 – whether you choose Creator LMS or LearnPress.
Here’s why:
You Can Validate Your Course Idea Before Spending Money
Many creators jump straight into premium tools only to realize later that:
- Their niche isn’t ready
- Their content needs improvement
- Their teaching flow needs adjustments
With a free LMS, you can test:
- Your course content
- Your first batch of students
- Your lesson delivery style
- Whether your idea actually attracts learners
The best part is you can do all these without overwhelming yourself. As you’re just trying out the free version, there’s no stress.
And Free Doesn’t Mean Weak Anymore – Especially in 2026. All the LMS tools should offer
Free versions now offer:
- Advanced quiz types
- Modern interfaces
- Fast builders
- Smooth student dashboards
Creator LMS and LearnPress both provide enough tools for a real course launch, not just a demo environment.
For new creators, a free LMS in 2026 is more powerful than some premium LMS tools were a few years ago.
Creator LMS & LearnPress: At a Glance
Before we begin, let’s quickly introduce the two WordPress LMS plugins.
LearnPress was released around 2016. So it has been quite a long time since they have been serving the users. It has had years to establish itself, build a large user base, and develop a comprehensive, modular system.
On the other hand, Creator LMS was just released in 2025, so it’s a relatively new plugin. However, it has a diverse range of features. It aims to provide a powerful, all-in-one experience designed for today’s course creators.
Both plugins offer multiple free and pro features that can serve any kind of coach or trainer.
However, in the following sections, we have prepared a head-to-head comparison of each feature and module of the plugins in depth.
Let’s have a look,
Creator LMS Free & LearnPress Free Feature Comparison
Initial Setup
Starting a new platform can be daunting, but both Creator LMS and LearnPress understand the value of a smooth launch. They both feature a setup wizard to guide you through the critical initial configurations.
This step is incredibly useful for new users, as it handles the technical groundwork in the background while letting you make key decisions up front.
One of the best part of LearnPress is their theme builder, which makes it easier for users to choose their preferred theme to get started.
| Feature | Creator LMS Free | LearnPress Free |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Wizard | ✅ | ✅ |
| Direct Migration From Other LMS | ✅ | ❌ |
| Theme | ❌ (Upcoming) | ✅ |
Course Builder
LearnPress doesn’t have its own course builder. It mostly has the interface of a WooCommerce product page. You can add the details within the same page. But the interface could be confusing to some people as there are too many things in one page for a new user to connect and understand.
Creator LMS also has a different course creation process. Creator LMS has a separate builder where you can add content, settings, and publish. But Creator LMS provides a much cleaner view than LearnPress. Everything looks organized, including lessons, quizzes, etc.
Another issue I faced while using LearnPress was that I had to go to separate pages to edit lessons and quizzes, which is a bit confusing, and I was losing track a lot.
Another significant thing that I want to mention is that LearnPress offers extra addons for some key features, such as course prerequisites and course wishlist, which I found a bit inconvenient.
Course Creation
| Feature | Creator LMS Free | LearnPress Free |
|---|---|---|
| Separate Course Builder | ✅ | ❌ |
| Chapters / Sections | ✅ | ✅ |
| Lessons | ✅ | ✅ |
| Separate Video Lessons | ✅ | ❌ |
| Audio Lessons | ✅ | ❌ |
| Lesson Preview | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Prerequisites | ✅ | ✅ (Need to install a separate addon) |
| Lesson Specific Files | ✅ | ✅ |
They both offer separate quiz builders in the free version as well.
However, the features vary between the two plugins. Creator LMS offers more types of quizzes and classic quizzes in your courses. On the other hand, LearnPress offers more options in the settings.
You’ll find the details in the following table,
Quiz Builder
| Feature | Creator LMS Free | LearnPress Free |
|---|---|---|
| Quiz Builder | ✅ | ✅ |
| Question Types (Multiple answers, True/False, Single Choice) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fill in the gaps | ❌ | ✅ |
| Long Answers | ✅ | ❌ |
| Single Choice Answers | ✅ | ❌ |
| Add Images and videos in the Questions | ✅ | ✅ |
| Question Hint | ❌ | ✅ |
| Answer Explanation | ❌ | ✅ |
| Allowed Attempts | ✅ | ✅ |
| Time Limit | ❌ | ✅ |
| Negative Marking | ❌ | ✅ |
| Minus for skip | ❌ | ✅ |
Now let’s compare what kind of control you have over your courses once they are ready to be published.
Both Creator LMS and LearnPress offer a strong selection of admin settings, but there’s one key difference when it comes to student recognition. LearnPress doesn’t offer any option to add certificates in the free version.
Course Settings
| Feature | Creator LMS Free | LearnPress Free |
|---|---|---|
| Thumbnail & Details | ✅ | ✅ |
| Featured Video | ✅ | ❌ |
| Password Protection | ✅ | ✅ |
| Student Capacity | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fake Students | ❌ | ✅ |
| Public Course Without Enrollment | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Duration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Level | ✅ | ✅ |
| Pricing (Free, Paid, Sale) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Featured List | ❌ | ✅ |
| Course Materials | ✅ | ✅ |
| Certificates | ✅ | ❌ |
| Categories and Tags | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Assessment | ❌ | ✅ |
| Offline Course | ❌ | ✅ |
That’s it for the Course Builder and its in-depth feature comparison.
Now, let’s move on to the payment settings of both tools.
Native eCommerce
Both LearnPress and Creator LMS have native eCommerce support. Creator LMS offers a variety of payment options.
| Feature | Creator LMS Free | LearnPress Free |
|---|---|---|
| Built-In Cart | ✅ | ✅ |
| Taxes Setup | ✅ | ✅ |
| Coupons | ✅ | ✅ |
| Stripe Payment Gateway | ✅ | ❌ |
| Mollie Payment Gateway | ✅ | ❌ |
| PayPal Payment Gateway | ❌ | ✅ |
| Multi-Currency Support | ✅ | ✅ |
| Manual Payment | ✅ | ✅ |
| Checkout Layout | ✅ | ❌ |
| Order Dashboard | ✅ | ✅ |
| Order Notes | ✅ | ❌ |
| Customer History | ✅ | ❌ |
Analytics & Reports
Once your courses are live, the job isn’t over! A critical step is analyzing your performance. Understanding course metrics is essential for figuring out what’s working, identifying areas for improvement, and optimizing your offerings for greater student success and revenue in the future.
Now that we have covered the basic course building free features from both the tools, the next step is Analytics. One of the important things post-course publication is analyzing course metrics and how you can do better in the next one, or optimize the current one.
Both Creator LMS free and LearnPress offer limited but necessary reports and analytics for you to measure your results.
| Feature | Creator LMS Free | LearnPress Free |
|---|---|---|
| Earning Report | ✅ | ✅ |
| All-Time Course Earning (Individual Courses) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Details | ✅ | ❌ |
| Overall student details | ❌ | ✅ |
Student Engagement
LearnPress has a barrier here; you have to install a separate addon for bringing reviews to your course.
Another good thing about LearnPress is that it has a mobile app, which lets users take the courses from mobile.
| Feature | Creator LMS Free | LearnPress Free |
|---|---|---|
| Course Reviews | ✅ | ✅ (Needs separate Addon) |
| Customizable Automated Emails | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mobile | ❌ | ✅ |
Course Design, Control & Settings
The look and feel of your course pages is how students view the curriculum, the sales page, and the overall learning area, which is crucial for conversion and engagement.
In the free versions, both plugins offer a functional baseline, but your customization options are understandably limited compared to their Pro versions.
Here are the details.
Course Design Settings
| Feature | Creator LMS Free | LearnPress Free |
|---|---|---|
| Course Listing Page Layout | ✅ | ❌ |
| Search Bar | ✅ | ❌ |
| Course Filter & Sorting | ✅ | ❌ |
| Course List / Grid | ✅ | ❌ |
| Course Per Page | ✅ | ✅ |
| Course Details Page Layout | ✅ | ✅ |
| Branding Colors | ✅ | ✅ |
| Gutenberg & Elementor | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bricks Builder | ✅ | ❌ |
| Thumbnail Resizing | ❌ | ✅ |
| Profile Editing | ❌ | ✅ |
Beyond basic creation, the management tools available for your courses and the roles you can assign to others (like co-instructors) are vital for scaling. Both plugins offer a good level of basic control over course settings, but Creator LMS does not offer instructor roles in the free version.
Default Course Settings
| Feature | Creator LMS Free | LearnPress Free |
|---|---|---|
| Course Archive Page Customization | ✅ | ❌ |
| Checkout Page Customization | ✅ | ❌ |
| Student Dashboard Customization | ✅ | ❌ |
| Terms & Conditions Customization | ✅ | ✅ |
| Student Registration Customization | ❌ | ✅ |
| Permalink Settings | ✅ | ❌ |
| Course Autocomplete | ✅ | ✅ |
| Instructor Feature | ❌ | ✅ |
Creator LMS Free vs LearnPress Free: Which Platform Should You Choose in 2026?
Both Creator LMS Free and LearnPress Free can help you launch your online course, but the right choice depends on the kind of experience you want to build – both for yourself and your students.
If you’re looking for a modern course-building experience, Creator LMS Free stands out immediately. The interface is cleaner, the workflow is quicker, and the student experience feels significantly more polished. You get richer quiz types, a sleek lesson layout, and a beautiful student dashboard, even without paying. Everything about the platform is built to help creators launch confidently and deliver a premium feel from day one.
On the other hand, LearnPress Free is a good match if your needs are very basic. If your goal is simply to publish straightforward lessons and quizzes without much emphasis on design or engagement, LearnPress will get the job done. It also offers PayPal selling in the free version, which can be helpful if you want to accept payments immediately without upgrading. And if you’re already using a ThimPress theme, LearnPress will integrate smoothly into your existing setup.
However, it’s important to note that LearnPress relies heavily on addons many of which are paid to deliver a complete LMS experience. This means you may eventually need to invest more if you plan to grow, refine your student experience, or add new learning features.
In short:
- Choose Creator LMS Free if you want a modern, creator-first LMS that feels premium right out of the box and gives you a smoother path toward building a professional online learning business.
- Choose LearnPress Free if you only need the basics and prefer a straightforward LMS that integrates with your current ThimPress ecosystem.
Saying that, why don’t you start with Creator LMS first?
Expert Recommendation – As a Product Manager
If I had to give a practical recommendation:
– Choose Creator LMS Free if you want:
A modern experience, better quizzes to increase engagement, better lesson management, and a faster course-building workflow.
– Choose LearnPress Free if you want:
Basic courses with simple lessons, PayPal selling without upgrading, and a plugin that works with your existing ThimPress theme. It’s functional but relies heavily on add-ons to feel complete.
