How RootWright compares, with a source for every cell.
Every competitor cell below comes from that vendor’s own site, docs or WordPress.org listing, checked on 18 October 2026. Where a vendor doesn’t say, we write “not stated” rather than guess.
How we checked
- Checked 18 October 2026 on each vendor’s site, docs and WordPress.org page.
- “Not stated” means the vendor’s pages don’t mention it. It doesn’t prove they lack it.
- Prices change. Confirm on the vendor’s page before you buy.
Spot a mistake? Write to [[email protected]] and we’ll fix it within a week.
Why people switch
Fourteen reasons to switch, before the details.
Each one is in the build today, tagged Free or Pro. The table below then compares the rest, line by line.
Learners remember, not just finish
Most LMS plugins measure clicks. RootWright measures memory, and brings each lesson back right before the learner would forget it.
How it worksSeveral prices for one course, in the free plugin
Other free LMS plugins give a course one price. RootWright’s free plugin gives it as many as you need.
How it worksLessons that make people think
Learning-science practice is built into the lesson itself, so learners don’t just read along.
How it worksA learning path for each learner
Learners move through skills, not just a list of lessons, and get a plan that fits their own deadline.
How it worksSell your way
Keep the store you already use, or sell with no store plugin at all.
How it worksAI that builds the course with you
Go from a brief to a full draft course while you watch it being written, with your house style and your budget in charge.
How it worksExams built for certification courses
Real exam controls plus practice tests that adapt to each learner.
How it worksYour AI agent can work in your LMS
Connect Claude Desktop or any MCP agent straight to your courses.
How it worksFast on ordinary hosting
Built to stay quick on a small server with no Redis.
How it worksControl and privacy you can explain
Every permission has a reason you can see, and every byte of learner data can be exported or erased.
How it worksCertificates people can trust
Credentials that can be verified, and designs that never change after they are issued.
How it worksReach learners where they already are
Learning nudges that arrive in the inbox and chat apps learners already use.
How it worksFound by Google and by AI
Courses are ready for search engines and AI assistants without extra setup.
How it worksLooks right on any block theme
No page builder needed.
How it works| What you’d check | RootWright | Tutor LMS | LearnDash | LifterLMS | Masteriyo | LearnPress |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plugin on WordPress.org | Passed review; listing [soon] | Yes · 100,000+ installs | No | Yes · 10,000+ installs | Yes · 6,000+ installs | Yes · 70,000+ installs |
| Cheapest paid planAs listed on the vendor’s pricing page | [Announced at launch] | Individual: $199 / year | Pro: $399 / year (sites per licence not stated) | Earth Bundle: $199 / year sale, $398 regular | Basic: $99 / year sale, $199 regular | Pro Bundle: $299 one-time, 12 months of updates |
| Payments without a cart plugin | Pro: Stripe and PayPal, with sales tax and EU VAT | Native eCommerce (tier not clear) | Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, 2Checkout | Manual in core; Stripe add-on $149/yr | Stripe and PayPal, free | PayPal in core; Stripe add-on $39 |
| Several prices on one courseOne-time, subscription and payment plan, in the free plugin | Yes, in the free plugin | Not in the free plugin | No free plugin | Not in the free plugin | Not in the free plugin | Not in the free plugin |
| Drip content | Pro | Pro | Core | Yes (tier not stated) | Yes (pages disagree on tier) | Add-on, $39 |
| Spaced repetition reviewsScheduled review of past material | Free · FSRS-6 | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Quiz question types | 11: 6 free, 5 Pro | 13; interactive types Pro | 8 | 4 core + 8 in a paid add-on | 9 (3 free, 6 Pro) | 4 core |
| Encrypted video with a moving watermark | Pro: moving watermark; encrypted playback planned | Copy and hotlink protection; no HLS or watermark stated | Not stated | Not stated | Content and video protection; no HLS or watermark stated | Not stated |
| Certificates with verification | Free, with QR and a verify page | Pro, with ID and QR | Yes; verification not stated | Free; share link, opt-in | Free, with QR | Add-on; verification $39 |
| Import from another LMS | In progress [confirm] | Free tool: LearnDash, LearnPress, LifterLMS | Add-on in Pro and Elite | No built-in importer | Free: five LMS plugins | Free add-on: Tutor, LearnDash, MasterStudy |
| Platform fee on your sales | 0% | 0% [confirm exact wording on the pricing page] | Not stated | Not stated | 0% | Not stated |
| Refund window | [14] days | 30 days | 30 days (annual plans) | 30 days | 14 days | Conditions; no day count |
Install counts from WordPress.org. Trademarks belong to their owners. RootWright isn’t affiliated with any vendor listed.
Fair is fair
Where others are ahead of us, right now.
- A track record. Tutor LMS has 100,000+ active installs; LearnPress 70,000+. We have a beta.
- Importers today. Tutor LMS, Masteriyo and LearnPress ship free migration tools now. Ours are in progress.
- More question types. Tutor LMS lists 13. We have 11.
- Reviews. We have none yet. That’s what the beta is for.
Built differently
What we do differently.
- Several prices on one course, free. One-time, subscription and payment plans in the free plugin; none of the five offer that in theirs.
- One table per job: 35 in the free plugin, 54 with Pro, each indexed for the queries an LMS runs, and listed in our docs.
- A student app outside wp-admin that doesn’t depend on your theme.
- Spaced recall. None of the five mentions scheduled reviews.
- An AI that builds the course with you, and a built-in MCP server so your own AI agent can work in your LMS.
- Sales tax and EU VAT in checkout: rates by country and state, inclusive prices, VAT IDs checked and reverse charged.
Sources
Pages we checked on 18 October 2026
- Tutor LMS: wordpress.org/plugins/tutor · tutorlms.com/pricing · tutorlms.com/free-vs-pro · tutorlms.com/ecommerce · tutorlms.com/refund-policy
- LearnDash: www.liquidweb.com/software/learndash · docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/payments · docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/drip-feeding · learndash.helpscoutdocs.com/article/56-quiz-questions · docs.nexcess.com/software/learndash/migrate-learndash · www.liquidweb.com/policies/learndash-refund-2
- LifterLMS: wordpress.org/plugins/lifterlms · lifterlms.com/pricing · lifterlms.com/product/stripe-extension · lifterlms.com/docs/lifterlms-quizzes-overview · lifterlms.com/docs/enable-sharing-certificates
- Masteriyo: wordpress.org/plugins/learning-management-system · masteriyo.com/pricing · masteriyo.com/features/quiz-builder · masteriyo.com
- LearnPress: wordpress.org/plugins/learnpress · learnpresslms.com/pricing-plan · learnpresslms.com/docs/learnpress/admin-guide/quiz · thimpress.com/thimpress-refund-rules
Judge it on your own site.
Fifty seats. Every Pro feature free for the beta.