A good lms plugin features checklist starts with your business model, not a feature list. Decide whether you are selling courses, running compliance training or building a learning community, then score each plugin on drip, quizzes, prerequisites, selling, certificates, reporting, support, renewal terms and per-site cost. The sections below give you that scorecard.
Quick Summary
- Weight features by business model: sellers care about checkout and access rules, compliance teams about certificates and reporting, community builders about members and groups.
- Check what is gated behind paid tiers. “Free” often leaves out reporting, payments, groups or certificates.
- Price the whole stack: LMS, checkout, community plugin, hosting and renewals, not only the licence.
- TrueCommunity is a community and LMS plugin: courses, quizzes, drip, prerequisites and WooCommerce or EDD selling in one plugin, from $0 (free) or $119/year for Pro. It has no certificates and no SCORM.
- Run a ten-minute trial before paying: build a course, take a quiz, test a payment and check the refund terms.
Ready to own your community?
How to use this lms plugin features checklist
Most buyers compare feature grids and pick the plugin with the most ticks. That is how people end up paying for SCORM they never use while missing the one rule their business depends on. Weight first, then compare.
Give each area below a score from 0 (irrelevant) to 3 (cannot launch without it). Multiply by how well each plugin covers it. The plugin with the highest total wins, and you can explain why.
| Business model | Weight heavily | Weight lightly |
|---|---|---|
| Selling courses | Checkout, access expiry, drip, refunds, renewal price | SCORM, enterprise reporting |
| Compliance or internal training | Certificates, reporting, SCORM or xAPI, quiz records | Community, gamification |
| Learning community or cohort | Groups, profiles, messaging, drip, seat limits, engagement | Certificates, SCORM |
Key takeaway: A feature you score 0 should never influence the price you are willing to pay. Write the zeros down before you open a single pricing page.
1. Course structure and content
Check how the plugin organises learning. You want sections, lessons and ideally topics or steps inside a lesson, with video, text, files and embedded media.
Ask whether a front-end course builder exists or whether everything happens in the WordPress dashboard. Also ask who can create courses. Some plugins restrict this to administrators, which matters if you plan to bring in several instructors.
In TrueCommunity, the free plugin includes sections and lessons that you reorder by dragging. Pro adds topics inside lessons. Course creation is limited to site administrators.
2. Drip content, prerequisites and access rules
This is where cohort and paid-course businesses live or die. Check each of these separately, because plugins often cover some and not others:
- Drip by days after joining and by fixed date.
- Prerequisite courses, with all-of or any-of logic.
- Sequential lessons versus free navigation.
- Open and close dates and seat limits for cohorts.
- Access expiry, with or without deleting progress.
- Free preview lessons and a visible lesson list before enrollment.
TrueCommunity Pro covers all of these in its course settings and lesson rules. The free plugin does not include them, so a drip-based course needs Pro. The Free vs Pro comparison lists each rule.
3. Quizzes and assessment
Look at question types, grading, attempt limits, passing scores and what the instructor sees afterwards. Auto-grading saves time, but short-answer and assignment review matter when you need a human judgement.
| Quiz check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Question types (choice, true/false, matching, sorting, fill in the blank) | Limits how well you can test real understanding |
| Passing score and attempt limits | Controls completion and retakes |
| Where the quiz sits (after lesson, section or course) | Shapes the learning flow |
| Per-answer submission records | Needed for audits and disputes |
| Assignments with upload, approval and feedback | Required for any skill that needs review |
TrueCommunity’s free plugin includes auto-graded quizzes with seven question types, points, explanations and attempt limits, plus a results tab. Pro adds assignment review, a challenge exam and full quiz submission details.
4. Selling courses and checkout
Find out how the plugin takes money before you compare anything else. Some LMS plugins have built-in checkout, some depend on WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads, and some need a paid add-on for payments. This has changed between versions for several vendors, so confirm it on the current vendor page.
Then list the costs on top of the licence:
- Payment gateway fees, which you pay whichever plugin you choose.
- Any platform or transaction fee. Some plugins charge none, so ask directly.
- Whether subscriptions or recurring billing are included or sold separately.
- Whether you can renew access when it expires.
TrueCommunity does not process payments. Pro sells courses through WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads, enrolls the buyer on purchase and can renew expired access.
Only Private courses can be sold, and fees come from your store and gateway. Details are in the sell a course guide.
Watch out: Paid memberships and subscription billing are not part of TrueCommunity yet. If you need recurring membership billing today, pair your LMS with a dedicated membership tool or choose a plugin that includes it.
5. Certificates, SCORM and xAPI
If you train staff or issue credentials, these are non-negotiable. Certificates, SCORM and xAPI support, and records you can hand to an auditor are the areas where mature LMS plugins lead.
LearnDash, Tutor LMS and LifterLMS are deeper LMS products than TrueCommunity on certificates, SCORM and large-scale reporting. TrueCommunity has no certificates and no SCORM or xAPI support. If these are weighted 3 on your scorecard, start with those plugins and treat anything else as a community add-on.
When you evaluate them, ask each vendor three things. Is SCORM or xAPI included in the plan or sold as an add-on?
Can certificates be customised and verified? Can you export completion records?
Try TrueCommunity free, upgrade when you need more
6. Reporting and data
Reporting depth varies widely, and it is often reserved for higher tiers. Check what an instructor sees without a paid upgrade, and what an administrator can export.
- Per-student progress and completion.
- Quiz scores and individual answers.
- Assignment status.
- Cohort or group-level views.
- Export to CSV or other formats.
Also ask where the data lives. A WordPress plugin keeps learner data in your own database, which helps ownership and exit.
TrueCommunity stores data in your WordPress database and does not send it to the company. Its reporting is practical rather than enterprise-grade: a course member list, progress, quiz results and submission details.
7. Community: forums, groups and messaging
Most LMS plugins treat community as an afterthought. Buyers who want discussion, groups and member profiles often add a separate community plugin, which means two licences, two update streams and more places for conflicts.
Decide whether community is a 0 or a 3 for you. If it is a 3, check whether the LMS includes it or whether you will pay for a second plugin and a theme that supports both.
This is TrueCommunity’s central idea. The free plugin includes the activity feed, member profiles, friend requests, public, private and locked groups, private messages and notifications, alongside courses. Enrollment can target whole groups, and future group members are enrolled automatically.
Pro adds gamification: points, ranks, badges, challenges and rewards that can unlock course access or group membership. Points come from badges, challenges and lesson completion, not from activities alone. Group creation is admin-only.
8. Total cost of ownership
A licence price is only one line. Build a three-year cost for each option, including every plugin you would need to match your scorecard.
| Cost line | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| LMS licence | Plan limits, site count, tier that unlocks your needed features |
| Checkout layer | Built-in or WooCommerce/EDD, plus any paid extension |
| Community plugin | Second licence, theme requirements |
| Gamification or reporting add-ons | Included or sold separately |
| Hosting | Course video and member activity raise load |
| Renewal price | Same price, or an intro rate that jumps |
For reference, the Tutor LMS pricing page listed Individual at $199/year for 1 site, Business at $399 for 10 sites and Agency at $799 for unlimited sites, with lifetime options as well, and said all three yearly plans include all pro add-ons. Prices checked on October 28, 2026; confirm the current figures before you buy, since vendors change plans often.
TrueCommunity Pro prices are on the pricing page. Every plan includes every Pro feature, and plans differ only by site count and support.
| Plan | Sites | Yearly | Per site | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | 1 | $119 | $119.00 | $249 |
| Studio | 5 | $199 | $39.80 | $399 |
| Agency | 30 | $299 | $9.97 | $599 |
Prices checked on October 28, 2026 against truecommunitypro.com/pricing/. Yearly plans renew at the same price.
Cost check: Compare like for like. A cheaper LMS that needs a paid community plugin and a paid checkout extension can cost more than a pricier plugin that includes them.
9. Support, refunds and renewal terms
Read the licence terms, not just the marketing page. Four questions cover most of the risk:
- What happens if the licence lapses? Does the plugin keep working, or do features lock?
- Does the renewal price match the first-year price?
- Does a lifetime licence cover future add-ons, and how many sites does it allow?
- What is the refund window, does it apply to renewals, and who handles it?
Vendors state refund windows differently, and some change them. Read the current policy page of every plugin you shortlist before you pay, and keep a screenshot of the terms on the day you buy.
TrueCommunity’s terms are simple. If a Pro licence lapses, the plugin keeps working while updates and support stop.
The refund policy gives 14 days for any reason on every payment, including renewals, handled through Paddle as Merchant of Record. Lifetime covers updates to the core Pro plugin for life but excludes any separate paid add-ons released later.
Support is email for Solo (about 2 business days) and priority for Studio and Agency (about 1 business day). Free users use the WordPress.org forum. Pro support runs through the support page.
10. The ten-minute trial test
A checklist on paper only goes so far. Spend ten minutes in a test site with each shortlisted plugin and run the same script every time:
- Install on a staging site and note how long setup takes and whether it conflicts with your theme.
- Build a course with two lessons and one quiz.
- Enroll a test student and take the quiz, then see what you as the instructor can view.
- Set a drip or prerequisite rule and confirm it blocks access as expected.
- Make a test payment, if you plan to sell, and check that enrollment is automatic.
- Look for a certificate, export and reporting screen, and note whether each is in your plan.
The free TrueCommunity plugin is available on WordPress.org, so steps 1 to 3 cost nothing. The quick setup guide walks through launch, and the install guide lists requirements (WordPress 6.3+, PHP 8.0+, pretty permalinks). There is no free trial of Pro; the free plugin acts as the trial, with the 14-day refund as a backstop.
A scorecard you can copy
Use this lms plugin features checklist as a template: write your own 0 to 3 weight beside each row, then fill in the same rows for every plugin you shortlist. Here is how TrueCommunity answers each one.
| Feature | TrueCommunity |
|---|---|
| Sections, lessons, topics | Free: sections and lessons. Pro: topics |
| Drip and prerequisites | Pro |
| Quizzes | Free: 7 question types |
| Assignments and live classes | Pro |
| Selling courses | Pro, with WooCommerce or EDD |
| Certificates, SCORM, xAPI | Not available |
| Groups, feed, messaging | Free |
| Gamification | Pro |
| Same-price renewal | Yes |
| Refund window | 14 days, including renewals |
For each competitor, use that vendor’s current official page to fill in its column.
When TrueCommunity fits (and when it does not)
TrueCommunity fits when learning and community belong together: cohorts, coaching programmes, associations, schools and brands that want a private space with courses on their own WordPress site. It suits buyers tired of paying for an LMS plus a community plugin, and anyone who wants predictable per-site pricing with every feature in every plan.
Existing WordPress accounts become members, so nobody needs a second login. See the TrueCommunity home page for the overview.
It is not the best choice in several cases:
- You need certificates, SCORM or xAPI, or enterprise-scale reporting. LearnDash, Tutor LMS and LifterLMS are more mature here.
- You need paid memberships or subscription billing today. These are planned, not shipped.
- You want a dedicated mobile app. It works in phone browsers only.
- You need many instructors creating their own courses or a course marketplace with payouts. Course creation is admin-only.
- You want migration tools from other community platforms. Only existing WordPress users can be migrated.
It is also a new product with a small install base, so judge it on the free plugin and your own test, not on social proof.
Frequently Asked Questions
What features should an LMS plugin have?
At minimum: sections and lessons, quizzes, enrollment and progress tracking. Beyond that, your model decides: drip and checkout for sellers, certificates and reporting for compliance, groups and messaging for communities. Score each against your needs rather than buying the longest list.
How much does a WordPress LMS plugin really cost per year?
The licence is the visible part, and several vendors list yearly plans in the low hundreds of dollars for one site. Add hosting, a checkout layer, any community or gamification plugin and renewal price changes. Build a three-year total for each option and include every plugin your scorecard requires.
Do I need WooCommerce to sell courses with an LMS plugin?
It depends on the plugin, and the answer has changed between versions, so check the vendor’s current page. TrueCommunity Pro sells courses through WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads. If you want an all-in-one checkout without a store plugin, test that specific feature before buying.
Is a free LMS plugin good enough, or when do I need to upgrade?
A free tier is enough for a basic course with lessons and quizzes. You upgrade when you need drip, prerequisites, selling, assignments or reporting.
TrueCommunity’s free plugin includes courses and quizzes plus the full community, and the Free vs Pro comparison shows exactly what Pro adds. Free features stay free.
Which LMS plugins support SCORM or xAPI?
Support varies by vendor and plan, so ask each one whether it is included in the tier you would buy. TrueCommunity does not support SCORM or xAPI. If your clients or auditors require it, choose an LMS that lists it explicitly and test an import before paying.
Do LMS plugins take transaction fees?
Some vendors state that they take no cut of course revenue, but your payment gateway still charges its own fees. TrueCommunity does not process payments and charges no fee of its own; fees come from your store and gateway. Ask any vendor in writing if the pricing page does not say.
How do I add community features such as forums and groups to an LMS?
You either add a separate community plugin or pick a plugin that combines both. A separate plugin means a second licence and more update conflicts. TrueCommunity bundles the feed, groups, profiles and messaging with courses, and you can compare plans on the pricing page.
Build your community on a site you own