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LifterLMS Review

Depends

Should I use LifterLMS?

The most powerful, customizable, stable, and secure online course and membership plugin for WordPress - lifterlms.com

· 1 month ago

Buy it if you sell courses or memberships on WordPress and can handle plugin updates and security yourself. Skip it if you're not on WordPress or want a hands-off hosted platform.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~50 public sources: review sites, Reddit threads, CVE databases, and vendor pages.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free

Core

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Paid bundles3 plans (per Capterra); 50% intro discount advertised

Best for

  • Solo course creators on WordPress
  • Membership site builders
  • Coaches selling training programs
  • Nonprofits delivering eLearning

Not for

  • Non-WordPress sites — it's a plugin, no standalone option
  • Buyers wanting zero-maintenance hosted LMS
  • Large enterprises needing dedicated L&D admin tooling
  • Anyone who won't stay on top of plugin security updates

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Repeated CVEs mean you must apply plugin updates fast; outdated sites are exposed.

medium

Freemium model: total cost climbs as you add gateways, bundles, and advanced add-ons.

medium

Lifetime sales and 50% intro discounts — listed prices shift often; confirm current tiers.

low

Small Trustpilot base (49 reviews) means support signal is thin.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Core plugin is completely free
  • Strong ratings: 4.5/5 Trustpilot, 4.3/5 expert review
  • Courses, quizzes, and memberships natively inside WordPress
  • Long track record — founded 2013, active ecosystem
  • Reddit users say it 'shines' against rival plugins

Cons

  • Repeated public CVEs: SQL injection, XSS, privilege escalation
  • Full functionality requires paid add-ons beyond free core
  • You own WordPress hosting, updates, backups, and security
  • Frequent lifetime deals and discounts suggest shifting pricing

Sources & method

- 13 sources - Multiple CVEs (SQL injection, XSS, privilege escalation) across recent versions — patch discipline required.

official x3review x6security x4
  • Authenticated (Admin+) SQL Injection, versions <= 7.7.5, Disclosed via Wordfence threat intel; fixed in later releases.
  • SQL injection affecting 10,000+ sites, Patchstack reported a SQL injection vulnerability in the widely-installed plugin.
  • Instructor+ stored XSS via featured video, versions < 10.0.10, WPScan-listed stored XSS requiring instructor-level access.
  • Authenticated student privilege escalation, Wordfence-listed privilege escalation affecting various versions.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 13

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Free core; add-on costs can stack
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Described as easy-to-use WordPress plugin
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Called most feature-complete WordPress LMS
  • Support quality: 4/5. 4.5/5 Trustpilot, small sample
  • Security posture: 2/5. Repeated CVEs: SQLi, XSS, escalation
  • 4.5/5 Trustpilot rating 49 reviews
  • Free Starting price core plugin; 3 paid plans
  • Yes Free tier core plugin is totally free
  • 2013 Founded no disclosed funding

Pricing

Core

Free

  • Core course and membership features
  • Self-hosted on your WordPress site

Paid bundles

3 plans (per Capterra); 50% intro discount advertised

  • Bundles of paid add-ons
  • Advanced selling and engagement features

Security

Multiple CVEs (SQL injection, XSS, privilege escalation) across recent versions — patch discipline required.

  • Authenticated (Admin+) SQL Injection, versions <= 7.7.5Disclosed via Wordfence threat intel; fixed in later releases.⁹
  • SQL injection affecting 10,000+ sitesPatchstack reported a SQL injection vulnerability in the widely-installed plugin.11
  • Instructor+ stored XSS via featured video, versions < 10.0.10WPScan-listed stored XSS requiring instructor-level access.10
  • Authenticated student privilege escalationWordfence-listed privilege escalation affecting various versions.

What users say

Reviewers rate LifterLMS highly (4.5/5 Trustpilot, 4.3/5 WPCrafter) as a powerful WordPress LMS, while community threads position it as one of several strong options alongside LearnDash and Tutor LMS.

Alternatives

Compare LifterLMS with each alternative.

  • LearnDash

    Rival WordPress LMS, frequently compared head-to-head.

  • Tutor LMS

    Freemium WordPress LMS; users debate its price.

  • LearnPress

    Simpler, free WordPress LMS for basic needs.

    LifterLMS vs LearnPress

  • Hosted course platforms

    Guess: pick these to skip WordPress maintenance entirely.

Companies that use it

  • CaboPress (Chris Lema's mastermind event)
Full analysis

Based on ~50 public sources: review sites, Reddit threads, CVE databases, and vendor pages.

Powerful WordPress LMS for course sellers who'll maintain a WP site; wrong pick for non-WordPress or hands-off buyers.

Methodology

Based on ~50 public sources: review sites, Reddit threads, CVE databases, and vendor pages.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Trustpilot reviews of LifterLMSca.trustpilot.com
    review
  2. WPCrafter LifterLMS review (4.3)wpcrafter.com
    review
  3. G2 LifterLMS reviewsg2.com
    review
  4. Reddit: Good LMS solution (r/Wordpress)reddit.com
    review
  5. LearnDash vs LifterLMS pricing and featuresvdocipher.com
    review
  6. LifterLMS pricing pagelifterlms.com
    official
  7. WordPress.org plugin pagewordpress.org
    official
  8. LifterLMS press page (founded 2013)lifterlms.com
    official
  9. Wordfence: SQL injection <= 7.7.5wordfence.com
    security
  10. WPScan: stored XSS < 10.0.10wpscan.com
    security
  11. Patchstack: SQL injection affecting 10k+ sitespatchstack.com
    security
  12. NVD: CVE-2025-2290nvd.nist.gov
    security
  13. Capterra pricing detailscapterra.com
    review

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