Are you seeking free alternatives to Udemy, Coursera, Skillshare, or other SaaS eLearning platforms? WordPress could be an excellent choice for building your learning management system.
WordPress works with two different components- theme and plugin. A theme manages how a site would look and display the data with nice colors, fonts, and image sizes. On the other hand, plugins are responsible for managing the videos, PDFs, and every aspect of the learning experience.
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What is an LMS WordPress theme?
An LMS WordPress theme is a solution that can change the appearance of your normal website and turn it into an eLearning platform through its wonderful templates, layouts, styles, and designs.
It will change the overall look of your WordPress site. Besides, it also brings features that build a complete eLearning platform.
The Criteria Used to Select the Best WordPress LMS themes
Here are some essential criteria that anyone should keep in mind before picking a WordPress LMS theme:
User Experience
When I look at a WordPress theme, I always try to understand how the theme author thought through the whole process and arranged the data in the landing pages. Because I will not be the end user, in this case, the students will be the end-user or the consumer of the information. So, I will have to think from a student’s perspective and how it would look and feel.
A great user experience can make visitors happy, encourage them to keep browsing, and increase enrollments. Also, keeping visitors engaged and focused is essential.
The amount of mobile browsing is all-time high now. So, the theme also has to offer an impressive experience on mobile devices.
Customization
If you’re buying a ready-made theme, you would never want it to look the same as other sites. As themes are targeted to make hundreds and thousands of sales, developers often make “one size fits all” very often. So, to avoid that, we need to be sure that the theme can be customized to our liking.
Overriding template files, optimizing speed and loading, and adding new fonts and icons can be hundreds of options to customize the look and feel of the theme. If the theme has an excellent graphical interface and does not need help from a developer, we can call it the best-ever theme!
Customer Support and Documentation
When you’re starting to develop the design and configuration of your eLearning platform, the first couple of weeks are crucial to receive a fast response. It adds a cherry on top if the support team understands and is willing to go above and beyond to help their users succeed and launch their site fast.
Plugin Integration
If you’re an agency owner, you might need a theme that can work with multiple plugins because there will be one learning curve instead of multiple. So, you spend less time learning about theme options and feel confident about customizing and integrating different stuff. It also helps you reuse codes from different projects and reduce the time spent on projects. In short, a theme with multiple LMS plugin compatibility can help you increase your revenue and quality of work.
Ratings and Reviews
This is one key metric to understand how the existing users think about the theme and how satisfied they are with the service. I usually look at active installations and the number of five-star reviews initially.
But the problem with that is the old themes always have a higher number of good reviews as they have been in the market for a very long time, but they tend to have outdated designs. So, you must look at the landing page designs and presentation to understand if the good reviews are justified.
Related: Best WordPress LMS Plugins in 2024
Best WordPress LMS themes
Astra – Free LMS Theme
It is one of the most popular and go-to themes made by the Brainstorm Force team. It has a solid record of working with all kinds of plugins. Several companies use Astra as a benchmark to test their plugin compatibility and unit tests. They have a Pro extension for the theme and starter packs based on different LMS and eCommerce plugins. Astra Pro could be a good investment for a freelancer or an agency. For client work, Astra with Gutenberg or Elementor can save you a great amount of time and can offer you some great designs to start customizing and personalizing.
The best thing about Astra is that you can use all of the LMS plugins with this theme. Astra theme is the top WordPress theme and is available for free to download from WordPress.org. They also offer a Pro version with a plugin and starter packs.
Kadence – Free LMS Theme
Kadence is one of the best-optimized themes designed for the Gutenberg block editor. It has customization features for LearnDash, LearnPress, and Tutor LMS. With this theme, you can use any page builder, but the Gutenberg compatibility allows you to keep your site bloat free and perform faster.
Kadence has a free version you can download and install from the themes menu inside your WordPress admin dashboard. You can also manually download it from the WordPress repository. There is a Pro version with starter packs, including several eLearning packs. We highly recommend you check the Kadence theme and its features.
Eduma – Best LMS Theme from ThemeForest
It is one of the most sold themes from ThemeForest – the biggest theme marketplace for all kinds of CMS you can imagine! They have the highest home page variations and are made by the LearnPress plugin team – Thimpress.
Though they do not have a free version, the pricing is very low compared to other premium themes. They often run sales promotions and offer up to 50% discount.
Tutor Starter
If you ask me which theme offers the best user experience, I would say it’s Tutor Starter. Not because I have worked with the team for 3 years and the Tutor Starter theme was one of the projects that I have worked on very closely, but it has a seamless experience of installing a theme with required plugins, including page builders and importing dummy data- All inside a single and intuitive flow! You can install the theme and experience it yourself!
This theme has both Gutenberg and Elementor compatibility with three different starter packs. And it is available free of cost from the WordPress.org website.
It’s a bummer that this theme is designed only to work with Tutor LMS. If you are not planning to use Tutor LMS, you can check out the free and independent themes mentioned above.
Educavo – Second Best LMS Theme From ThemeForest
This is one of the new themes in the market that surprisingly have compatibility with the top 3 LMS plugins in the market- LearnDash, LearnPress, and Tutor LMS. They have even made the system ready for WPML multilingual plugin support and RTL support for languages like Arabic and Hebrew!
They have a whopping 14 home page demos and 85+ inner page templates, which can be used for various landing pages and promotions. They have also included a WooCommerce demo if you plan to sell physical and digital products from your eLearning website as student resources.
They have 60 reviews with an average score of 4.75 and made 1677 sales so far while writing this blog post. The last update was on February 9. So, we believe they update their theme with the latest plugins and the compatibility. They also offer HTML and React versions of the theme.
Social Learner
This theme was originally made for the LearnDash plugin by the BuddyBoss team and was first released in 2015. The website mentioned that it was last updated in 2020, but it might still be compatible with LearnDash as the team did not make any significant changes after that.
There was actually a popup when we tried to visit the landing page, and you might get it too- promoting the BuddyBoss theme, mentioning it is more advanced than the social learner theme.
WPLMS
I consider the WPLMS theme the OG of all LMS themes as it tries to do everything including theme, plugin, and even Apple, Android, and Microsoft apps. They are using the Progressive Web App technology to offer compatibility with everything. I feel very excited about reading about all the features they offer and the 27,181 sales they made.
Though I never got the chance to use the product, the 4.51 rating from 1674 reviews makes it a very intimidating solution. The cost is unbelievably low! You can get it just for 73 USD!
BuddyBoss
This theme is part of the ecosystem that the BuddyBoss team has developed as a part of their social learning solution. To get the full benefit and offer the ultimate level of learning experience, you need to buy their platform plugin and app. Without everything together, I believe you won’t feel at peace.
BuddyBoss was originally a fork of the BuddyPress plugin, but I have heard that they have developed it from scratch and tried to maintain compatibility with BuddyPress plugins. If we’re talking about the complete package, it might feel very expensive compared to other available solutions in the market. But it is definitely worth it if you’re considering having a serious platform that can compete with the giants.
BuddyBoss has the biggest team of developers, content creators, and marketers in the eLearning development market. So it is guaranteed that you’d get their best service and support. I have known some team members since 2019, so I can confidently say it!
Skillate
This is one of the nicest-looking themes, which provides an app-like experience on mobile. I mean, they have designed the responsive version of the theme so that it feels like you’re using an app. If you insert this in an iframe or some sort of browsing app, you can have a mobile app for your platform without much fuss.
The pricing is also very affordable, and it comes bundled with the Tutor LMS plugin, which also has the best user experience in the market. Skillate theme and Tutor LMS plugin could be a great starting point for solopreneurs and teachers who want to manage everything independently.
OceanWP
This generic WordPress theme was originally developed as a multi-purpose theme. But they have evolved to support many different niches as the Astra theme. They are compatible with all of the major WordPress plugins, including all the LMS plugins in the market.
OceanWP has a free version available on WordPress.org with an astonishing 700,000+ active installs. So, you can tell how reliable and stable this theme is. I also had a couple of meetings with the founders while working for different LMS plugin companies. They seemed like a genuine caring person who always tried to help the community in the best way possible.
Blocksy – Best Block Theme
Blocksy has a relatively small team backing up the theme but man! They are insanely productive and delight their users with great design and user experience. I was one of their big fans from the very day they started. They have added many features in the free version, and their responsive controls are great.
The features and customization options of the best WordPress LMS themes
A quality WordPress LMS theme has great features and customization options to build an eLearning platform seamlessly. Here is the set of features and customization options of the best WordPress LMS themes:
- LMS themes offer robust features to create and manage your online courses. Besides, these themes contain numerous templates to build a wonderful eLearning platform.
- These themes also have a progress tracking feature that shows course progress to the student. As a result, students can get their progress data for a selected course.
- Built-in assessment and setting quizzes are remarkable features of these WordPress LMS themes.
- Also, customization options like designing instructors’ profiles with reviews and ratings, supporting multi instructors, customized badges, certifications, etc are the quality of the best LMS themes.
- Some learning management themes support multiple payment gateways.
The ease of use and user experience of the best WordPress LMS themes
The best WordPress LMS themes prioritize ease of use and smooth user experience to ensure users won’t face any difficulties creating courses. Here are some aspects that contribute to smooth UX:
Drag and drop course building option:
These LMS themes are compatible with drag-and-drop builders such as Elementor. As a result, you can easily create eLearning courses by dragging and dropping.
User-friendly UI:
Top best LMS themes ensure the user interface is so friendly that a beginner can operate it without any issues. Therefore both instructors and students can easily understand the courses built with these themes.
Device responsiveness:
The designs or templates with these LMS themes have high device responsiveness. Thus, the course created with these themes looks fine on any device.
Friendly course structure:
These themes contain clear course structure, which helps students to understand and complete courses effortlessly.
Easy documentation and 24/7 support:
The best WordPress LMS theme has step-by-step documentation or tutorial videos to guide users on how it works. Besides, these themes provide 24/7 support so that they can solve your problem or queries instantly.
The compatibility of the best WordPress LMS themes with different plugins
These LMS themes are designed by keeping plugin compatibility in mind to extend features and opportunities. That’s why these work fine with almost all the LMS plugins. Besides, These have compatibility with general plugins as well. Check out the type of plugins with which LMS themes have great compatibility:
- LMS plugins.
- E-commerce plugins.
- Membership plugins.
- Page builders.
- Social media integrations.
- Media plugins.
- Payment integrations.
- Reporting and analytics plugins and so on.
However, plugin compatibility varies. Since all the LMS themes might not have compatibility with the same plugins. So, before picking the best LMS theme, check out thoroughly and identify whether your LMS theme is compatible with the plugins that you’re intended to use.
The cost and availability of the best WordPress eLearning themes
WordPress eLearning themes are available on WordPress.org, theme developer’s websites, or theme marketplaces. If you’re looking to try free WordPress LMS themes initially for your eLearning platform, then you should look at WordPress.org, which has a vast collection of eLearning themes. These themes only have basic and general features that are fine at starting.
However, if you want advanced features to streamline your eLearning platform, you have to go for premium LMS themes that are available on theme marketplaces such as ThemeForest, Elegant Themes, etc., and theme developers’ websites. Here the cost will start from $30 to $300 or more. It depends on the features and opportunities of the theme you choose.
So, comparing different LMS themes based on their features, prices, and refund is wise.
The integration of multimedia elements in the best WordPress LMS themes
It’s essential to have multimedia integrations in your WordPress LMS theme. Because it facilitates smooth content delivery and learning experience. Therefore, your WordPress LMS themes must contain integrations that help to attach video, audio files, slides, documentation, etc.
Apart from these, the best WordPress LMS themes must support interactive elements such as quizzes, assessments, etc. Also, these themes support image gallery integration which helps to create visual content, infographics, diagrams, etc.
Nevertheless, these multimedia integrations can vary from theme to theme. That’s why check all the features of the LMS themes before choosing one.
The responsive design and accessibility of the best WordPress LMS themes
The best WordPress LMS themes always focus on having a responsive design to ensure it looks good on any device, regardless of the screen size. Besides, these LMS themes contain a flexible grid system that automatically adjusts the design and content layout. Also, it ensures to have touch-friendly navigation such as menus, buttons, etc.
Accessibility is a great factor in being the best WordPress LMS theme. A WordPress LMS theme has to be compatible with a Screen reader so that users facing visual difficulties can read and understand your site’s content without any problem.
Moreover, the templates and designs of these LMS themes are created by maintaining clear typography, color contrast, appropriate fonts, etc. These help to maintain higher content readability which results in greater engagement.
Frequently asked questions
Is WordPress LMS Free?
You will find free LMS themes and plugins in the WordPress directory. They are good for initial use. However, if you want to enjoy advanced features, you must go for their premium versions.
Which LMS plugin is best for WordPress?
Tutor LMS, LearnDash, and Sensei are the best WordPress LMS plugins. Although, selecting one from them is a bit overwhelming as they all offer great features to run and maintain your LMS platform smoothly. So, choose the LMS plugin that matches your requirements and expectations.
Can WordPress be used as an LMS?
Yes, WordPress can be used as an LMS. WordPress comes with a bundle of learning management system plugins and themes that can create a full-fledged eLearning platform. It’s getting very popular to use WordPress as an LMS. So, yes, like any other solution, WordPress can be used as an LMS.
Which WordPress theme is best for an educational website?
Tutor Starter, Kadence, Eduma, etc., are best for an educational website as these offer all the essential features to get started with the best educational website. So, go through them individually and select a suitable educational LMS theme focusing on your requirements and preferences.
Which theme is the best for LifterLMS?
LifterLMS has great plugin and theme compatibility. This LMS plugin works fine with any theme. However, if you want to choose the most appropriate theme, go for Kadence, which has brilliant compatibility with LifterLMS. It also has a free version that you can download from WordPress.org.
Is WordPress a CMS or LMS?
WordPress is a CMS or content management system by which you can create, manage, and publish different types of content. However, you can also use WordPress as an LMS by leveraging its LMS plugins and themes. These plugins and themes transform your WordPress website into an eLearning platform.
So, it can be said that WordPress is primarily a CMS, but it can be transformed into LMS by using a dedicated LMS WordPress theme and plugin.
Is WordPress good for CMS?
Yes, WordPress is a well-known and popular content management system. WordPress powers more than one-third of online websites. It is an open-source CMS that has numerous free WordPress themes and plugins. You can use these free elements to create and manage any website.
What is the best feature of LMS?
Course management is the best and most required feature of an LMS. Because creating and managing courses for any eLearning platform is essential, an LMS must have this feature to simplify course creation and management.
Which LMS is compatible with Elementor?
Tutor LMS, LifterLMS, LearnDash, etc., are compatible with Elementor. You can create your eLearning platform by dragging and dropping through these LMS. Also, these LMS plugins come with a set of features that make it easier to create, manage, and maintain the eLearning platform.
The conclusion and final thoughts on the best WordPress LMS themes for 2024
So, here is the list of the best free and pro-WordPress LMS themes based on ease of use, device responsiveness, UX, UI, compatibility, and accessibility. Go through all the features of these LMS themes and select an appropriate LMS theme that satisfies your needs and requirements.
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