Migration
Moving from LearnDash to Thinkific
The common trigger is operational load, not price. LearnDash's license excludes hosting, updates and backups; running WordPress is on you. Thinkific hosts everything and includes support with the plan. Group and B2B selling map roughly from LearnDash's Elite license to Thinkific Grow. The trade is trading a flat yearly license for a recurring hosted fee. The move is still a migration project: inventory, written export answers, a reconciliation test, then cutover.
Why teams consider this move
Three registry facts drive most of these switches. None of them is about export tooling, which we do not claim either way.
- Operational load. LearnDash is self-supported by default: you or your host manage WordPress, backups and updates. Thinkific hosts everything with support included.
- SCORM. LearnDash does not include native SCORM in its license grid. Thinkific lists SCORM on quote-based Plus only, so neither is a clean upgrade for SCORM.
- B2B seat selling. LearnDash Elite includes group course management and seat selling at a flat $599 a year. Thinkific opens the equivalent from Grow at $164 a month.
Plan mapping and the cost delta
Map your LearnDash license to the Thinkific tier with matching capability, then add what hosting already costs you today.
| Platform | Entry plan | From (annual billing) | Platform fees on the entry plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thinkific | Basic | $40/mo | 5% only with your own gateway | Hosted (SaaS) |
| LearnWorlds | Starter | $24/mo | $5 per course sale | Hosted (SaaS) |
| Teachable | Starter | $29/mo | 7.5% transaction fee | Hosted (SaaS) |
| Podia | Mover | $42/mo | 5% transaction fee | Hosted (SaaS) |
| LearnDash | Essentials | $259/year license | No platform fee | Your WordPress site |
LearnDash Essentials is $259 a year for the license alone; add your current WordPress hosting cost to get a real total. Thinkific Basic is about $480 a year, hosted and supported, with no separate hosting bill. If you sell B2B seats, compare LearnDash Elite ($599 a year flat) against Thinkific Grow (about $1,968 a year). Run your own numbers in the cost calculator.
Apply the checklist to your LearnDash site
Follow the full LMS migration checklist and adapt it here.
- Inventory. Count courses, groups, certificates issued and active payment plans on your WordPress site, plus any theme or page-builder customizations tied to LearnDash.
- Ask both vendors in writing. Request a sample export from your LearnDash install and ask Thinkific what it imports and in what format.
- Run the reconciliation test. Build a fictional dataset, export it, import it into a Thinkific trial, and compare object counts before and after.
Cutover order
Rebuild and verify before touching anything live. Recreate the catalog in Thinkific, set up group selling if you sell seats, and run the reconciliation test on fictional data. Keep your WordPress site live throughout.
Only when the destination is proven do you migrate learners, redirect your domain, and decide what happens to the WordPress install and its hosting contract afterward.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need to manage WordPress after moving to Thinkific?
Is Thinkific cheaper than LearnDash?
Will my LearnDash courses import into Thinkific?
Keep deciding
LMS migration checklist: what really moves, and what you rebuild
A migration matrix by object type, courses, learners, progress, subscriptions, with what to inventory and what to demand from each vendor in writing.
Thinkific vs LearnDash: hosted convenience or WordPress ownership
Thinkific is a hosted platform from $40 a month on annual billing. LearnDash is a WordPress plugin from $259 a year, license only. Compare cost, control and B2B selling.
Hosted LMS vs WordPress LMS: ownership and total cost
SaaS subscription versus a LearnDash license plus hosting, updates and backups. The yearly cost, the responsibility split, and who owns your data.
Course platform pricing calculator: Thinkific vs LearnWorlds vs Teachable, Podia and LearnDash
Selling courses? Compare the yearly cost of Thinkific, LearnWorlds, Teachable, Podia and LearnDash from your sales, students, admin seats and transaction fees.