Top 14 Best LearnDash Themes For 2020

LearnDash is a powerful, robust, highly-reviewed, and reliable WordPress LMS Plugin that will help you build, host, and sell online courses. LearnDash is used by WordPress users, developers, educational institutions, and companies (large and small)

To build a personalized and customized eLearning or LMS website, you will need a reliable and stable WordPress LMS Theme to support the LearnDash plugin.  

This article will discuss some of the best LearnDash themes in the market that will allow you to build your online course business. 

For a LearnDash theme to be useful, it must meet all the following criteria.

• Ease of Installation — Any theme you choose and purchase must be able to set up and install. 
• Customization options — To personalize your LearnDash course website, you need a WordPress theme that provides you flexibility in theme design and customization.
• Performance Optimized — The success of your LearnDash course website also relies on speed (both desktop and mobile), security features, and ensuring that it’s SEO-optimized.
• Affordable pricing — This is self-explanatory. You don’t want to break the bank, especially if you are just starting your online course business.  
• Additional Integrations — To build a full-blown LMS and market your courses, you will need to ensure that the Theme integrates seamlessly with other WordPress Plugins and 3rd party integrations.
• Reliable Support — Any theme must include extensive documentation and support, so you can troubleshoot and fix any issues that might arise.

I have made sure to cover all of these in detail when discussing each of the 14 LearnDash themes. 

After reading this comparison guide, you will have a clearer idea of which WordPress LearnDash theme you need to choose for your course website.

So, let’s get started.

Best LearnDash Themes: Summary of Differences

14 Best LearnDash Themes

1. University

University Theme is a WordPress Education Theme and is ideal for building your own LMS. It is created and supported by the Cactus Themes and has been purchased and installed on over 5000+ websites. 

University Key Features:

• Pre-made Templates — University comes with a library of pre-built templates and content; it also includes 7 pre-built website demos, so you can quickly launch and edit your LMS website. 

• Integration — University is compatible with WooCommerce, membership plugins, event management plugins, etc.

• Theme Customization —  The Theme is easy to customize using the Theme Options panel and the drag-and-drop builder.

University Theme Pricing: 

You can purchase the University Theme on ThemeForest (Envato Marketplace).

• Annual — $49/year; Single site.

Limited refund policy. You can contact Cactus Themes directly or via ThemeForest. Refunds are only issued on a case-by-case basis. 

University Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  Ticketing system. 6 months of support from Cactus Themes will be available to answer questions. Assistance with bugs, issues, and 3rd party assets. 

Extended support (total 12 months) can be purchased for an additional $13.88.

• Support Hours — 9 AM to 6 PM (GMT +7). The resolution time is 24 to 48 hours.
• Documentation —  Dedicated knowledge base.

2. Unidash

Unidash is a WordPress Theme ideal for online education and learning institutions. It was created and supported by the Cactus Themes and purchased and installed on 290+  websites. 

Unidash Key Features:

• Design Options — Unidash comes with 12 pre-defined templates with an unlimited combination that provides many customization options.

• Integration — University is compatible with WooCommerce (eCommerce), MemberPress (membership sites), and BuddyPress (forums).

• Course Layouts —  The theme allows you to display a table of contents for your courses. It also shows course progress, which helps with student engagement and encourages active participation.

Unidash Theme Pricing: 

Unidash Theme can be purchased on ThemeForest (Envato Marketplace).

• Annual — $47/year; Single site.

Limited refund policy. You can contact Cactus Themes directly or via ThemeForest. Refunds are only issued on a case-by-case basis. 

Unidash Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  6 months of support from Cactus Themes, who will be available to answer questions. Assistance with bugs, issues, and 3rd party assets. 

Extended support (total 12 months) can be purchased for an additional $13.13.

• Support Hours — 9AM to 6PM (GMT +7). The resolution time is 24 to 48 hours.
• Documentation —  Dedicated knowledge base.

3. BuddyBoss for LearnDash

BuddyBoss is a multi-purpose theme that’s ideal for selling online courses, membership programs, creating training programs, and building online communities. Since it is built on the same framework as WordPress (open-source), it is also customizable, so you have total freedom on how your website looks.

Over 50,000+ websites use BuddyBoss.

BuddyBoss Key Features:

• Monetization Features — Integration with both WooCommerce and LearnDash to sell your course. Enable in-app purchases. The membership function allows you to sell subscription packages. 

• Build a Community  — Enhance the engagement of your students by building a community. Enable member profiles, create groups, turn on/off private messaging,

• Extensive Integration  — BuddyBoss integrates with most WordPress plugins; however, they have tested and deeper integrations with 100s of WordPress plugins and 3rd-party softwares. 

• Mobile App  — Create and launch your own white-label mobile app with BuddyBoss’s AppBoss integration. In-app purchases and push notifications can also be enabled on the mobile app.

BuddyBoss Pricing: 

All BuddyBoss pricing is annual. All packages include priority support and product updates.

• 1 Site — $228/year.
• 5 Sites — $288/year.
• 10 Sites — $328/year.

All purchases come with a risk-free 14-day money-back guarantee.

BuddyBoss Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  Help-desk ticketing system. BuddyBoss and WordPress support forums are also available. 
• Support Hours — 24/7 support.
• Documentation —  Extensive knowledge base. Also, they have an extensive blog, YouTube videos, webinars, etc., to support their customers.

4. Edumodo

Edumodo is an eLearning/LMS WordPress theme created and supported by ThemeXpert, that can be used to build education websites for schools, colleges, universities, etc. Edumodo has been purchased & installed on over 1100+  websites. 

Edumodo Key Features:

• PageBuilder Integration — Edumodo is compatible with Elementor and Gutenberg, making it easier and faster to build web pages.

• Theme Customization Options  — Includes more than 100+ customizable options (footer, header, fonts, style) to personalize your eLearning website. 

• Optimized for Performance  — Edumodo is SEO-optimized. It is also speed and mobile optimized.

• User Engagement  — Send email notifications to keep students in the loop. The learning features (certificates, gamification, advanced quizzes, drip-feed content) help you build an engaging student experience.

Edumodo Pricing: 

Edumodo can be purchased on ThemeForest (Envato Marketplace).

• Regular License — $59/year; Single site.

Limited refund policy. You can contact Cactus Themes directly or via ThemeForest. Refunds are only issued on a case-by-case basis. 

Edumodo Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  Help-desk ticketing system. 6 months of support from ThemeXpert, who will be available to answer questions. Assistance with bugs, issues, and 3rd party assets. 

Extended support (total 12 months) can be purchased for an additional $7.63. Guaranteed response time of 24 hours.

• Support Hours — Monday to Friday (10 AM to 6 PM) (GMT + 6).
• Documentation —  Dedicated knowledge base that includes tutorials, setup wizards, etc.

5. Astra Pro

Astra is created, maintained, and supported by the team at Brainstorm Force. Astra is now used on over 1 Million websites and has over 4600 5-star ratings. 

Astra is a free theme that supports LearnDash, but with Astra Pro, you will get enhancements to make your LearnDash installation more powerful and robust. 

Astra Pro Key Features:

• Ecommerce Features — Customize your LearnDash checkout pages with a simpler and clean design, thus reducing shopping cart abandonment and boosting page (checkout page) conversions.

• Enhanced Design Options — Manage the color and typography options, ensuring that your website design and the course content design match

• Distraction-free Learning —  Provide students and users with an immersive learning experience by removing non-pertinent information and page elements.

Astra Pro Pricing: 

• Annual — $59/year; Includes 20+ free starter sites. Unlimited websites.
• Lifetime — $249/one-time; Includes 20+ free starter sites. Unlimited websites.

All purchases come with a 100% risk-free 14-day money-back guarantee.

Astra Pro Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  Email support.
• Support Hours — 24/7 Dedicated email support.
• Documentation —  Dedicated Astra Pro knowledge base in-depth articles, and video tutorials that explain each feature. Public Changelogs for both Astra and Astra Pro. A dedicated Facebook Group with over 15000 active members.

6. eLumine 

eLumine is a LearnDash-specific Theme created and maintained by the team at WISDM. eLumine has been purchased and installed by 1400+ customers and has an average 4.9 rating.

eLumine Key Features:

• Pre-made Templates — eLumine comes with 6 pre-made templates ideal for eLearning/LMS websites. The theme also comes with an option to import pre-built demo or starter sites, which is quick to install and easily customizable to match your branding guidelines. Also, it comes with 7 pre-defined styling options to customize your website with zero coding experience.

• Enhanced Student Engagement — Clean and reader-friendly layouts enhance the learning experience for your students. There’s also an option to create a distraction-free learning environment.

• Performance Optimized —  eLumine is built for performance and speed. The theme comes with collapsible sidebars, and the pages load instantly when launched. The theme is also SEO-friendly.

• BuddyPress Integration —  Seamless integration to help create a forum or community feature for your school website. Editable student profiles make your community more engaging and provide a social network experience.

eLumine Pricing: 

All eLumine plans provide the option to either purchase an annual or lifetime license. 

• eLumine — $148/per year; $300 for lifetime access.
• eLumine LearnDash Advisor  — $141/per year; $391 for lifetime access.
• eLumine +  LearnDash Essential Add-on — $148/per year ; $398 for lifetime access.

All purchases come with a risk-free 15-day money-back guarantee.

eLumine Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  Email support and Ticketing system. 
• Documentation —  Dedicated knowledge base with detailed step-by-step instructions.

7. Talemy

Talemy is a WordPress Education Theme that has deep integration with LearnDash.

The theme is created and maintained by the team at Theme Spirit. Talemy has been purchased and installed on over 500+ websites.

Talemy Key Features:

• Responsiveness — Provides an optimal viewing experience for students on all devices (desktop, mobile, tablets). 

• Easy Installation  — 1-click demo import allows you to set up and install your eLearning website quickly and easily. 6 unique demo designs to choose from.

• Design Customization  —  Multiple design options for headers, footers, sidebars, colors, fonts, etc. It also comes with pre-built Elementor page templates and widgets. 

Talemy Pricing: 

Talemy can be purchased on ThemeForest (Envato Marketplace).

• Regular License — $59/year; Single site.

No refunds. All purchases are final.

Talemy Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  Help-desk Ticketing system. 6 months of support from Theme-Spirit will be available to answer questions. Assistance with bugs, issues, and 3rd party assets. 

Extended support (total 12 months) can be purchased for an additional $17.63.

• Support Hours — Monday to Friday from 9AM to 6PM EST. They guarantee a 24 hours response time.
• Documentation —  Dedicated documentation and knowledge base with step-by-step instructions.

8. Academy Pro 

Academy Pro is a powerful eCommerce WordPress Theme compatible with both WooCommerce and LearnDash. The theme is created and maintained by the team at StudioPress.

Academy Pro is ideal for online course websites, membership sites, and educational institutions.

Astra Key Features:

• Built for eCommerce  — Easy to set up an online store using the Genesis Framework and Academy Pro theme. 

• Genesis Framework — One of the most extensive WordPress frameworks allows you to build an SEO-optimized, secure, and fast-loading website. Built on HTML5 standard makes it easy to launch and customize your website. Since the Genesis Framework is used on over 230000+ websites, it’s easier to find developers or support to make changes to your LMS website.

• Customization Options —  Academy Pro comes with multiple custom widgets (user profile, featured page,etc.) and layout options.

Academy Pro Pricing: 

• 1 Site License — $129.95 one-time purchase fee. 

Includes unlimited downloads and can be used on unlimited websites. You also will get access to unlimited support for 1 year.

30-day money-back guarantee and refund policy. 

If you have a web-hosting through WPEngine, then your theme and Genesis Framework is free. 

Academy Pro Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  Help-desk Ticketing system.
• Documentation —  Documentation is available inside your StudioPress login, but it’s only accessible after your purchase. Exclusive Facebook Group for Genesis Framework customers, users, developers with over 12,000+ active members.

9. Reptro

Reptro is a WordPress LMS Theme compatible with LearnDash and can be used to build educational websites for online schools, training centers, universities, etc. Reptro is created and maintained by the team at Xoo Themes, and has been purchased and installed on over 500+ websites.

Reptro Key Features:

• Elementor Page Builder — Reptro theme is based on one of the most popular WordPress page builders, Elementor (over 4 million installations). The theme also comes with custom Elementor widgets and a drag-and-drop page builder.

• LMS Features —  Create student and instructor profiles. Includes course protection features to restrict access to premium content. Also, you can add course curriculum, lessons, quizzes, question banks, etc. 

• Pre-built LMS Templates —  Reptro comes with multiple templates (homepages, hero areas, service elements). The Material design allows you to create and display multiple courses on your LMS website.

Reptro Pricing: 

Talemy can be purchased on ThemeForest (Envato Marketplace).

• Regular License — $59/year; Single site.

Refunds have to be requested directly to Xoo Themes and are only honored on a case-by-case basis.

Reptro Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  Help-desk Ticketing system directly from Xoo Themes. 6 months of support from Theme-Spirit will be available to answer questions. Assistance with bugs, issues, and 3rd party assets. 

• Extended support (total 12 months) can be purchased for an additional $17.63.

• Support Hours — 24/7 dedicated support.

10. Education Center 

Education Center is a WordPress theme that is specifically designed for educational institutions (colleges, schools, online course creators,etc.) and is compatible with LearnDash.  The theme is created and maintained by the team at ThemeREX. 

Education Centre has been purchased and installed on over 1800+ websites.

Education Center Key Features:

• WPBakery (Visual Composer) Compatibility — Education Center is compatible with WPBakery. The theme is specifically created for educational institutions, so it has all the features to set up and launch an LMS website quickly. It also comes with pre-made pages, which makes it easier to launch.

• Customization Options — Multiple Header styles. Unlimited color settings and 4 ready-made color schemes to choose from. 

• Mobile Responsive — Responsive on all devices and browsers.

Education Center Pricing: 

Education Center can be purchased on ThemeForest (Envato Marketplace).

• Regular License — $59/year; Single site.

All licenses include 6 months of support from ThemeREX.

Education Center Support: 

• Support Type —  6 months of support from ThemeREX (Help-desk supporting system), who will be available to answer questions. Assistance with bugs, issues, and 3rd party assets. 

Extended support (total 12 months) can be purchased for an additional $17.63. Support Forum is available both on ThemeForest and ThemeREX’s website.

• Support Hours — Monday to Friday; 10 AM to 7 PM Central European Time.  All support tickets are responded to within 12 to 24 hours.
• Documentation — Not available.

11. Invent

Invent is a WordPress Education Theme compatible with LearnDash and ideal for educational institutions, corporate websites, and small businesses.  The theme is created and maintained by the team at LiveMesh Themes. 

Invent has been purchased and installed on over 1700+ websites.

Invent Key Features:

• SiteOrigin Drag and Drop Builder — Invent is compatible with SiteOrigin (used on over 1 Million websites). The theme includes 30+ custom elements and 17 widgets to build your course website easily. 

• Design Options — Extended control over your design with the help of 500+ Google fonts, 1500+ Retina icons, 200+ admin panel options, etc. 

Invent Pricing: 

Invent can be purchased on ThemeForest (Envato Marketplace).

• Regular License — $59/year; Single site.

All licenses include 6 months of support from LiveMesh Themes.

Invent Support: 

• Support Type —  Ticketing System and Support Forum. 6 months of support from LiveMesh(Help-desk supporting system), who will be available to answer questions. Assistance with bugs, issues, and 3rd party assets. 

Extended support (total 12 months) can be purchased for an additional $17.63. Support Forum is available both on ThemeForest and LiveThemes’ website.

• Support Forum — A dedicated Invent Theme support forum can be found on LiveMesh Themes’s website.
• Documentation — Limited knowledge base and documentation.

12. LearnMate LearnDash Theme

Learnmate LearnDash Theme is an advanced option to create LMS websites and start selling online courses. This theme is created and maintained by the team at WBCOM Designs.

Learnmate LearnDash Key Features:

• Elementor Support — Leanmate LearnDash Theme is compatible and works well with the Elementor page builder (over 4 Million+ installations). The theme comes pre-packaged with 300+ designer-made templates and 90+ widgets to customize your course website to match your brand guidelines.

• Distraction-free Reading   — Increase the course completion rate and engagements with this feature; it removes all the unnecessary page elements so your students can easily focus on the course content.

• In-built Course Review Module —  Allow students to review your courses and then display them seamlessly on the same website. 

• Extensive Customization Options  —  Option to customize many elements such as headers, grid & listing options, etc. All of this allows you to build an engaging and beautiful course website. 

Learnmate LearnDash Theme Pricing: 

• Single Site — $99 one-time purchase.
• 5 Site License — $149 one-time purchase.
• 20 Site License — $199 one-time purchase

Annual Renewals are at 30% of the purchase price for the package. 

All packages include 1-on-1 support and support for 1 year.

All purchases come with a 7-day refund policy.

LearnMate LearnDash Theme Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  Ticketing System.
• Support Hours — Monday to Friday. 10 AM to 7 PM GMT.
• Documentation — Extensive knowledge base and documentation, with illustrated step-by-step instructions.

13. Fernando

Fernando is a WordPress Theme ideal for authors, entrepreneurs, ebook creators, speakers.etc.. The theme is created and maintained by the team at 9Seeds.

Fernando Key Features:

• Genesis Framework — One of the most extensive WordPress frameworks allows you to build an SEO-optimized, secure, and fast-loading website. Built on HTML5 standard makes it easy to launch and customize your website. Since the Genesis Framework is used on over 230000+ websites, it’s easier to find developers or support to make changes to your LMS website.

• LMS Integrations  — Fernando integrates with LearnDash, iThemes Exchange eCommerce Plugin, and TubePress, allowing you to build, host, and sell video courses. 

Fernando  Pricing: 

• Annual — $79.95/year. 

Fernando does not include the Genesis Framework, which has to be purchased separately (usually $59).

Fernando Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  Support Forums.
• Support Hours — Information not available.
• Documentation — Limited or not available.

14. Divi 

Divi is a popular multi-purpose WordPress theme created and maintained by Elegant Themes. Divi is unique because it comes with its drag-and-drop page builder that can completely customize your website design. 

Divi Themes and Plugins have been installed on over 700,000 websites, and has collected over 10000+ 5-star reviews on Trustpilot. 

DIVI Key Features:

• Extensive Customizations — Responsive and real-time editing allows you to see any changes you make in real-time. Divi comes with 800+ pre-made designs and layouts that give you a complete choice over your site design. Change every option (colors, shapes, borders, animations, effects) and take advantage of advanced CSS options for further customizations. The premade modules make it easy to quickly launch page elements such as CTAs, testimonials, forms,etc. 

• Marketing and Ecommerce Support  — Divi supports multiple email marketing platforms (MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, Constant Contact, and more), which allows you to build forms and popups to grow your email ist. Quickly and easily create contact forms, pricing tables, etc.  

• Speed Optimized —  Both the front-end (website) and back-end( builder) is optimized to load faster so you can build and launch a fast-loading website.

DIVI Pricing: 

• Annual  — $89/year; unlimited websites.
• Lifetime  — $249; unlimited websites.

All purchases come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

An additional 3rd-party plugin from DiviBooster called Divi LearnDash Kit is required to make LearnDash and Divi work together. This plugin is $19, and can be used on unlimited installs, and includes automatic updates.

DIVI Documentation and Support: 

• Support Type —  Live chat and email.
• Support Hours — 24/7 premium support. 1 hour response time.
• Documentation — Extensive Knowledge base. Dedicated Facebook Group with 59000+ active members. Also, the Divi Resources blog is filled with useful WordPress, Divi, and business information.

Conclusion: What is the Best LearnDash Theme?

The best LearnDash Theme for you depends on your budget, WordPress technical proficiency, support requirements, design requirements, monetization features, etc.

Suppose design customization is an essential factor for you. In that case, DIVI, Astra, and LearnMate give you extensive control over how you want to design your course website to match your branding guidelines.

If price is your primary criteria — then both LearnMate and Academy Pro provide the best option since both are available as a one-time purchase instead of annual subscriptions.

If support and documentation is paramount — then Divi, Astra, and BuddyBoss provide extensive 24/7 support. 

If your goal is to build an eLearning community that supports memberships, forums, and social learning experience — then BuddyBoss and eLumine are excellent options.

My favorite options are Divi and Astra, since they match all the criteria of customization options, support, and affordability.

I hope this article has provided you the information and guidance you need to make a definite decision.

What is your criteria for choosing a LearnDash theme for your online course business?

Let me know in the comments below.