We often use the WordPress Quick Edit feature while working on content. It lets you make speedy changes to posts, pages, and products without opening the full editor, making it a super convenient tool.
Sometimes, the ‘Quick Edit’ link can disappear or stop working. Clicking it might do nothing, which can be frustrating when you need to make quick edits.
In this guide, we’ll explain why Quick Edit stops working and how you can fix it easily. We’ll cover solutions for posts, pages, and products.
What Is Quick Edit in WordPress?
Quick Edit is a built-in feature in WordPress that lets you make small changes to your content without opening the full editor.
It appears as a link under each post, page, and custom post type in the WordPress admin dashboard.
It allows you to edit basic details like the title, slug, categories, tags, and publish status directly from the post list screen.
This can save you a lot of time, especially when managing multiple posts or pages at once.
Keep in mind that the quick edit feature does not let you edit the actual post content. It is intended for quick changes to meta items like title, date and time, author, taxonomies, and status.
We’ve also found Quick Edit helpful when updating WooCommerce products. It makes bulk edits faster without needing to load the full product editor.
However, when Quick Edit stops working or disappears, it can disrupt your workflow. Understanding why it happens is the first step toward fixing the issue.
Why Does Quick Edit Stop Working?
Quick Edit may stop working or disappear due to several reasons. These issues often come from minor conflicts or misconfigurations.
One common cause is a browser-related problem. Cached files or JavaScript errors can prevent the Quick Edit link from loading correctly.
We’ve also seen conflicts caused by plugins or themes. A poorly coded plugin or a theme that overrides the core WordPress functionality can sometimes hide or disable the Quick Edit option.
Lastly, user roles and permissions can restrict access to Quick Edit. If a user doesn’t have the necessary permissions, then the link won’t appear at all.
In the next section, we’ll walk you through easy ways to troubleshoot and fix each of these issues.
Need someone to fix WordPress errors for you? Just contact WPBeginner’s Emergency WordPress Support service, and we can offer instant help.
Now that you know why Quick Edit may stop working, let’s go step by step to fix the issue. We’ll cover common troubleshooting methods that can resolve the problem quickly.
Check Browser Issues
Sometimes, the problem is browser-related. Cached files or JavaScript errors can prevent Quick Edit from functioning properly.
First, you need to clear your browser cache and cookies to ensure you’re loading the latest version of the WordPress dashboard.
After that, open your site in an incognito or private window to test if the issue continues.
If the problem is still there, then check the browser console (Inspect tool) for JavaScript and other errors.
You can check the browser console for JavaScript errors by pressing Ctrl+Shift+J (Windows) or Cmd+Option+J (Mac).
We’ve seen errors like Uncaught TypeError orFailed to load resource cause Quick Edit issues. If you spot errors like these, they may indicate a deeper conflict.
Disable Problematic Plugins
More commonly, a poorly coded WordPress plugin may block or create conflict with the core WordPress JavaScript responsible for executing the Quick Edit feature.
Simply go to the Plugins » Installed Plugins screen and select all the plugins. Next, choose ‘Deactivate’ from the Bulk actions dropdown menu and click ‘Apply.’
After deactivating plugins, you have to go to the Posts » All Posts page and try to use the Quick Edit link. If it works as expected, then the problem was with one of the plugins on your website.
To figure out which plugin was causing the issue, you need to reactivate them one by one. After activating each plugin, go to the Posts » All Posts page and try to use Quick Edit.
Once you have singled out the plugin causing the issue, you can find a replacement or contact the plugin author for support.
In our experience, WordPress caching and security plugins often cause JavaScript conflicts that could affect the JavaScript responsible for the Quick Edit feature.
WordPress themes can conflict with the core software and other plugins. This can cause unexpected behavior, including JavaScript malfunction.
Switching to a default theme is the easiest way to find out if your theme is causing the issue.
Simply go to the Appearance » Themes page and ‘Activate’ a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Four or Twenty Twenty-Five.
If switching to a default WordPress theme fixed the problem, then the issue was with your current theme.
You can now report the issue to the theme developer and seek support.
Alternatively, you can find a different theme for your website. For options, you can see our expert pick of the best WordPress themes.
Check User Roles and Permissions
WordPress lets a website administrator choose user roles for different users on your website. Each role has different permissions.
For instance, users with the Administrator and Editor role can edit all posts on your website. However, users with the Author role can only edit their own posts.
Users will only see the Quick Edit link if they have the necessary permissions to edit that content.
You can view what user role you are assigned by visiting the Users » All Users page and checking your role.
If you have the Editor or Administrator user role, then you will be able to use Quick Edit for all posts and pages. For other user roles, you will only see Quick Edit for your own posts.
To learn more, we recommend reading our article on WordPress user roles and permissions. It will help you learn how to use user roles, and you can even learn to create custom user roles for your website.
Further Troubleshooting
If the above steps failed to fix the quick edit issue on your website, then the following are some additional steps you can take:
Install Updates: WordPress updates not only keep your site secure, but they also deliver bug fixes and new features. Make sure all your WordPress core, plugins, and themes are up-to-date. See our guide on how to safely update WordPress for step-by-step instructions.
Enable Debugging: WordPress comes with a built-in error reporting and debugging system. Once enabled, it can show you the errors it encountered and what caused them. To learn more, see our tutorial on enabling debug mode in WordPress.
Check Site Health: Another great diagnostic tool that comes with WordPress is Site Health. Simply go to the Tools » Site Health page and there you will see warnings and suggestions to improve your site’s stability. For details, see our WordPress Site Health tutorial.
We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to easily fix the WordPress Quick Edit not working. You may also want to bookmark our ultimate guide to fixing common WordPress errors or take a look at our guide on improving WordPress security.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Are you looking for a way to help improve WordPress security and potentially make a little money?
A WordPress bug bounty program could be a great fit. It’s an opportunity for developers and “ethical hackers” to help identify potential WordPress vulnerabilities, improve security, and get paid for their efforts.
We personally like these types of initiatives because they show us that WordPress is serious about security. And that’s why we continue to use it for all of our business websites.
In this article, we’ll explore how the WordPress bug bounty program works, how it differs from traditional bug reporting, and how it ensures WordPress remains secure and stable. We’ll also share some tips for getting started as an ethical WordPress hacker.
Here is a quick overview of the topics we’ll cover in this article.
A bug bounty program is an initiative where developers and “ethical hackers” are rewarded for finding and reporting security issues in software.
These programs help software platforms identify and fix potential issues before hackers can misuse them for malicious purposes.
Here’s how it works: A platform sets up a program with clear rules and guidelines outlining the bugs they’re looking for.
Participants, often called “ethical hackers,” test the platform and report any vulnerabilities. If the report is valid, the platform rewards them with money, recognition, or other incentives.
Bug bounty programs aren’t unique to WordPress. Most big tech companies, including Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, have their own bug bounty programs.
These programs have helped make their software more secure while creating opportunities for ethical hackers worldwide.
Basically, bug bounty programs create a win-win situation. Developers improve their software’s security while participants gain valuable experience and rewards.
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The WordPress bug bounty program is designed to identify and fix potential security vulnerabilities before they can impact millions of users.
These vulnerabilities include issues that could compromise the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of WordPress websites. For instance, the following issues are considered severe security vulnerabilities:
Compromised access: When someone manages to get unauthorized access to a WordPress website.
Cross-site scripting XSS: A hacking technique that allows someone to sneakily add potentially dangerous code to WordPress websites.
SQL injections: A bug in the software that could allow hackers to inject data into the WordPress database.
By partnering with ethical hackers and developers, WordPress ensures its platform remains secure and trustworthy.
The official WordPress bug bounty program is hosted on HackerOne, where security researchers can submit their findings.
Items included in the program’s scope are:
Core WordPress software
The WordPress.org website (including all subdomains)
GlotPress (the translation manager used by the WordPress Translations project)
The program’s official scope page provides a full list of what’s included. This list ensures that researchers focus on areas critical to the WordPress ecosystem’s security.
The WordPress security team carefully reviews all reports. Valid submissions are rewarded based on the severity of the issue. Rewards depend on the vulnerability’s impact, ranging from public recognition to monetary payouts.
Additionally, WordPress uses bug bounty programs during specific testing phases, such as the WordPress 6.4 Beta Bug Bounty Program. These efforts ensure that new features and updates are thoroughly vetted before release.
What’s the Difference Between the Bug Bounty Program and Reporting Bugs in WordPress?
WordPress encourages users to report bugs to help improve the platform. However, there’s a clear difference between reporting bugs through the WordPress bug bounty program and using the bug reporting guidelines outlined in the Core Handbook.
The bug bounty program focuses specifically on security vulnerabilities. If you discover a potential issue that could compromise a website’s security, such as unauthorized access or data leaks, you should report it through the bug bounty program.
This ensures the WordPress security team handles the issue and, if valid, rewards accordingly.
On the other hand, the Core Handbook guidelines are designed to report general bugs in WordPress core, plugins, or themes.
These include issues like broken features, unexpected behavior, or compatibility problems. While these bugs are important to address, they don’t typically pose a security risk and are not eligible for rewards through the bug bounty program.
Why Does WordPress Use a Bug Bounty Program?
A bug bounty program allows WordPress to proactively identify and address security vulnerabilities, making sure that the platform remains stable and secure.
WordPress powers more than 43% of all websites on the internet, including big-name brands, government websites, and even top universities.
With millions of websites relying on WordPress, security is always a top priority. One advantage of being open-source software is that the code behind WordPress is available to anyone.
As highly popular web software, WordPress source code is already reviewed thoroughly by volunteers, big companies, and its own very large user base.
However, there is still a chance that someone with malicious intent could find clever ways to compromise the software.
One of the biggest advantages of the bug bounty program is the involvement of the global security community.
By encouraging ethical hackers and developers to test the platform, WordPress benefits from diverse perspectives and skills that help uncover issues that traditional testing might miss.
This proactive approach also helps WordPress build trust with the public. Users and businesses feel confident knowing the platform takes security seriously and works actively to improve it.
For developers, it’s an opportunity to contribute to WordPress, which is one of the biggest open-source software projects on the planet.
Benefits of Bug Bounty Programs for Aspiring Developers
Participating in a bug bounty program is a fantastic learning opportunity for aspiring developers. Here’s what it can help you achieve.
Explore real-world challenges and improve your coding skills.
Learn the importance of cybersecurity and how to prevent vulnerabilities.
Understand how websites and applications work by testing them for issues.
Develop skills to think like a hacker and identify security gaps.
Showcase your expertise by reporting vulnerabilities and earning recognition.
Open doors to career opportunities in cybersecurity and development.
Even if you don’t find a vulnerability right away, testing and exploring can help you gain invaluable experience.
It’s not just about rewards; it’s about growing as a developer, contributing to the WordPress ecosystem, and making the web safer for everyone.
Bug Bounty Programs for WordPress Plugins and Themes
One of WordPress’s biggest advantages is its massive ecosystem of plugins. Over 59,000 of them are in the free WordPress.org plugin directory alone.
Many smaller WordPress plugins rely on the WordPress plugin review team to perform a security review. Ethical hackers can disclose issues to the plugin review team without a monetary reward or acknowledgment.
In addition, third-party security platforms like Patchstack and Wordfence run bug bounty programs with rewards.
These platforms then responsibly disclose the issue to the plugin authors and provide them enough time to release a fix.
This is why it’s super important to keep your WordPress plugins current by installing updates as soon as they are available.
Getting Started with WordPress Bug Bounty Programs
Getting involved in WordPress bug bounty programs is an excellent way to contribute to the platform while improving your skills and earning rewards. Platforms like HackerOne, Patchstack, and Wordfence are great starting points for developers and ethical hackers.
If you’re interested in securing WordPress plugins and themes, then plenty of developers welcome bug reports through their support channels or forums.
Participating in third-party bug bounty programs can also allow you to report vulnerabilities responsibly while earning recognition or rewards.
Here are some quick tips to get started:
Familiarize yourself with the program scope and rules before starting.
Always follow responsible disclosure practices when reporting bugs.
Use tools like browser developer consoles and vulnerability scanners for testing.
Focus on learning and improving, even if your reports aren’t immediately accepted.
Join developer communities to share experiences and learn from others.
Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just getting started, participating in bug bounty programs is a rewarding way to grow your skills and make the web safer for everyone.
Bonus Resources: WordPress Security Guides
Here are a few additional resources to improve WordPress security for your websites:
Long page loading times can annoy your visitors and can even hurt your search engine rankings.
At WPBeginner, we work hard to make our website as fast as possible. While we sometimes find one serious issue affecting performance, slow websites are frequently caused by a combination of many smaller problems that need to be fixed individually.
In this article, we will explore the most common reasons that WordPress sites run slowly and provide practical solutions to help you speed up your website. Along the way, we will share the tips we use ourselves to boost WordPress speed.
Why Is a Slow WordPress Website a Problem?
Have you ever visited a website that took a long time to load? It’s frustrating, and you may have given up and gone to a different website before you even saw the content on the page.
But even small performance issues can be a problem. In these days of speed and convenience, people’s attention span is shorter than ever.
A few years ago, Strangeloop ran a case study on slow websites. They found that even a delay of one second can cost you 7% in conversions, 11% in page views, and 16% in customer satisfaction.
A slow website will also rank lower in search engine results. Google and other search engines penalize slower sites, which means you will get less organic traffic.
All of this means that if your website is slow, then it is essential to find out why and fix it.
How Slow Is My Website and Why?
You can quickly find out how slow your website is by running a speed test. We cover the many tools you can use in our guide on how to properly run a website speed test.
We recommend running the test at least 3 times to allow for internet fluctuations and average the results. You may also want to repeat the test using different speed test tools.
Pay special attention to the page load metric, which shows how long visitors need to wait to see your web page.
If your website takes longer than 2 seconds to load, then you need to find out what is slowing it down. Luckily, most speed test tools will highlight major problems and allow you to drill down to see detailed reports.
Now that you know the speed of your website, you need to identify any issues that are slowing it down. Fortunately, there are plenty of good ways to audit your website performance.
GTmetrix will give your website a score so you can quickly see how it rates.
You can also click on the ‘Detailed report’ link to learn more about potential issues. Green items don’t need your attention, while orange or red items are slowing down your site.
Simply clicking on an issue will tell you exactly what needs to be fixed.
With that being said, let’s take a look an in-depth look at the main issues that slow WordPress down and how to fix them:
You need to make sure that your WordPress website is up to date, and that includes the WordPress software as well as your plugins and themes. Developers often release updates to optimize performance and fix bugs.
We recommend using the proper update order, starting with WordPress core and then updating your plugins and themes. You can do this conveniently from the Dashboard » Updates page in your WordPress admin area.
For detailed instructions, please refer to these step-by-step guides:
Every time someone visits a page on your website, WordPress builds it dynamically from a MySQL database. This involves running scripts and querying the database, and the end result is an HTML page that can be displayed in the user’s browser.
When a large number of people visit your site at the same time, your database will receive many requests, leading to slower loading times.
A WordPress caching plugin is one of the best ways to speed up your website because it bypasses this process.
When someone visits your site, and the HTML page is generated, it is stored in a cache so that it doesn’t need to be rebuilt for future visitors. Instead, they simply view the cached page.
This places less load on your web server, and the page will load faster.
You can learn how to install the most popular caching plugins using these guides:
You can also leverage browser caching, which stores a copy of the web page and other resources on the user’s computer so it loads faster the next time they visit.
You Are Not Using a CDN
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) caches your files on multiple servers around the world. Besides caching the generated HTML pages, it also stores all of the other resources needed to view the page, including images, CSS stylesheets, JavaScript files, and more.
This content is served from the server closest to each user. This offers big speed gains if you have visitors from many locations around the world, as we do at WPBeginner.
If you are not already using a CDN, then you can choose from many excellent WordPress CDN services:
We use Cloudflare because they offer a powerful WordPress CDN with a firewall to protect your site from threats.
We also recommend Sucuri, another CDN with security features we used for many years.
Bunny.net is an affordable option with servers spread across the world.
Before a visitor can view your web page, their browser first needs to request and download all of the required files. This includes all of the images you want to display, stylesheets that format the page, JavaScript files that add functionality, fonts, and more.
The more files there are, the slower the page will load, especially if some of the files are very large or are stored on a slow third-party server.
One of the best ways to identify slow HTTP requests is with your browser’s Inspect tool. The Network tab lists the resources being loaded, and the Time column shows how long it takes each resource to load.
You can click the Time column’s header twice to sort the list with the slowest resources at the top. Any that takes more than half a second or a second to load may be slowing down your site, although this is just a guideline.
Let’s take a quick look at some ways you can fix this issue to speed up your website.
First, your CSS and JavaScript files often contain more information than is necessary, such as whitespace and developer comments. You can reduce the size of these files by minifying them, which makes them much faster to load.
Another problem is that all of the images displayed on the entire page are being loaded, even if they won’t be visible until the user scrolls down. Lazy loading images can speed up your page load time by only loading the files that will be initially visible to the user.
You’ll find more techniques in the guide we mentioned earlier on reducing HTTP requests.
Your Images Are Too Large or Unoptimized
One of the most common speed issues we see on beginner websites is unoptimized images. In their original formats, photos and other images have huge file sizes that take a long time to load.
At WPBeginner, we use photo editing software to optimize our images before we upload them to our website. We resize the images to the height and width they will be displayed at on our site, tweak the image compression settings, and choose the most appropriate image format.
We aim for the smallest file size while maintaining an acceptable image quality.
Videos take up even more space and bandwidth, so we recommend you don’t upload them to your WordPress website at all. Instead, you should use a dedicated third-party video site like YouTube and then embed the videos in your blog posts.
As content is added and removed from your WordPress database over the years, it may contain a lot of unneeded information that can slow it down. This can have a serious impact on your website’s load time.
It is important to perform regular WordPress database maintenance and optimization to maintain fast website performance.
One of the best ways to clean up your database is using the WP-Optimize free version. Besides database maintenance, it can also help compress your images, remove unused image sizes, cache your content, and reduce the size of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
You can choose the database management tasks you want it to perform on the WP-Optimize » Database page of your WordPress dashboard.
For example, you can improve WordPress performance by optimizing database tables, removing unnecessary post revisions, clearing auto-draft posts, and eliminating spam and trashed comments, among other tasks.
You can then run these tasks by clicking a single button at the top of the page.
Before a page on your website can be loaded, WordPress first needs to load its core files and active plugins. If a plugin loads slowly, it affects your WordPress performance.
Note that inactive plugins won’t slow down your website at all, and even having a lot of plugins installed won’t usually have a big impact on site speed. The problem is badly behaving plugins.
These are plugins that query the WordPress database more than necessary, load files from slow third-party plugins, or are simply bloated or offer more features than you need.
Plugins that scan for malware by looking for dangerous code in your files and database.
Backup plugins copy and compress a lot of data to keep it safe.
These tasks are necessary, so you can’t disable the plugins.
However, you can schedule these important tasks at low-traffic times when your site has fewer visitors. You can also adjust how frequently these plugins run to reduce unnecessary load on your server.
For example, if you only publish one or two articles a week, then you can schedule your backups to run just once or twice a week after the new articles have been scheduled.
You will be able to configure the schedule for each task using the plugin’s settings.
No matter how much you optimize your WordPress website, it will always be slow if you are using a slow or unreliable hosting provider. This is why we recommend that you don’t use free hosting for a live business website.
Instead, most small websites can start with a shared hosting plan with a reputable and affordable hosting company like Bluehost or Hostinger.
However, shared hosting is often too limited for larger websites with a lot of traffic, like WPBeginner. That’s why we use SiteGround’s Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure for our own website.
We performed thorough speed tests on the leading WordPress hosting services, including from different locations around the world, and how each provider handled a lot of traffic.
WordPress relies on other software to run, including the PHP programming language and MySQL database management system. This software is installed on your web server.
Like WordPress and your plugins, these programs are updated from time to time to improve performance, fix bugs and security vulnerabilities, and add new features. Using the latest version can speed up your website.
There is also a faster version of PHP that is optimized for performance, especially when your site is getting a lot of visitors.
Ultrafast PHP is an optimized version of PHP built by the SiteGround team. Since WPBeginner is hosted on SiteGround, it is one factor that improves our website speed.
Discovering the root causes of slow websites and fixing those issues can take a lot of time, especially if you are not tech-savvy. That’s why you may need expert help from our professional Site Speed Optimization Service.
Our team will thoroughly troubleshoot your performance issues using Google Lighthouse. We will do that using a staging site, so your live site’s performance isn’t further compromised.
Based on the report, we will then take proven measures to improve your page loading time, server performance, and technical aspects of WordPress SEO, including the techniques we have covered in this article.
We also review and optimize the plugins you are using, address server optimization issues, clean up your WordPress database, handle image compression, and much more.
Plus, pricing for our site speed optimization service starts at just $699. Schedule a free call with our expert team today!
Before we set up our free video membership website, we researched a few different WordPress learning management system (LMS) plugins to see which one would best fit our needs.
Among other options, we looked closely at both MemberPress Courses and LearnDash.
In our opinion, MemberPress Courses stands out for its built-in, powerful membership features, while LearnDash is great for its course management tools and simplicity.
But which WordPress courses plugin is the best fit for your business?
In this article, we’ll dive in and compare MemberPress Courses and LearnDash to help you make the right choice for your online business.
Quick Overview: MemberPress Courses vs. LearnDash
Looking for a summary? Here’s an at-a-glance comparison of how the 2 plugins perform in each category:
Content cloning, PayPal, Stripe, Razorpay, Easy Digital Downloads, Kadence, Astra.
Pricing plans
Starts from $179.50/year.
Starts from $199/year for single site.
An Introduction to MemberPress Courses vs. LearnDash
When it comes to creating and selling online courses, MemberPress Courses and LearnDash are two of the most popular WordPress Learning Management System (LMS) plugins available. Both offer powerful tools for building professional courses but cater to different needs.
MemberPress Courses is perfect for people who want a straightforward and familiar LMS experience. It features a course builder based on the WordPress block editor, allowing you to create lessons, topics, videos, and more using the tools you already know.
Its built-in virtual classroom is distraction-free and works seamlessly with any WordPress theme, saving you time on styling and improving course completion rates.
Plus, it includes advanced membership features like flexible pricing plans, drip content scheduling, and integrations with top email marketing tools to help you sell and manage your courses effectively.
On the other hand, LearnDash stands out for its versatility and beginner-friendly features. Its drag-and-drop course builder makes it easy to create unlimited lessons, quizzes, and categories.
LearnDash also offers built-in AI tools that help you generate course outlines and quizzes in just a few clicks.
With advanced quiz management options, drip content scheduling, and tools to keep students engaged, LearnDash is designed for course creators who want control and interactivity.
Both plugins have unique strengths. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at MemberPress Courses and LearnDash to help you decide which one is the best fit for your online learning business.
Here’s a quick overview of the factors we will cover:
Now, let’s break down the features of these two WordPress form plugins to find out which one suits your online project better.
Ease of Use
A beginner-friendly LMS plugin will enable you to build and personalize online courses without any coding knowledge.
Let’s explore how the ease of use compares between these two WordPress LMS plugins.
LearnDash – Ease of Use
LearnDash makes it easy to set up and start building online courses. After installing and activating the plugin, the onboarding wizard walks you through everything.
It collects your information, sets up group settings, and helps you integrate a payment gateway like Stripe and even your WooCommerce store.
When testing it out, one of the coolest features of LearnDash that we discovered was its AI course builder.
This tool uses OpenAI to generate a course outline for you. All you have to do is enter some basic information about your course, and the AI will create an outline with lesson titles. You can then tweak these titles and add your own lesson content.
If you prefer a more hands-on approach, then LearnDash also offers a drag-and-drop course builder. This user-friendly builder lets you create lessons, sections, and headings without any coding. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to build courses quickly and easily.
In addition to text-based content, you can also add multimedia to your lessons using the drag-and-drop builder. You can upload videos, images, audio files, SWF files, HTML5, and more.
This makes it simple to create rich, engaging content that keeps your students interested.
Once you click on the ‘Add new course’ button, you’ll arrive at the ‘Course Page’ tab in the course builder. Here, you can add essential details such as the course topic, title, and description.
Then, there are also options to add the course categories and tags. You can also set a featured image for your course for a more polished look.
The ‘Curriculum’ tab in the course builder is where you’ll create the course sections. They serve as modules for your course.
Within each section, you can add as many lessons by entering a title and editing the lesson content as needed.
The next step is to add the learning materials.
You can upload downloadables and add links to your learning materials in the ‘Resources’ tab. MemberPress Courses also allows you to compose your text-based materials directly in the text area.
After that, you can customize how the course is presented and organized in the ‘Settings’ tab. Here, you are able to:
In the final step, you can choose to enable certificates for the course.
All you have to do is switch the toggle in the ‘Certificates’ tab and then follow the customization options, field by field.
Once all lessons and resources are added, you can go ahead and click the ‘Publish’ button to make your course live.
Winner – LearnDash
LearnDash is the easier option for beginners, thanks to its simple setup process and helpful onboarding wizard. The Course AI builder and drag-and-drop course builder make creating courses fast and intuitive.
On the other hand, MemberPress Courses uses the familiar WordPress block editor. However, it can feel a bit complex for beginners to set up initially, as it doesn’t give you a live preview of what the course might look like.
eLearning Features
eLearning features can simplify and speed up the course creation process. With the right tools, you can easily build and customize online courses to suit your needs without needing technical expertise.
Here’s how LearnDash vs. MemberPress Courses compare for eLearning features.
LearnDash – eLearning Features
To create interactive quizzes with LearnDash, you can choose from a variety of question types, like multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, or even rating-based assessments. This flexibility helps you keep quizzes engaging and varied.
We personally love how you can add hints to guide learners and offer custom feedback based on their answers, making the learning experience feel more personal.
Expert Tip: If you want to save time, then you can use LearnDash’s AI Quiz Builder. This tool automatically generates quiz questions based on your course content, which can be a huge time-saver. Once it’s done, you can tweak the questions as needed, making sure everything fits your course perfectly.
LearnDash also gives you control over how students interact with quizzes. You can set time limits, limit the number of attempts, and even randomize questions to keep things fair.
But quizzes aren’t the only way to assess learners.
You can also ask students to upload assignments for review. LearnDash lets you add assignments to lessons or topics and even set specific file type limits or maximum file sizes. When assignments are submitted, you can choose whether to approve them automatically or manually.
If you want to make sure students put in their best effort, then you can hold off on letting them move forward until you’ve reviewed their work.
Plus, LearnDash goes even further with Adaptive Learning Paths. This means you can set up a challenge exam at the start of a course to see if the learner is ready. If they pass, they can skip ahead to more advanced material.
To help students focus, LearnDash offers a Focus Mode.
This mode removes distractions like sidebars and navigation menus so learners can concentrate on the course material.
You can also create a custom menu that only appears when the student hovers over their profile picture, making it easy for them to access important pages without being distracted.
We really appreciate the virtual classroom feature, which automatically takes care of the styling. So, you don’t need to worry about making the course look good, as it’s already perfectly integrated with your WordPress eLearning theme.
Plus, the classroom is designed to be distraction-free, which helps keep students focused and boosts course completion rates.
Then, there’s the Quizzes add-on for MemberPress Courses.
It allows you to create interactive assessments that engage students, improve material retention, and track their progress.
With diverse question types, such as multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay formats, you can customize quizzes to suit your teaching style.
It even offers advanced formats, such as Sort the Values and Match Matrix. These questions ask your students to order scrambled questions/answers and connect question/answer pairs, respectively.
Then, you can set passing scores, allow retakes, and provide tailored feedback to help students improve.
For even deeper engagement, assigning projects is easy using the Assignments add-on. This add-on supports task link submissions and multimedia project assignments, where students can combine different media types.
All assignments can be submitted directly through the course interface, making it simple for both students and instructors.
To tie it all together, the MemberPress Courses Gradebook add-on keeps track of all quizzes and assignments in one place.
This feature makes it easy to evaluate performance at a glance and provides a streamlined grading experience.
Additioanlly, if you’re looking to create a coaching program, then you can consider integrating the MemberPress CoachKit™ addon with your courses.
This add-on lets you set up unlimited online coaching programs with milestones (goals with set due dates) and habits (tasks with due dates) to track learners’ progress. It also allows you to schedule both in-person and virtual coaching sessions.
Winner – MemberPress Courses
While LearnDash offers solid quiz features and customizable learning paths, MemberPress Courses takes the lead with its all-in-one solution.
It has everything you need to create an online course: a distraction-free classroom, interactive quizzes with diverse question types, and an assignments feature for media files and link drops. The gradebook feature ties it all together so you can track and evaluate student progress effortlessly.
Plus, the CoachKit™ add-on for coaching programs adds incredible value for educators.
Course Customization Options
To maintain great communication with your students and learn more about their progress, you will need to set up notification emails and configure tracking. You may also wish to customize your course settings to control who can enroll and when, restrict specific content, and make more money from your online courses.
In the following sections, let’s look at the different customization options offered by LearnDash and MemberPress Courses.
LearnDash – Customization Options
With the LearnDash Notifications addon, you can send automated emails whenever a learner takes certain actions, like completing a course or passing an assignment. You can also further personalize these emails with the learner’s name, score, and course title.
Then, to help keep learners connected and encourage them to take more classes, you are able to use these emails to suggest other courses or notify students about new releases.
In addition, LearnDash lets you set course expiration dates to encourage learners to complete their training by a certain time or renew their subscriptions. You can set a specific time limit based on when a student enrolls.
Alternatively, you have the option to apply the same start and end dates for everyone.
If you set a start date, you can even use FOMO to build excitement by pre-selling your course before it launches.
MemberPress Courses – Customization Options
Creating and selling courses with MemberPress is super flexible. You can offer different pricing options or create subscription membership plans.
That being said, setting up your first plan may require some time and attention to detail, especially if you’re new to membership sites.
Now, creating membership levels is relatively straightforward, and you can restrict access to content types like posts, pages, categories, tags, and even online courses.
Restricting content is also manageable. With just a few clicks, you can limit access to specific pages or entire sections of your site.
The plugin also makes it easy to keep your members engaged and informed with built-in emails like welcome messages and payment receipts. These emails help members feel valued and encourage them to visit your site.
You can easily customize these emails using the user-friendly editor.
Then, you might want to use your own messaging, logo, and branding to make the emails feel more personal. Plus, you can use smart tags to insert the member’s name, membership level, and other details to increase engagement.
MemberPress integrates with top email marketing services, so you can easily add new students to your email list and keep them engaged. This also allows you to release lessons on a schedule using the automatic drip content feature to prevent students from feeling overwhelmed.
You can even set expiration dates for content, creating a sense of urgency and encouraging learners to act before the content is gone.
This means that you can restrict access to certain content and either ask members to pay or sign up for a free account, which is a great way to grow your email list or make money over time.
You can also allow non-members to see a portion of the content for free, encouraging them to sign up for full access.
Winner –MemberPress Courses
MemberPress Courses wins when it comes to customization. To sell your courses, you can easily create flexible membership plans and levels from the main MemberPress area.
Its built-in emails, like welcome messages and payment receipts, are fully customizable with your branding and smart tags. Plus, tools like content dripping, expiration dates, and paywalls help you manage access, create urgency, and drive sign-ups.
Additional Features and Integrations
Extra features and third-party integrations can make an online course more powerful. They add new functionality, automate tasks, and improve data management.
Let’s look at MemberPress Courses vs. LearnDash when it comes to extra features and integrations.
LearnDash – Additional Features and Integrations
LearnDash offers some powerful additional features and integrations for eLearning sites.
If you want to reuse content across different courses, then you can clone an existing course with just one click. This is perfect for creating multiple versions, like beginner and advanced, or starting new courses with your standard template.
Additionally, LearnDash has templates from Kadence and other themes that are designed specifically for the plugin, helping you customize your site further.
MemberPress Courses – Additional Features and Integrations
As an eLearning platform, MemberPress Courses offers some powerful features.
You can sell group memberships with the Corporate Accounts add-on, which allows group members to create sub-accounts and easily manage them. You can even set limits to prevent misuse of corporate accounts.
This can be handy if you want to expand your online courses to businesses and other corporate organizations.
When it comes to payment gateways, MemberPress supports PayPal and Stripe, making transactions quick and easy for your learners.
For more flexibility, the plugin integrates with WooCommerce to allow you to sell products or create a private members-only online store. You can also connect it with Zapier and Uncanny Automator to automate workflows.
Winner – MemberPress Courses
While LearnDash has some great features, MemberPress Courses takes the lead with its versatile tools. Features like group memberships make it easy to manage content and memberships, and it also integrates seamlessly with PayPal, Stripe, WooCommerce, and email tools.
Pricing Plans
When it comes to getting the most value for your money, the price tag is something you can’t overlook. In this section, let’s take a look at how MemberPress Courses and LearnDash stack up in terms of cost.
LearnDash – Pricing Plans
LearnDash offers 3 pricing plans based on the number of sites you need. Overall, in our opinion, LearnDash’s pricing is competitive for those needing scalability in course management.
The Single Site plan costs $199 per year and is perfect for solo course creators or small businesses. It includes all features and support.
The 10 Site plan is $399 per year, ideal for people managing multiple sites or niches.
For maximum flexibility, the Unlimited Sites plan is $799 per year. It can be used on unlimited sites, making it great for agencies or large businesses.
Expert Tip: Use our LearnDash coupon code to get a discount, a free demo site template, and a 15-day free trial.
MemberPress Courses – Pricing Plans
MemberPress offers 4 pricing plans to suit different needs. All plans offer unlimited members, no transaction fees, and scalability, making MemberPress a solid option for membership site management.
The Basic plan costs $179.50 per year and includes essential features for beginners, like no transaction fees and integrations with Stripe and PayPal for selling memberships.
The Plus plan, at $299.50 per year, adds engagement features like forums, quizzes, and certificates, ideal for small businesses.
The Pro plan, priced at $399.50 per year, is designed for larger sites with bulk membership sales, plus tools like OptinMonster and TrustPulse for growth.
The Elite plan, also $399.50 per year, integrates with CoachKit to offer personalized coaching services.
When it comes to pricing, MemberPress Courses and LearnDash both offer solid options depending on your needs, but they target different types of users.
MemberPress is a great choice for creating online courses and membership sites with features like content protection, subscriptions, and integration with popular payment systems. Its pricing plans are scalable, making it ideal for growing businesses.
On the other hand, LearnDash is a better option for users who want a more traditional LMS solution that focuses on course creation, delivery, and student management. Its multi-site plans make it very attractive if you plan to run multiple training websites.
Note: Ultimately, both options are priced competitively, but the best choice depends on whether you need a full membership site platform (MemberPress) or a dedicated learning management system (LearnDash).
MemberPress Courses vs. LearnDash: Which One Is Better?
MemberPress Courses and LearnDash are 2 great options. But if you’re looking for a complete solution, then MemberPress Courses is the better pick in our opinion.
While LearnDash is known for its powerful course creation tools, MemberPress Courses offers something extra: it lets you manage memberships, too.
This means you can sell courses and handle memberships all in one place. It’s a great choice if you want a simple way to manage both your courses and your members without needing multiple plugins.
Plus, MemberPress Courses is packed with everything you need to craft an engaging online course:
The Classroom mode offers a distraction-free learning environment.
The Quizzes add-on provides a wide range of question types.
The Gradebook add-on ties it all together, making it easy to track and evaluate student progress without the hassle.
Plus, for educators looking to take their teaching to the next level, the CoachKit™ add-on offers powerful features for coaching programs.
MemberPress Courses also works smoothly with the WordPress block editor, which makes creating and organizing your content easier.
On the other hand, LearnDash offers advanced tools for course creators who need more flexibility, such as complex quizzes and detailed content scheduling. If you’re focused mainly on creating courses with a lot of extra features, then LearnDash is definitely a strong contender.
FAQs About MemberPress Courses vs. LearnDash
Let’s clear up some common questions about MemberPress and LearnDash. We hope these answers can help you decide which tool is best for your online courses and memberships.
Is LearnDash an LMS?
Yes, LearnDash is a learning management system (LMS) designed for creating and selling online courses. It’s packed with tools for building lessons, quizzes, and other educational content.
Is MemberPress worth it?
Absolutely! MemberPress is an excellent choice for selling courses and managing memberships. Its user-friendly features and flexibility make it a solid investment if you want to make more money online.
What is MemberPress used for?
MemberPress is a WordPress plugin for managing memberships and selling content, including online courses. It lets you restrict access to pages, posts, and files while offering flexible pricing options.
How do I create a course in MemberPress?
Creating a course in MemberPress is simple with the MemberPress Courses addon. You can use the built-in course builder with the WordPress block editor to design lessons, add videos, and organize topics. For more details, you can check out our article on how to create and sell online courses.
Do membership sites make money?
Yes, membership sites can be highly profitable. By offering valuable content like courses or exclusive resources, you can earn recurring income through subscriptions or one-time payments.
