10 Best Free WordPress Plugins to Enhance Your LMS

We have to admit…we’re pretty proud of how far WP Courseware has come! 

When we first conceptualized the plugin in 2011, we had no idea just how popular it would become. Thanks to you, our very intelligent and responsive user community, we’ve been able to integrate customer feedback to develop the leading choice for utilizing WordPress as a learning management system.

While there are many LMS options on the web, WP Courseware leads the way in ease of use and affordability. We’ve done our best to include a robust feature set without bogging you down with a huge learning curve.

However, running an online course website requires more than just a Learning Management System (LMS). To create the best experience for students, you need additional tools for forms, performance optimization, social engagement, and automation. In this blog post, we’ll explore 10 of the best free WordPress plugins that can supplement your WP Courseware-powered online course website. These plugins are highly rated, widely used, and essential for improving functionality, performance, and user experience.

1. WPForms Lite (Free Form Plugin)

✅ Installs: 6M+
⭐ Rating: 4.8/5
📌 Use Case: Create contact forms, surveys, feedback forms, and quizzes easily.

WPForms Lite is a user-friendly drag-and-drop form builder that lets you create forms for student feedback, inquiries, and lead generation without any coding.

Pros:

• Easy drag-and-drop builder
• Mobile responsive forms
• Pre-built form templates

Cons:

• Limited advanced features in the free version
• Lacks payment integrations without premium upgrade

---

2. ThirstyAffiliates (Affiliate Link Management)

✅ Installs: 30K+
⭐ Rating: 4.6/5
📌 Use Case: Manage and cloak affiliate links for monetization.

ThirstyAffiliates helps online course creators manage affiliate links efficiently by cloaking and organizing them, making it easier to monetize their website.

Pros:

• Link cloaking and management
• Built-in affiliate link tracking
• Seamless integration with WordPress

Cons:

• Some features require the pro version
• Can be overwhelming for beginners

---

3. Elementor (Page Builder for Custom Course Layouts)

✅ Installs: 10M+
⭐ Rating: 4.6/5
📌 Use Case: Design custom course landing pages with a drag-and-drop builder.

Elementor makes it easy to create professional-looking course pages, lesson layouts, and sales funnels for your online courses without any coding knowledge.

Pros:

• Drag-and-drop interface
• Works with most themes
• Large template library

Cons:

• Can slow down website performance
• Some advanced features require the pro version

---

4. LiteSpeed Cache (Performance Optimization)

✅ Installs: 6M+
⭐ Rating: 4.8/5
📌 Use Case: Improve website speed, optimize images, and enhance user experience.

LiteSpeed Cache helps ensure that your course website loads quickly, reducing bounce rates and improving student retention by offering server-level caching and optimization tools.

Pros:

• Server-level caching for better performance
• Free image optimization
• Works well with WooCommerce

Cons:

• Requires LiteSpeed server for full benefits
• Some settings may be complex for beginners

---

5. Simple Membership (Basic Membership Features)

✅ Installs: 40K+
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5
📌 Use Case: Restrict course content to members only and manage subscriptions.

With Simple Membership, you can set up free or paid memberships, restricting access to certain course materials based on user roles. By the way WP Courseware already has membership functionality built in.

Pros:

• Supports unlimited membership levels
• Easy PayPal integration
• Content restriction options

Cons:

• No built-in recurring payments
• Limited integrations compared to premium solutions

---

6. MonsterInsights (Google Analytics Integration)

✅ Installs: 3M+
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5
📌 Use Case: Track student behavior, engagement, and course performance.

MonsterInsights connects Google Analytics to your site, giving insights into which courses are most popular, where students drop off, and how to optimize content.

Pros:

• Easy setup with Google Analytics
• Real-time stats dashboard
• Tracks eCommerce and form conversions

Cons:

• Some features require the premium version
• Can add extra load to the website

---

7. Uncanny Automator (Automation for WordPress)

✅ Installs: 40K+
⭐ Rating: 4.9/5
📌 Use Case: Automate tasks like email notifications, student progress tracking, and integrations with other plugins.

Uncanny Automator allows you to create “if-this-then-that” (IFTTT) automation between plugins, such as sending an email when a student completes a lesson.

Pros:

• Easy automation setup
• Works with most popular plugins
• Saves time and improves workflow

Cons:

• Free version has limited automation triggers
• Learning curve for beginners

---

8. Loco Translate (Multilingual Support)

✅ Installs: 1M+
⭐ Rating: 4.8/5
📌 Use Case: Translate course content for international students.

Loco Translate lets you easily translate text in your WordPress theme and plugins, making your online courses accessible to a global audience.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface
• Supports multiple languages
• Allows direct translation editing

Cons:

• Limited automatic translation capabilities
• Can be time-consuming for large sites

---

9. WooCommerce (E-commerce Solution)

✅ Installs: 5M+
⭐ Rating: 4.6/5
📌 Use Case: Sell courses, memberships, and digital products.

WooCommerce enables course creators to sell their courses as digital products, integrate subscriptions, and manage transactions efficiently.

Pros:

• Lots of supported payment gateways
• Flexible product and pricing options
• Integration with WP Courseware

Cons:

• Requires extensions for advanced features
• Can be resource-heavy on large sites

---

10. GamiPress (Gamification Plugin)

✅ Installs: 10K+
⭐ Rating: 4.8/5
📌 Use Case: Add gamification to increase student engagement and motivation.

GamiPress allows online course creators to implement points, achievements, and rewards to incentivize students and enhance the learning experience.

Pros:

• Fully customizable gamification system
• Integrates with most WP Courseware
• Boosts student engagement

Cons:

• Requires setup and configuration for best results
• Some advanced features require premium add-ons

---

Final Thoughts

These 10 free WordPress plugins can greatly enhance your online course website by improving user engagement, performance, and automation. Whether you’re looking to optimize speed, create custom pages, automate workflows, or build a student community, these plugins offer the tools you need.

Which plugins do you already use, and which ones will you be trying? Let us know in the comments!