Plugins (pg ) - LDX Design

When it comes to building community sites with WordPress, BuddyBoss has long been regarded as a go-to plugin, powering large online communities and membership sites with ease.

While BuddyBoss stands out for its comprehensive feature set and seamless integration with popular WordPress LMS plugins (LearnDash, Tutor LMS, LifterLMS), there are a handful of viable BuddyBoss alternatives I’ll cover in this piece.

I’ll explore free alternatives, discuss the differences between WordPress & SaaS solutions, look at a few mobile app alternatives to the BuddyBoss App, and provide pricing for each alternative solution to the BuddyBoss Platform & Theme.

BuddyBoss is a great option… but it’s not the only option. Let’s dive into the BuddyBoss alternatives you can use with and without WordPress, to build the ultimate online community platform.

LearnDash + BuddyBoss: The Ultimate Online Course Community Platform

By Dave Warfel

On April 11, 2024

In LearnDash Setup, Plugins, Themes

Are you looking to build an online course community with WordPress?

If so, there’s no better combination than LearnDash & BuddyBoss. Using these two products, you can create and sell online courses, create groups and discussions, and provide an entire social network for your students, all without leaving your website.

I’ve built dozens of LearnDash sites, and consulted with over 100 online course creators, and BuddyBoss is hands down the best tool for creating a community-based online learning platform. I’ll show you exactly what you get with this killer combination through screenshots, short videos, and tons of links to discover if LearnDash + BuddyBoss is the winning combination for your next project.

LearnDash ProPanel Review: What is it & how does it work?

By Dave Warfel

On February 7, 2024

In Plugins

LearnDash ProPanel is LearnDash’s own reporting plugin. It is a separate plugin that needs to be installed & activated just like any other WordPress plugin. Once activated, it displays 5 reporting widgets on your Dashboard in the WordPress admin area.

ProPanel is included if you purchase a subscription to LearnDash Cloud
Legacy customers of the LearnDash plugin (PLUS & PRO) plans also have access to ProPanel
With LearnDash’s new/current pricing, ProPanel is no longer included, and is a separate $49/yr. add-on

This article is part of our LearnDash reporting series.

Let’s break down each reporting widget, and explain exactly what type of LearnDash reports ProPanel provides.

Tin Canny Reporting Plugin for LearnDash (Features + Review)

By Dave Warfel

On February 6, 2024

In Plugins

Tin Canny Reporting for LearnDash is a premium plugin by Uncanny Owl. Uncanny Owl was one of the first companies to make third-party add-ons for LearnDash, and to this day, are one of the best. Their plugins are actively used on over 30,000 LearnDash sites. Many users say the Uncanny Toolkit for LearnDash is a necessity for any LearnDash site.

Tin Canny Reporting for LearnDash provides an easy, convenient way to upload, track, and report on all types of SCORM and xAPI/Tin Can data, as well as standard LearnDash records. While its initial purpose may have been to provide reporting on SCORM and xAPI data, it’s still a valuable LearnDash reporting tool for those who are not using SCORM or xAPI, and just rely on typical LearnDash reporting metrics for courses, lessons, topics, and quizzes.

This article is part of our LearnDash reporting series.

WISDM Reports for LearnDash Plugin Review (free + pro)

By Dave Warfel

On February 6, 2024

In Plugins

WISDM Reports for LearnDash is a free plugin (with a premium upgrade) that provides additional reporting for LearnDash sites. It was created by WisdmLabs, a company known for creating products and offering services related to LearnDash.

This article is part of our LearnDash reporting series.

Easy Dash Free LearnDash Reports Plugin

By Dave Warfel

On February 6, 2024

In Plugins

Easy Dash for LearnDash is a free LearnDash reporting plugin, with a few additional features available in a pro version. Most of the reporting features are contained in the free version.

Easy Dash for LearnDash basic stats — Example of Easy Dash for LearnDash stats

This article is part of our LearnDash reporting series.

The Complete List of BuddyBoss Shortcodes & How to Use Them

By Dave Warfel

On December 21, 2023

In Plugins, Tutorials

BuddyBoss is a powerful community platform that turns your WordPress site into a social network. Many features can be inserted in various places throughout your site using BuddyBoss shortcodes (as well as blocks).

Most of these blocks are available in the free BuddyBoss Platform plugin, but a few are only available in Platform Pro.

Let’s break down all BuddyBoss shortcodes & blocks, and discuss how to use each one.

7 Free WordPress LMS Plugins to Build Your Online Learning Platform

By Dave Warfel

On December 12, 2023

In Plugins

Updated for 2024

If you’re asking yourself, “How do I create a free LMS website with WordPress?,” you’ve come to the right place. We’ve researched & tested out all 10 of the free WordPress LMS plugins on the market, including feature lists, free vs. pro comparisons, design, integrations, and more. Currently, I think 7 are worth considering, and the remaining 3 have more work to do.

It’s worth nothing, all of the free WordPress LMS plugins on this page are very limited in features. If you’re serious about building an online learning site, you should definitely consider paying for a WordPress LMS plugin. With the free versions of these plugins, you’ll likely hit roadblocks as you start to build out your courses.

LearnDash Course Reviews Add-On (Official LearnDash Plugin Review)

By Dave Warfel

On December 8, 2023

In Plugins

In December of 2023, LearnDash released its very own course reviews plugin. There have been several third-party course review plugins on the market, but now we have an official one from LearnDash… and it’s FREE.

The LearnDash Course Reviews add-on is included with your LearnDash subscription, so everyone who has purchased LearnDash has access to it at no additional cost.

Let’s dive into the new LearnDash Course Reviews add-on, explore its features, and find out if it’s the best option for your site.

LearnDash Launches New Public Feature Requests Page

By Dave Warfel

On December 7, 2023

In News, Plugins

On December 7, 2023, LearnDash sent out an email with several big updates. They’ve been working on a few new LearnDash plugins, including a new migration tool, and have officially launched a public feature requests page.

Let’s take a look at each of these announcements in a little more depth.