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Build Guide

Build a LMS/Course Platform Without WordPress

LearnDash costs $199/year and still feels clunky. Build a course platform that looks and performs like Teachable — on your own terms.

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The Old Way

The WordPress Approach

Required Plugins

1LearnDash ($199/year) — course builder with quizzes
2LifterLMS (free/$480/year for bundles) — full LMS suite
3Tutor LMS ($199-399/year) — Gutenberg-based course builder
4WP Courseware ($129-299/year) — drag-and-drop course builder
5Sensei LMS by Automattic (free/$149/year) — WooCommerce-integrated courses

Limitations

Course pages load slowly — LearnDash adds 400ms+ to every lesson page
Video hosting not included — need separate plugin or service
Progress tracking uses WordPress options table, which doesn't scale
Quiz engine is limited — no interactive question types or randomization
Certificate generation requires premium addons ($49-99 extra)
Student dashboard is a WordPress page template, not a proper app experience

Typical Cost

$200-500/year in plugins + video hosting + $30-50/month hosting

The Modern Way

The Modern Approach

Next.js + Payload CMS + Mux + Stripe

Payload CMS manages the course structure (courses → modules → lessons) with rich content and access control. Mux handles video hosting with adaptive streaming. Stripe manages enrollment and payments.

App-like student experience with instant lesson navigation
Adaptive video streaming via Mux — works on any device and connection speed
Progress tracking in a proper database with real-time sync
Custom quiz engine with any question type you need
Full ownership of student data and course content

WordPress vs. Modern Stack

WordPress

  • Course pages load slowly — LearnDash adds 400ms+ to every lesson page
  • Video hosting not included — need separate plugin or service
  • Progress tracking uses WordPress options table, which doesn't scale
  • Quiz engine is limited — no interactive question types or randomization
  • $200-500/year in plugins + video hosting + $30-50/month hosting

Modern Stack

  • App-like student experience with instant lesson navigation
  • Adaptive video streaming via Mux — works on any device and connection speed
  • Progress tracking in a proper database with real-time sync
  • Custom quiz engine with any question type you need
  • Full ownership of student data and course content

Recommended Tools

Payload CMS

Course structure, lesson content, and access control

Free (self-hosted) or $50/month cloud

Mux

Video hosting, encoding, and adaptive streaming

$0.07/min stored + $0.00525/min streamed

Stripe

Course payments, subscriptions, and enrollment management

2.9% + 30¢ per transaction

Supabase

Student progress tracking and quiz results database

Free up to 500MB, $25/month Pro

Resend

Enrollment confirmations, progress reminders, and certificates

Free up to 3,000 emails/month

Step-by-Step Build Guide

1

Design your course data model in Payload CMS: Courses → Modules → Lessons, with rich text and video fields

2

Set up Mux for video hosting and get embed URLs for each lesson video

3

Build the student-facing course player with Next.js — sidebar navigation, lesson content, and video player

4

Implement progress tracking with Supabase — mark lessons complete, track quiz scores, and calculate completion percentage

5

Add the enrollment flow with Stripe Checkout for paid courses and webhook handlers for access provisioning

6

Build the quiz engine — multiple choice, fill-in-blank, and code challenges with instant grading

7

Create certificate generation using a PDF library (e.g., @react-pdf/renderer) triggered on course completion

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this compare to Teachable or Thinkific?
Hosted platforms charge $39-119/month plus transaction fees and limit customization. Building your own costs $20-50/month for hosting and gives complete control. You keep 100% of revenue minus Stripe's processing fee.
How do I handle video content securely?
Mux provides signed URLs that expire, preventing video downloads and unauthorized sharing. Combined with your app's authentication, only enrolled students can access video content.
Can I offer certificates?
Yes. Generate PDF certificates with React PDF when a student completes a course. Include their name, course title, date, and a verification URL. No plugin or addon needed.
What about SCORM compliance?
For corporate training that requires SCORM, use a SCORM cloud player embedded in your lesson pages. For creator courses, SCORM is unnecessary — focus on a great learning experience instead.

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