BricksMembers vs LifterLMS
Honest. Table-driven. No fluff. Bricks-native LMS + membership vs. the open-source LMS with native payments.
Verified May 2026 by AI · please confirm with the vendorWhich one is right for you?
Free core LMS, native payments
Choose LifterLMS if you want a free core plugin to start with, need the Authorize.Net gateway specifically (available as a paid add-on), you don't use Bricks Builder, and you're committed to course creation as the primary business.
- Free core plugin (open-source, GPL)
- Authorize.Net available as a payment add-on (alongside Stripe and PayPal)
- Mature, course-first LMS catalog with a large established install base
Lifetime $497 one-time, not $10,000.
Choose BricksMembers if you want complete control over how your membership and LMS site looks. Because it's built natively for Bricks, membership, courses, payments, drip and access all run on Bricks' own dynamic data and conditions, with custom elements added only where there's no native way, so every member-facing page is yours to design, with no fixed templates or locked layouts. It's a true all-in-one (membership, LMS, payments, community, automation) available on annual plans or a one-time lifetime license if you'd rather not pay every year.
- All-in-one: membership, LMS, payments, community, drip, certificates, chat, gifting, automation. No add-ons needed
- Because it's native to Bricks Builder, you design every member-facing page yourself, with full control over the layout and styling, with no fixed templates or locked layouts in the way.
- Lifetime $497 one-time for 100 sites instead of forever-recurring yearly fees (60-day money-back guarantee, no free trial)
Every feature, side by side
Grouped by category. Hover any row for detail.
3 things this comparison can't match
- Native Bricks integration that LifterLMS does not provide on any tier
- $497 one-time lifetime for 100 sites vs. LifterLMS Infinity Lifetime at $10,000 for unlimited sites
- Bundled chat + likes + gifting + visual automation (LifterLMS sells Gifts, Advanced Video, Groups as separate add-ons)
Builder & Design
Membership & Access
Payments & Checkout
LMS & Courses
Community & Engagement
Migration & Portability
How the plans line up
Approximate prices.
The Migration Center handles the heavy lifting
A guided, dry-run-first wizard at BricksMembers › Migration Center in wp-admin. It scans your site, builds an import plan, runs in safe chunks, and offers rollback if anything looks off.
What it migrates automatically
- Course, lesson, and topic structure (with hierarchy preserved)
- Post content, titles, excerpts, and status
- Custom post meta fields (carried as-is)
- Required-level assignments (creates matching access rules)
- User level assignments and progress tracking
- Generic CSV exports of users, levels, courses, and progress
What you'll rebuild manually
- Quizzes from the source plugin (rebuild in BricksMembers' quiz module)
- Certificates and certificate issuance records
- Drip schedules from the source plugin
- Email automations (use BricksMembers' automation tab)
- For LifterLMS specifically: courses, sections, lessons, and quizzes import as structure. Quiz attempts, certificate issuance records, access plan billing tokens, and engagement triggers don't transfer.
From LifterLMS
LifterLMS uses standard WordPress custom post types and meta keys, which makes the migration straightforward. The Migration Center imports LifterLMS courses, sections (`section` post type), lessons (`lesson` post type), and quiz structure. Hierarchy is preserved via the `_llms_parent_course` and `_llms_parent_section` meta keys.
Level requirements translate into BRM level requirements. Level assignments and per-user progress migrate. Engagements (LifterLMS's automation primitive) and email engagements rebuild as BRM automations: they don't auto-translate.
If you used Stripe in the LifterLMS core, the subscription IDs stay on LifterLMS's side until you re-onboard members through BRM's Stripe checkout.
Common questions: BricksMembers vs LifterLMS
If you want a paid bundle, yes. LifterLMS Earth is $199 year 1 / $398 renewal; LifterLMS Universe is $299 year 1 / $598 renewal; LifterLMS Infinity is $799 year 1 / $1,598 renewal. BricksMembers Creator is $97/yr (1 site), Studio is $197/yr (10 sites), or Lifetime is $497 one-time (100 sites). If you can run LifterLMS Core free indefinitely without any add-on, LifterLMS is cheaper. The $10,000 Infinity Lifetime makes BRM's $497 lifetime look very reasonable for sites that want a one-time spend.
Yes. The Migration Center imports LifterLMS courses, sections, lessons, and quiz structure via the standard `_llms_parent_course` and `_llms_parent_section` meta. Level requirements and user progress migrate. Engagements, certificates, and email automations are rebuilt in BRM's automation tab. Stripe subscriptions stay on the LifterLMS side until re-onboarded.
Yes: LifterLMS Core is free and open-source on unlimited sites, including courses, lessons, quizzes, and basic memberships. All three paid bundles (Earth, Universe, Infinity) include the eCommerce add-ons (Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce, Authorize.Net) plus Cart Abandonment Recovery. Universe adds the Sky Pilot theme, Email Marketing/CRM and Forms. Groups, Gifts, Advanced Quizzes, Advanced Video, Assignments, and Course Cohorts are bundled only in the Infinity Bundle (or sold standalone). BricksMembers does not have a free tier.
LifterLMS works on any builder including Bricks, but it does not provide Bricks-native conditions, dynamic tags, or first-class Bricks elements. Pages render via LifterLMS templates with override files. BricksMembers exposes course state as Bricks conditions and dynamic tags, so member-facing pages are built in the Bricks editor without template overrides.
LifterLMS has a larger LMS-only feature catalog: Engagements automation, deeper quiz options, instructor-led group classes, and a longer add-on history. BricksMembers ships LMS plus membership plus payments plus community in one plugin and offers BRM-native Bricks conditions and dynamic tags. If LMS depth is your top priority and Bricks isn't, LifterLMS wins. If you want everything in one plugin and a Bricks-first builder workflow, BRM wins.
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Open the hubAbout this comparison
Last reviewed May 2026. This comparison reflects our own assessment based on publicly available information. Features, pricing, and availability change often. Please verify current details on each vendor's official website before purchasing.
All product names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification and comparison purposes only; this does not imply affiliation with or endorsement by them.