Design Upgrade for LearnDash

Reviewers keep praising fast, personal support from the developer and how quickly it makes LearnDash pages look right, though the most recent one hit trouble on a heavily customized install and found the refund policy awkward.

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.

wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.

3 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 0 listed. 3 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.

Directory rank vs rivals

wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin · 91% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band 4 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 7K.

1. ★★★★★ ianbryan

   3.4y ago

   This plugin worked great, but broke down when interoperating with other vital plugins and customizations in our LearnDash install. I didn’t request a refund because the refund policy requires you to “prove” that the plugin won’t interoperate. Instead I uninstalled it within hours of buying it and cancelled my subscription. Then when I was charged a year later, I got the refund I requested, MINUS the processing fee. In summary, great plugin for relatively simple LD installs. Company policies not so great. Good luck.

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ trainingcity

   3.8y ago

   This plugin is easy to deploy and well worth the cost for the paid version. Styling LearnDash is not really difficult, but this plugin will solve 99% of your challenges with getting the courses, lessons, and topics pages formatted to “look nice” in a matter of minutes, vs countless hours if you stick to just out of the box WordPress or even a tool like Elementor. Note that the plugin will “play nice” with Elementor. It seemlessly does its job formatting the various Learndash elements such as course lists which can then be inserted into course pages that are formatted in any way, including the application of an Elementor Template. I am finding the the actual lessons and topics pages are more or less best left alone and run in “focus” mode. With this tool, you have the perfect way to format the content for lessons and topics which then display in focus mode. The plugin “just works”, the available tutorial video provided by the company will walk you through the configuration and setup, and in no time flat, your Learndash elements will have the look and feel you need for a professional & customized site. Highly recommended for anyone building a Learndash based course. This topic was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by trainingcity.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ arika

   4.8y ago

   I debated for a bit before buying the pro version of this plugin but it really is a life saver and makes LearnDash look 1000 times better. I spent 20+ hours being really frustrated trying to make this one thing work that is super important to my brand. I reached out to customer support and had and answer that worked within a few hours. Thank you so much!!!!

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ rhartland

   5.5y ago

   The plugin offers some amazing additional options to improve your Learndash site, but where they really go above and beyond is the support. I have the free and pro version which goes even further. Dave was able to diagnose my problem, wrote some css for me, and showed me where to place it. Solved my problem perfectly! Would highly recommend this plugin (and the pro version) if you have a Learndash site!

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ clayray

   5.5y ago

   Provides great advanced styling and layout functionality that SHOULD have been included with LearnDash.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ jeanniesullivan

   5.6y ago

   After hours of trying to update my site on my own, I found Dave and his awesome plugin! I downloaded the Pro version right away, and Dave also offered me some much-needed personal support in getting the customizations just right. The best $29 I’ve spent all year was on this plugin!

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ ricardojimenezr

   5.6y ago

   I purchased the pro version of the plugin and the support from Dave has been great, it was like talking to a friend that cared for you. I am very satisfied!

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ storyroi

   5.6y ago

   Dave is always super helpful and detail oriented. You just don’t see this much in this community. 6/5

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 2.12 Added: Improved styles for new LearnDash registration process/page Tweak: Increased size of prev/next buttons at the bottom of lesson/topic pages to prevent wrapping onto two lines 2.12
2. — Version 2.11.1 Fix: Course Grid: “Legacy” active template only: No longer hiding course short description. 2.11.1
3. — Version 2.11 Updated: CSS changes to accomodate the course grid CSS changes LearnDash made in 2.0.5 of the Course Grid plugin (mostly with ribbons) Updated: Course Page: Content & Materials tabs: Added CSS to override default theme s 2.11
4. — Version 2.10.3 Fixed: Small CSS issue with Focus Mode background color in Pro version when using the Kadence theme 2.10.3
5. — Version 2.10.2 Fixed: MathJax: Removed extra spacing when using LaTeX in quiz answers for single & multiple choice questions 2.10.2
6. — Version 2.10.1 Fixed: Achievements Add-On: Image size now works again with Achievements version 1.1.0 (available in Pro) 2.10.1

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.4.8 · WP 6.0.1

Translated into 4 languages, 4 at 90% or more

Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.

Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2026-10-28 7K+ → 6K+ down after 243 days in tier
2. 2026-02-27 8K+ → 7K+ down after 210 days in tier
3. 2025-08-01 9K+ → 8K+ down after 136 days in tier
4. 2025-03-18 10K+ → 9K+ down after 1476 days in tier
5. 2021-03-03 9K+ → 10K+ up after 127 days in tier
6. 2020-10-27 4K+ → 9K+ up after 316 days in tier
7. 2019-12-16 3K+ → 4K+ up after 148 days in tier
8. 2019-07-21 2K+ → 3K+ up

Competes with

The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).

Embed this report card

Drop a live Pulse card for Design Upgrade for LearnDash into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Design Upgrade for LearnDash: 6K+ active installs, 5.0★ (53 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/design-upgrade-learndash