Hey! If you’ve landed here it’s because you’re looking for a LearnDash course developer, right? My name is Wellington Duarte and I’m a LearnDash specialist focused on the UK.
I help clients from different industries and of different sizes build a course platform integrated into a WordPress website, as well as handle updates and specific configurations. Every LearnDash project involves several stages, from installation to specific customisations. I support my clients by helping them choose the best stack of tools and throughout the entire development of their LearnDash course platform.
LearnDash Development
Another very common situation with UK clients is the migration of existing courses from other LMS platforms to WordPress, such as Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi or Moodle. SEO is also very important, especially to ensure speed, student experience and better rankings in search engines.
After the website is built, I provide guides on how to use your new site, as well as ongoing technical support, including troubleshooting, updates, maintenance, continuous changes and security.
Planning and development of easy-to-manage course platforms (LMS) within WordPress, with smart integrations built directly into the WordPress ecosystem.
Platforms like Circle, Skool, Kajabi, and similar solutions are taking over the market. Have you ever considered having your own community platform running entirely within WordPress?
This is one of the best combinations when it comes to course platforms integrated with communities. The integration between LearnDash and BuddyBoss is seamless and currently one of the most popular choices.
Let me create the website for your small business. Nowadays, a website is not just a site with pages and text — it’s a sales machine. It’s the online version of your shop, salon, clinic, or office. I build websites designed for conversion that work for you 24/7.
Website maintenance services consist of purchasing a package of hours in which you have support available for edits and troubleshooting, along with periodic reviews of your entire website, keeping it always updated and free of errors or slowdowns.
Elementor is the most popular builder for WordPress and the one I love the most because it allows you to create amazing pages, excellent landing pages, and websites that are easy to update. If you want a website built with Elementor, or already have one and need customisation, this service is for you.
SEO services have changed. It is now necessary to focus on AI Search Optimization (GEO), which is the optimization of your content for AI-driven answer tools. That means it’s important to think about local SEO, schema, ChatGPT, and other tools that are expanding at the speed of light.
My decision to specialise in the UK came naturally, as I’ve already worked with many clients from London, Manchester, Liverpool and several other regions.
With all the changes brought by GDPR after Brexit, I saw how important it is to ensure that every website and e-learning platform is properly configured for UK users, following the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR, avoiding the risk of fines and legal issues.
I’ve also specialised in the correct calculation and handling of VAT for digital courses.
As many online courses in the UK are classified as electronically supplied services (ESS), VAT rates may vary depending on the client, and I aim to guide them on this. I configure WooCommerce (sales plugin) to automatically detect via IP whether a student is a UK resident or not, applying the 20% VAT only if they are a local customer. I also generate VAT reports ready for Making Tax Digital (MTD).
With everything properly set up, I help my clients avoid the risk of fines from HMRC.
Have you ever thought about having an online community integrated into your course? Something like an internal Facebook or LinkedIn?
In the UK, platforms such as Circle, Kajabi, Skool and Mighty are growing every year. These are platforms where creators maintain a community with students/clients and generate revenue through subscriptions, offering exclusive access to content, courses, events, private groups and support. For example, they charge £9–£49 per month per member.
They can also generate additional revenue through webinars, workshops, online conferences or in-person meetups, downloads and digital materials, 1:1 coaching, certificates, donations, fundraising, etc.
Across many industries, communities are created by coaches, content creators with paid courses, digital entrepreneurs, teachers, consultants, influencers and others.
In 2026, one of the most powerful combinations for creating online courses (social learning) with an integrated community is LearnDash + BuddyBoss.
While LearnDash handles structured learning (LMS), BuddyBoss adds a private, integrated social network layer. BuddyBoss replaces the old BuddyPress and transforms the website into a powerful learning platform with a social network, and can even generate a mobile app for iOS and Android.
It’s possible to link a BuddyBoss community to a specific LearnDash course. This way, when a student accesses a LearnDash course, they are automatically added to the corresponding BuddyBoss community.
These communities include advanced features such as detailed profiles, activity feeds, private or 1:1 messaging, public and private groups, member directories, sharing of photos, videos and posts, gamification, live classes directly within BuddyBoss, workshops and webinars, etc.
More recently, it’s also possible to turn all of this into a mobile app with your brand and offline course content.
Average Rating 5
Most online course platforms take between 2 and 6 weeks depending on the number of courses, integrations, and community features required.
Yes. I can migrate courses, users, and content from platforms like Kajabi, Teachable, and Thinkific to a WordPress platform powered by LearnDash.
Yes. I offer WordPress maintenance plans that include updates, backups, security monitoring, and technical support.
A very common question! As a LearnDash developer, I’m very happy that the plugin allows customisation via PHP, known as hooks. Through hooks, I can customise any behaviour without changing the plugin’s core code, avoiding many issues later.
With this, I can customise how things work, such as quiz scoring, applying advanced logic, modifying HTML generated in output templates, adding extra content to pre-built plugin pages, controlling progress and access to content, etc.
For me, this technical part is the most enjoyable, and my UK clients feel very comfortable asking for specific customisations.
In 2026, APIs, integrations and automations are everything. And of course, for a custom platform, a LearnDash developer must know how to integrate everything without breaking the client’s platform.
LearnDash exposes endpoints through its native REST API for courses, lessons, quizzes, users, progress, etc. With this, it’s possible to read, create, delete and update data via API. This is very useful for mobile apps and integration with other systems.
I also use tools like Zapier or Make to connect LearnDash to multiple applications without code (which makes management easier). For example, when a new student registers on your platform, a new contact can automatically be created in your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, ActiveCampaign, etc.), or added to an email marketing list such as Mailchimp or Klaviyo, create tickets in Zendesk, or generate invoices in QuickBooks – the possibilities are huge.
I love automations, and they help create a very efficient workflow. For UK clients, for example, when someone enrols in a course, they can be added to a CRM with a specific tag, VAT can be calculated automatically, and data can be sent to Xero.
In addition to platforms like Zapier and Make, I also work with Uncanny Automator, a powerful WordPress automation plugin.
I organise the entire process in ClickUp, a project management tool. The first step is to fully understand what my client needs.
I study their business and market to offer the best solution and reduce costs, and also understand what stage they are at – for example: do they already have a platform with many members? Is it a new platform? Do they want to start with an MVP to test the market?
Then I create a project scope with all sprints and milestones for each stage using agile methodology: design, development, testing, revisions and launch.
After launch, the focus is on support, and I offer support packages tailored to each client.
Yes, a few. One I like to highlight is a platform I built for a group of psychologists who created a niche course for parents (especially mothers) of neurodivergent children.
They initially grew their business with short videos on TikTok and Instagram, and demand came directly from parents. They launched a short initial course and later expanded into more courses and a community.
What stood out the most was how active the community was (built with BuddyBoss), which helped me better understand niche markets and their potential.
Basic freelancer / offshore (even if working with UK clients): £25 – £50 per hour
UK-based freelancer or intermediate LearnDash specialist: £45 – £80 per hour (most common)
Advanced specialist / experienced LearnDash expert (hooks, BuddyBoss, VAT, integrations, etc.): £60 – £120 per hour
UK agency or specialised company: £150 – £250+ per hour
Note: In London and the South East, rates tend to be 15–25% higher than in the rest of the UK.
The best approach is to clearly describe what you need and request a proper proposal, as hourly rates are more suitable for specific tasks, while fixed project pricing can be more cost-effective.
If you’re looking for a professional focused on the UK and need a quote for your project, feel free to get in touch. Fill out the form or send me an email at: info@sjswebdesign.co.uk — I’ll be happy to help.
