I like Sensei more just from the looks of it. I tried the free version on WordPress and also checked out LearnDash in its demo version. My main concern is whether Sensei can handle, say, 500 clients for an online course. LearnDash seems to be the standard LMS plugin in the WordPress industry. My heart says Sensei, which I prefer, but my brain is leaning towards LearnDash since it has more tutorials and resources.
I had the same exact question. I started by outlining my requirements and emailed both LearnDash and Sensei. They both responded quickly. What I found out is that both meet my needs, but Sensei had most of my requirements covered out-of-the-box. LearnDash, on the other hand, needed a lot of 3rd party add-ons, which can be free or come at additional costs. It’s a tough choice because while 3rd party add-ons might indicate a larger community, they can also introduce potential risks.
Sounds like a tough decision. If you’re leaning towards Sensei for its look and feel, maybe consider testing it with a small group first to see how it performs under load.
Also, here’s a good video comparing the two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtGelsA-TmM. It might help you with your decision.