In today’s rapidly changing digital environment, e-learning has emerged as a revolutionary tool in education and training, granting learners unprecedented access to abundant educational materials. However, amidst the multitude of e-learning platforms available, it is crucial to evaluate and assess their effectiveness, user-friendliness, and overall quality to ensure the delivery of engaging and efficient learning experiences. This research utilizes the Weighted Sum Method (WSM), a widely recognized Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) technique, to thoroughly assess and compare the performance of various e-learning websites (ELWs). The assessment criteria encompass five essential dimensions: usability, reliability, portability, personalization, and learning community. By assigning weights to these criteria, the WSM facilitates a methodical and equitable evaluation of the trade-offs and synergies between different factors, leading to more informed decision-making. The analysis identifies ELW6 as the top-performing platform, achieving the highest preference score and securing the first rank among the evaluated ELWs. This distinction indicates that ELW6 exhibits comprehensive and superior performance, excelling in areas such as intuitive interface design, robust technological infrastructure, seamless cross-device compatibility, personalized learning experiences, and fostering a vibrant online learning community. Closely trailing ELW6, ELW4 earns the second rank, showcasing its own strengths, particularly in reliability and portability. ELW3, ranked third, demonstrates a more balanced performance across the criteria. However, ELW2 and ELW5, ranked fourth and fifth respectively, exhibit commendable performance in specific aspects but fall short of surpassing higher-ranked platforms in the overall evaluation. The findings from this study can guide decision-makers, instructional designers, and e-learning platform developers in enhancing existing ELWs or developing new, impactful online learning solutions. By understanding the critical factors contributing to e-learning website success, stakeholders can make informed decisions, refine design and development processes, and improve the overall quality and efficacy of e-learning experiences for learners.