Learning Management Systems
LMS software, or computer based training software, helps educational institutions and businesses better manage their online learning programs—which can be an incredibly effective way to improve employee engagement and retention while increasing employee skill levels. Rather than having to manually manage and track all of the workflows that are involved with ensuring employees have access to and complete learning programs, LMS systems help automate the entire process, from start to finish.
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2021 Learning Management Pricing Guide
Learn about the key aspects of accurate software pricing before you make your purchase decision.
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Compare All Learning Management Systems
SAP Litmos is a cloud-based continuous learning platform that unifies learning management, the extended enterprise, prepackaged content and a content management system to meet organizations’ training needs. SAP Li...Read more
Docebo is a cloud-based LMS solution to provide training programs for employees, partners and customers. Docebo serves various industries including IT, technology, retail, consulting, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, oi...Read more
Bridge is an employee development platform built specifically for employees and managers. It provides peer-to-peer practice, live in-person training, external learning, online courses, mentorship, manager 1:1s, goal tracking an...Read more
Inquisiq is an adaptable LMS solution that provides eLearning, instructor-led and on-the-job training on a single platform for effective employee development programs. Inquisiq is used by businesses of varying size in a variety...Read more
Absorb LMS is a powerful cloud-based learning management system (LMS) designed to boost engagement and learning outcomes, while still being incredibly scalable and usable. Clients marvel at how quickly they can get up and runni...Read more
Tovuti is an all-in-one, cloud-based solution designed to activate the potential of organizations through creating, delivering and tracking online training and education. The end-to-end solution gives users everything they need...Read more
CoreAchieve is a cloud-based learning management solution that enables businesses to streamline processes related to content creation, compliance, audio/video employee training and more. Professionals can utilize the platform t...Read more
SkyPrep LMS is a cloud-based learning management solution that offers a platform to training administrators for creating, managing and selling training courses. Key features include custom branding, automated learner enrollment...Read more
Over 1,200 global enterprises on 6 continents are leveraging 360Learning's Collaborative Learning Platform to meet skyrocketing demand on L&D. The platform's collaborative authoring tools, built-in feedback loops, and learn...Read more
BizLibrary is a leading provider of online learning for growing organizations. Their award-winning microlearning video library engages employees of all levels, and their two learning platforms make training scalable for compani...Read more
Software pricing tips
Read our Learning Management Buyers GuideSubscription models
- Per employee/per month: This model allows you to pay a monthly fee for each of your employees.
- Per user/per month: Users pay a monthly fee for users—normally administrative users—rather than all employees.
Perpetual license
- This involves paying an upfront sum for the license to own the software and use it indefinitely.
- This is the more traditional model and is most common with on-premise applications and with larger businesses.
Rated best value for money
Skip the classroom, train anywhere. Mindflash's cloud-based e-learning platform provides a simple, training solution for employees working from home, in the office, or in the field. We make it easier for business leaders to ena...Read more
Designed for customer, employee, and partner training, NextThought is a learning management platform built for teams. NextThought empowers team leads to implement training programs to support learning, upskilling, and reskillin...Read more
Coassemble is a cloud based learning management solution (LMS) that allows training administrators to create, manage and deliver online education. The solution is compatible with Android and iOS devices and enables users to acc...Read more
Moodle is a cloud-based learning management solution that provides businesses and educational institutions with tools to design customizable training courses. It comes with a centralized dashboard, which enables users to track ...Read more
Schoox is a cloud-based social eLearning solution that helps companies deliver employee training, development and certification courses. Available online or via mobile app, Schoox allow users to create custom-branded ac...Read more
Auzmor Learn is a cloud-based learning management (LMS) system that helps businesses and organizations manage, track and deliver training to employees or affiliates. Auzmor Learn offers course-authoring capabilities and...Read more
eLearning Cloud is a cloud-based learning management solution (LMS) from VAIRKKO that enables organizations to provide training to their employees. The solution allows users to distribute learning content to company employees, ...Read more
Thought Industries offers a cloud-based customer training platform designed to suit the needs of business across multiple industries including software, manufacturing, professional training, continued education, continued medic...Read more
Intertek Alchemy is a cloud-based and on-premise solution designed for food processors, manufacturers, packagers and distributors of all sizes. It helps companies engage with their frontline employees to drive safety, qual...Read more
Canvas LMS from Instructure is a cloud-based learning management system (LMS) specifically designed for K-5 on up through higher education institutions. Canvas LMS is a scalable platform that can be us...Read more
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Buyers Guide
Last Updated: March 04, 2021Learning management systems (LMS) automate the administration, testing, tracking, and reporting of learner progress through online courses. This guide will help you navigate the LMS software market so you're armed with everything you need to know in order to make an informed buying decision for your organization.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
What is a learning management system?
Common features of learning management systems
What type of buyer are you?
Learning management system pricing
Market trends to understand
What is a learning management system?
LMS software, or computer based training software, helps educational institutions and businesses better manage their online learning programs—which can be an incredibly effective way to improve employee engagement and retention while increasing employee skill levels. Rather than having to manually manage and track all of the workflows that are involved with ensuring employees have access to and complete learning programs, LMS systems help automate the entire process, from start to finish. Functionality includes:
- Creating curricula and learning programs to educate students and/or employees in specific areas of knowledge or to teach them certain skills.
- Tracking the completion of such programs to ensure students and/or employees are staying on schedule.
- Allowing students and/or employees to demonstrate competencies or gain certification in areas relevant to their role.
- Providing analytics and reporting functionality to give organizations more insight into the success of their training or learning program(s).
Common features of learning management systems
| Certification and compliance management | Includes setting up, tracking and managing certification programs for industries that require employee certification to perform a specific job duty. This also manages compliance training, which could be a need for any industry. |
| Learning management | Helps users organize and simplify training or learning administration, which includes processes such as distributing content, managing user information, scheduling and overseeing course enrollment. |
| Virtual classroom | Many LMS platforms include video conferencing functionality, enabling instructors to lead live, remote classes and trainings through the platform. |
| Course library | Some vendors partner with course content creators to provide a pre-made library of training courses for generic training needs, such as those on sexual harassment policies or management techniques. |
| Extended enterprise | Allows organizations to train or teach external users, such as channel partners or customers. E-commerce functionality may be included here, as well, to allow training courses to be sold externally. |
| Proficiency testing and reporting | Allows users to administer tests to gauge employee/student knowledge or skill. Analytics and reporting functionality helps determine proficiency and identify learning gaps. |
| Content authoring | Gives users the ability to author their own learning material and design and deliver courses within a LMS. E-learning authoring tools are often part of an LMS; learning content management systems (LCMSs) that facilitate the creation and storage of course content can be integrated into an LMS platform as well. |
| Mobile learning | Allows learners to access and complete courses on a phone or tablet. |
| Social learning | A set of features, including course ratings, course sharing and commenting, course discussions or individual learner blogs, that promote collaborative learning by allowing learners to interact with one another in the LMS. |
What type of buyer are you?
Before purchasing a system, you should assess what kind of buyer you are. The majority of buyers fall into one of these categories:
Education-industry professionals. Perhaps the most obvious buyers of learning management software are those from schools and higher education: organizations where the entire purpose is facilitating the spread of knowledge. Many courses at university levels—and, increasingly, even at the K-12 levels—offer students access to syllabi, assignments and testing information via Web-based LMSs created specifically for the education industry. Education LMS products can be purchased on their own or as a core component of many K-12 software solutions, along with other applications such as school accounting and student information systems (SISs).
Corporate training professionals. LMSs also have a strong presence in the corporate training sphere. This is especially true in highly regulated industries where employees need to maintain specific certifications or licenses to comply with industry or government standards, such as aviation or food preparation. Just as there are LMSs designed specifically for use in schools and universities, there is also LMS software specific to the needs of corporate trainers, which might include functionality for performance reviews or ecommerce. Some LMSs for corporations even include a course library for continuing education. Corporate LMS products can also be purchased on their own, or as part of a more comprehensive human resources (HR) suite.
Learning management system pricing
LMS software is usually priced based on two factors: the number of users and the functionality included. The more people you have using the system and the greater the depth and breadth of functionality, the higher the price.
As an example, many vendors offer tiered pricing plans. With the first, most basic tier, buyers might pay a monthly fee so a small pool of users would have access to basic functionality and services, such as content creation, course enrollment and limited email support from the vendor.
As the price scales up, buyers can add more users to the system, while receiving more advanced functionality or services on top of what is provided at the lower tiers. These additional capabilities might include reporting and analytics or live phone support from the vendor.
In some cases, users can buy a license to own the LMS system in perpetuity. More commonly, though, users can expect to pay a monthly or annual subscription fee for the software.
Subscription pricing is more common with cloud-based LMS systems (where the LMS is accessed via Web browser), whereas perpetual licenses are more common with on-premise solutions (those installed by users on local servers). Most modern LMS products fall into the cloud-based, subscription-priced category.