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Online Learning Management Systems
If knowledge is power, then consider LMS software to be the electrical grid that delivers that power to your business or school. These systems allow managers, trainers and teachers to administer more flexible digital e-learning courses through computers or smartphones, using premade or self-created teaching materials.
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Absorb LMS
Absorb LMS
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 running,...Read more
Auzmor Learn
Auzmor Learn
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 centr...Read more
SAP Litmos
SAP Litmos
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 Litmos is SSAE 16...Read more
Trakstar Learn
Trakstar Learn
Skip the classroom, train anywhere. Trakstar Learn'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 e...Read more
360Learning
360Learning
360Learning empowers Learning and Development teams to drive culture and growth through Collaborative Learning. Our learning platform combines collaborative tools with the power of an LMS, enabling high-growth companies to unlock ...Read more
Software pricing tips
Read our Cloud LMS Software 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
Thought Industries
Thought Industries
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 medical ...Read more
Cornerstone LMS
Cornerstone LMS
Cornerstone Learning helps you provide a connected learning and growth experience for your people. Create a personalized development and growth experience that inspires people and accelerates transformation. Get a solution designe...Read more
VAIRKKO Suite
VAIRKKO Suite
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, cre...Read more
ExpertusONE
ExpertusONE
ExpertusONE enterprise LMS is a cloud-based learning management solution that caters to global enterprises with more than 5,000 employees. It provides capabilities including custom LMS reporting, sales enablement technology, perfo...Read more
Popular Cloud LMS Software Comparisons
Buyers Guide
Last Updated: June 30, 2022If you’re in the market for a cloud-based learning management system (LMS) which is accessible from any Web-enabled device, you’re not alone. A survey conducted by Capterra in 2015 found that 87 percent of LMS users rely on a cloud-based system.
But just because something’s popular doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right for you and your organization. That’s why we’ve created this buyer’s guide to help you understand everything you need to know about cloud-based LMS software.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
What Is Cloud LMS Software?
What Type of Online LMS Buyer Are You?
Pros and Cons of a Cloud-Based LMS
How Much Does Cloud LMS Software Cost?
Common Features of an Online LMS
What Is Cloud LMS Software?
If knowledge is power, then consider LMS software to be the electrical grid that delivers that power to your business or school. These systems allow managers, trainers and teachers to administer more flexible digital e-learning courses through computers or smartphones, using premade or self-created teaching materials.
With an LMS, you can test learner knowledge with customized assessments, track worker certifications, measure learner engagement and more.
Courses in LearnUpon LMS
Cloud LMS software, also called Web-based or SaaS (software-as-a-service) LMS software, is software deployed through a Web browser. Unlike on-premise systems, which users host and maintain on their own servers, cloud platforms are hosted and maintained by the software vendor.
Buyers pay a subscription fee—typically monthly or annually—to access cloud-based LMS software. As long as you have a web-enabled device and an Internet connection, you can access your account from anywhere in the world.
Cloud-based products are popular for a few common reasons. First, the subscription pricing that typically accompanies a cloud product offers lower up-front costs to buyers (though that subscription fee does recurr monthly or annually, depending on the contract). Second, because the software is hosted online or "in the cloud," remote access is a breeze. And finally, software updates are pushed out automatically (whereas with an on-premise system, buyers typically have to manually install upgrades themselves).
However, organizations with a large or resource-rich IT department sometimes prefer on-premise solutions so that they can manage the software on their own servers. Additionally, for some businesses, the larger up-front and smaller recurring costs may be appealing. (Either way, the cost of on-premise and cloud-based systems tends to converge over the life of the software.)
What Type of Online LMS Buyer Are You?
Buyers of cloud-based LMS software typically fall into one of two categories:
Education professionals. Schools and universities are increasingly relying on cloud-based LMS platforms to deliver lessons and assignments to students. If you’re considering cloud-based LMS software for your school, some features to look out for include:
- Social learning functionality, such as class forums and student blogs to increase engagement
- Responsive design to cater your courses to varying screen sizes on tablets and phones
Corporate trainers. Within the corporate sphere, cloud-based LMSs allow trainers to develop their workforce and also get external groups such as channel partners or customers up to speed.
If you’re a buyer in this category, look for extended enterprise functionality that allows for custom branding to tailor the e-learning experience to different learner audiences, while gamification features such as badges and leaderboards can increase course participation.
Some corporate LMSs also offer integrated content authoring, but there are standalone tools for this as well.
Pros and Cons of a Cloud-Based LMS
Having a cloud-based LMS carries a number of benefits over an on-premise system, but also some drawbacks:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Because the software is hosted on the vendor’s servers, there is no need for buyers to pay for their own servers or IT staff to maintain them. This can be a huge cost-saving measure, especially for small organizations. |
Though cloud systems have some options to customize the solution to individual needs, these pale in comparison to tailored on-premise platforms that can look vastly different from client to client, and which better integrate with proprietary solutions. |
Cloud-based LMS software accessible through a web browser means your learners can choose where and when they can take their e-learning courses, instead of being forced to use the software during operating hours at one location. |
If your users have a stable internet connection, your cloud-based LMS is good to go. But if that connection is weak and unstable, or you experience an outage, you won’t be able to access the system. On-premise systems don’t need an internet connection. |
How Much Does Cloud LMS Software Cost?
Cloud LMS software is typically priced on a per-user basis, meaning your monthly or annual fee depends on how many users you have in the system. This price can vary widely from $5/user for small organizations to $0.50/user for large ones.
A common misconception is that cloud-based software is cheaper than on-premise options. Although the upfront cost for cloud-based software is certainly less, the cost of both types of systems ends up being around the same over time when you factor in recurring expenses. You can test this out for yourself using our own Total Cost of Ownership Calculator.
Example on-premise vs. SaaS software cost
Common Features of an Online LMS
The most common features of LMS software are found universally in both on-premise and cloud-based solutions. These include:
| Learning management | The core functionality of any LMS helps educational or business organizations create, store, organize and administer learning materials. |
| Certification / compliance management | Tracks and manages compliance training, as well as certification programs that some industries may require for performing certain jobs. |
| Virtual classrooms |
Facilitates live, remote training sessions, typically led via video. |
| Proficiency reporting / testing | Facilitates the administration of tests to gauge users' learning of the course material. Allows for reporting of test scores to identify proficiencies or gaps in learning. |
| Content authoring | Allows users to create or "author" their own course content, which is in turn delivered through the LMS. |