If you’re looking for ways to handle content for your business, you’ve probably come across LMS and CMS. Both of these types of software manage content — hence the names “learning management system” and “content management system” — but they aren’t interchangeable.

In this article, we’ll provide an in-depth LMS vs. CMS comparison to give you a better understanding of both systems, their benefits, core features and more, so you can decide the best fit for your business.

Compare Top LMS Software Leaders

Article Roadmap

• LMS vs. CMS
• What Is a Learning Management System (LMS)?
• What Is a Content Management System (CMS)?
• Use Cases Of LMS
• Use Cases Of CMS
• Which System Is Best For Your Business?
• Final Thoughts

LMS vs. CMS

Before we delve into the ins and outs of each type of software, let’s cut right to the chase — how do LMS and CMS stack up? Though both LMS and CMS are software solutions that manage content, they each serve specific purposes. Let’s go over the key differences between them.

Functionality

LMS is specifically designed to handle eLearning content for businesses and schools. CMS deals with content more universally, creating and publishing content on the web to create better digital experiences. LMS is learner-focused, while CMS is customer-focused.

User Interaction

The content in an LMS is designed for learning, which shapes how users interact with it. E-learning content can range from static materials, to multimedia presentations, to virtual classrooms, to assessments.

A CMS, on the other hand, doesn’t have any explicit purpose except general content management — the way it gets used is shaped by the intention of the business, and what digital experience they want to create. Though CMS can also support multimedia content types, its output is usually more geared toward concerns like sales and marketing.

Collaboration

Both LMS and CMS support collaborative environments for content production, but they do this in different ways.

An LMS provides opportunities for instructors and trainees to collaborate on assignments through submissions and grading. It also allows trainees to work with other trainees on coursework, and instructors to work with other instructors on designing courses and eLearning materials.

A CMS, on the other hand, provides a more generalized environment for collaborative work on content, allowing users to work simultaneously on the same projects, see real-time updates and access version histories to review or restore older drafts as needed.

Deployment Speed

Because it’s simpler and less specialized, a CMS is much faster to deploy. All you have to do to get started is sign into the platform and either upload or begin building your content on the interface.

Though an LMS might take longer to roll out, it serves more complex, multi-faceted needs than a CMS can.

Now that we’ve gone over the key differences, let’s take a look at each type of software more closely.

Compare Top CMS Software Leaders

What Is a Learning Management System (LMS)?

A learning management system (LMS) is a platform that creates and delivers online courses and training programs. It’s used in both workplaces and educational institutions, and can adapt to organizations of any size.

An LMS allows trainers and teachers to execute their educational programs through an online platform, providing granular insight into learners’ progress. You can upload and structure content, closely analyze learner participation, and evaluate and grade their work.

Most LMS programs have centralized hubs with enough storage to host eLearning courses, media and other training materials, making it easier to train employees in remote and hybrid environments, and allowing learners to review materials and move at their own pace.

Some well-known learning management systems include D2L Brightspace, Blackboard Learn and Canvas.

Who Uses LMS?

• Managers
• Administrators
• Teachers
• Trainers
• Students

Primary Benefits

Let’s take a look at some of the platform’s perks:

1. Accessibility

Learning management systems provide the resources for self-directed learning, enabling trainees to access content online whenever they need it. This allows them to continue learning outside of the workplace, pace themselves according to their needs and brush up on different topics as needed.

2. Reduced Costs

Some LMS platforms come with pre-built or preloaded courses covering a variety of topics, usually with some customization options. This means your training program doesn’t need as much in the way of personnel and resources to create and carry out. Once you create courses, you can reuse them indefinitely.

Also, allowing learners to train online, or in a blended learning environment, helps you save on the overhead costs of maintaining a dedicated workspace and physical course materials.

3. Centralized Information

LMS platforms can consolidate all training materials, like documents, research papers, PDFs, courses, quizzes, videos and more, in one location, making it easy for trainees and instructions alike to access them as needed.

4. Performance Insights

To gauge the effectiveness of your training program, it’s helpful to know how your employees engage with it at each stage. Learning management systems give you tools to closely track their performance. With detailed reports, you can check course progress, attendance, module completion and grades.

Core Features of LMS

Let’s take a look at some of the standard LMS features:

• Course Management: Arrange and structure content to create courses. You can use multiple formats, including slideshows, PDFs and live training sessions.
• E-commerce: Enable potential learners to browse, preview and shop for online courses and training material via a built-in webstore or by integrating with payment gateways.
• Single sign-on: Access the platform via a central authentication system that doesn’t ask for credentials repeatedly. Reduce the workload on IT teams that have to deal with password reset requests.
• Gamification: Increase engagement levels and interaction to motivate learners by using puzzles, quizzes, rewards and other fun activities.
• Scheduling: Schedule training sessions, events and classes around employee availability. Set and track submission deadlines for assignment and assessments.

Use Cases of LMS

Business

Employee Training

No matter what industry you belong to, training employees is integral to the success of any company. You can use an LMS to provide training to employees at any stage, whether you’re onboarding new hires, giving employees the opportunity to refresh their knowledge or bringing your staff up to speed on new guidelines.

Customer Training

Some learning management systems offer training for customers. For example, if your product isn’t intuitive to use, providing training courses to your customers can help them learn how to use it. Making more resources available to your customers encourages repeat sales, brand loyalty and better customer experiences.

Education

An LMS can help provide education as either a standalone platform or as a supplement to classroom learning. It supports a wide range of learning styles and models, from blended and hybrid environments to solely remote, with features to adapt to most topics, grade levels and needs.

Compare Top LMS Software Leaders

What Is a Content Management System (CMS)?

A content management system (CMS) is an application used to generate, edit, organize and publish content in the form of web pages, without requiring the use of HTML, CSS or any coding language.

A CMS can publish various types of content, including blogs, forum posts and web pages. It manages websites and streamlines the process of making content, from creation to publication, enabling you to get your content out there in a more effective way.

Some popular content management systems are WordPress, Box and Drupal.

Who Uses CMS?

CMS is mostly used by developers or users who have basic knowledge of website management and development.

Primary Benefits

Let’s take a look at the advantages of using a CMS in your business:

1. User-Friendliness

Because they don’t require code, CMS platforms are less confusing than similar website-building technologies. They provide a lot of the infrastructure for you, as well as built-in tools to help you manage and organize your content as you prepare to publish.

2. Customization

Every business has a different set of requirements — there’s no one-size-fits-all. CMS platforms are flexible, allowing you to modify the overall layout, designs and aesthetics of your content. You can also install plugins for extra customization options, like adding contact forms or shopping carts to web pages, or using image compression for graphic elements.

3. Better Organization

Keeping your content organized can get challenging, especially if multiple users handle it. A content calendar lets you plan content well in advance to ensure everything gets published when it’s supposed to.

4. Competitiveness

SEO is a critical component in driving traffic and potential leads to your website. A CMS platform can help you optimize your website to drive traffic by adding popular keywords, meta descriptions and search-friendly URLs, giving your content a competitive edge.

Core Features of CMS

Let’s take a look at some standard CMS features:

• Intuitive Dashboard: Use the admin dashboard to manage and organize all the tasks, including content scheduling, tracking user activity and checking performance analytics.
• Responsive Themes: Themes help make your website consistent and user-friendly. Choose a layout depending on the type of website you have. For instance, an eCommerce website might benefit from added plugins and drop-down navigation support.
• Multi-Channel Publishing: Consider personal browsing habits of customers and reach them on multiple platforms through email marketing and social media integration.
• Version Control: Save and track your work without losing any information. Revert to older versions of content as needed.
• SEO Tools: Create search-friendly URLs that work well for search engines, optimizing your website. Employ responsive design elements and SEO-friendly permalinks.

Use Cases of CMS

Public Website

Companies use CMS to create their public-facing websites, an integral part of their customers’ digital experience. You can easily create, publish and manage content according to your needs, and use responsive features to make it attractive, interactive and engaging.

Private Intranet

A CMS can also be used to build your company’s private intranet, the internal website your employees use. This makes it easier to create and manage digital content on the backend, providing tools to format, index and search for media during the drafting stage and after publication.

Mobile App

Because a CMS provides a central repository for business content, it’s easy to use it to build a mobile app. A REST API can retrieve data from the CMS, so the same content that appears on your website appears on your mobile app.

Compare Top CMS Software Leaders

Which System Is Best for Your Business?

The ideal software choice for your business is subjective. It depends on factors like your budget, company size, business requirements and, most importantly, what you plan on doing with the online content.

If you want a system that helps create, manage, organize and publish content in a general sense, then a CMS should meet your needs. If you’re specifically looking for a way to handle eLearning resources and train your staff, then an LMS is definitely the better option.

A good way to think about these solutions is considering who they’re targeted towards. A CMS is customer-focused, while an LMS is learner-focused.
You might also hear about LCMS, or learning content management systems — these are trainer-focused, mostly serving the needs of course authors, or the people creating eLearning content. So thinking about who you’re catering to can also help determine which software is best for you.

Receive Advice From the Experts

Next Steps

In the battle of LMS vs. CMS, we can safely say that both are winners. The best solution for you really depends on your company’s needs and goals.

Still feeling stuck? Try using our requirements templates for LMS and CMS to get a better sense of what your business needs from a solution.

So, what’s your preference — LMS or CMS? Which are you using or planning to use? Let us know in the comments below!