The Best Learning Management Systems

Continuous learning and development is the modern mantra for organizational success. Amid economic slowdowns, talent shortages and mass layoffs, a robust learning environment is an asset that fuels your employee’s career growth and prepares them for the future.

An LMS ensures that your workers have all the tools and resources they need to build new skills and enjoy an uninterrupted learning experience. The real challenge is to find a solution that meets all your business requirements without burning a hole in your pocket.

Since evaluating the multitude of LMS solutions available in the market can be difficult, here are our top five picks to help narrow down your search.

LearnUpon

LearnUpon is a cloud-based LMS that offers a variety of features to help organizations train their employees, partners and customers. These include course creation, reporting and analytics, customizations, third-party integrations and assessments.

Customize your login page using brand logos and colors. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Content and Course Management — 100
• Ecommerce — 100
• Platform Capabilities — 100
• Reporting and Dashboards — 100
• User Management and Gamification – 100

Top Benefits

• Improve Efficiency: You can automate administrative tasks to save time spent on creating users, granting access, enrollments and synchronizing data. The software also lets staff members sign in with a single sign-on functionality, so you don’t need to remember multiple passwords or log on to various systems separately.
• Scale Learning: A scalable training platform allows you to add users and course content without storage or hosting limitations. You can create additional portals to roll out training for new users and integrate with third-party applications to conduct training across different time zones, shifts and locations.
• Save Time: You can automate administrative tasks to save time spent on creating users, granting access, enrollments and synchronizing data. It also lets staff members sign in with a single sign-on functionality that cuts down on the need to remember multiple passwords. With a SAML login instead, learners can use G Suite, Microsoft Azure and Okta.

Primary Features

• Personalized Learning: Tailor the learning experience to individual needs with adaptive learning paths that utilize skill gap analysis to create and recommend courses, and help learners focus on the most relevant content for their specific needs.
• Course Creation: You can build engaging and interactive courses using drag-and-drop tools, and upload various content types, including videos, quizzes and assignments to modules.
• Reporting and Analytics: The solution provides valuable insights into learner performance with detailed reports. Track learner activity and progress, course completion rates for individuals and groups, and other aspects of overall performance with the help of interactive visualizations.

Limitations

• Limited professional training options.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Breakout Rooms — Supported with partner integrations
• Mobile Collaboration — Not supported
• Group Chat — Not supported

Pricing

The solution offers three pricing plans:

• Essential: Up to 150 users
• Premium: 150 to 500 users
• Enterprise: 500+ users

You can contact the vendor for pricing information about each plan.

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Docebo

Docebo is an AI-powered training platform that allows you to train employees, partners and customers, and can be used by administrators and learners. Its features include content creation and marketplace, real-time collaboration, tests and assessments, mobile learning and more.

Add questions to tests in several formats. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Ecommerce — 100
• Reporting and Dashboard — 100
• User Management and Gamification — 100
• Platform Capabilities — 96
• Content and Course Management — 88

Top Benefits

• Personalize Learning: The platform’s AI algorithms curate personalized learning paths and suggest relevant content based on individual progress, skills and goals. This keeps learners engaged and focused on their unique training needs.
• Integrate Smoothly: From SSO and CRM systems to web conferencing and payment gateway tools, Docebo Connect Integrations Marketplace offers free and paid native integrations and iPaaS connectors with apps like Zoom, ADP Workforce Now and Google Analytics.
• Increase Accessibility: The tool supports all standard eLearning formats like SCORM 1.2 and 2004 and Tin Can (xAPI), so you can deliver up-to-date content accessible to all learners.

Primary Features

• Mobile App: Learners can view and start courses, interact with questions, answers and comments, self-enroll in learning paths and more on the go using the mobile app.
• Transaction Management: You can manage all marketplace transactions on the desktop and the mobile app. The solution allows you to track revenue from online sales, view customer’s purchase history and export them in CSV and Excel formats.
• Real-Time Notifications: You can create and send event-specific notifications to targeted user audiences like learners and instructors. These include reminders and updates about schedule changes, new course additions, progress report uploads, upcoming tests and more.

Limitations

• Limit on file upload size.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• On-Demand Recording — Supported with partner integrations
• Virtual Classroom — Supported with partner integrations
• Mobile Collaboration — Not supported

Pricing

Request a free price quote.

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Brainier

Brainier is an enterprise learning tool that provides training management, content curation and data reporting solutions. It’s cloud-based, mobile-compatible, and designed for collaboration and building a broader community around development efforts. You can create personalized learning experiences for each employee and customize the platform to match your brand’s visual identity.

Users can access all reports on the dashboard. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Content and Course Management — 100
• Ecommerce — 100
• Mobile Capabilities — 100
• Reporting and Dashboard — 100
• Platform Capabilities — 93

Top Benefits

• Enhance Engagement: You can improve employee engagement with personalized learning paths, collaboration tools such as discussion groups and video check-ins, gamification elements, and social and blended learning formats.
• Integrations Easily: Off-the-shelf software integrations use APIs to transfer data from existing CRM and LCMS systems, and eCommerce platforms into the LMS. This streamlines data interoperability and allows you to evaluate all training activities on a single dashboard.
• Secure Operations: The platform has passed multiple inspections and lives up to many industry standards. It complies with the GDPR standards and the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework to work with EU and worldwide databases.

Primary Features

• Certification Renewals and Updates: Administrators can set custom expiration dates for recurring training like annual compliance courses or re-certification. They can also configure reminders about upcoming expiration dates, reducing the risk of overdue training or fines for non-compliance.
• Content Library: The solution offers multiple SCORM and AICC-compliant courses on topics such as business, compliance, computer training and safety. These include course materials, video streaming, discussion prompts and testing questions.
• Customization: You can brand or white-label platform elements using your company’s logo, colors, interactive templates and other attractive tools.

Limitations

• It has a static front page that can’t be customized with drag-and-drop elements.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Interactive Whiteboards — Supported with partner integrations
• Automated Grading — Not supported
• FERPA Compliance — Not supported

Pricing

Request a free price quote.

Compare Top LMS Software Leaders

SkyPrep

SkyPrep is an online training solution designed for your employee onboarding and development, customer and compliance training, and course creation needs. Its features include analytical reporting, gamification, assessments, learner progress tracking and content authoring.

Bulk upload assessments from external sources. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Collaboration — 100
• Ecommerce — 100
• Reporting and Dashboard— 100
• User Management and Gamification — 100
• Content and Course Management — 93

Top Benefits

• Improve Branding: You can use custom branding tools like logos, icons, templates, domain names and color schemes to improve the look and feel of your platform.
• Manage Multiple Locations: You can create sub-platforms for different segments of learners, and easily navigate and manage them from a central location.
• Global Reach: The platform can be translated into 14 different languages, including Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese and Italian, making it easier for international users to access the system.

Primary Features

• Video Conferencing: Create, schedule and manage your online training sessions from within the system interface. It integrates with third-party apps like Zoom, GoToMeeting and BigBlueButton.
• Course Management: You can create courses online using MS Word and Excel documents, PDFs, PPTs, videos and more. It allows you to invite learners to start courses, add them individually or in bulk and enable them to self-enroll into courses.
• Personal Calendar: The company calendar allows you to plot meetings, test dates, quiz deadlines, group activities and more, and is accessible by all users on desktop and mobile devices.

Limitations

• Steep learning curve.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Course Ratings — Not supported
• Breakout Rooms — Supported with partner integrations
• Anti-Plagiarism Software Integration — Not supported

Pricing

The solution offers three plans with different feature sets:

• Lite: Includes 100+ active users, custom branding, SCORM packages and email support.
• Professional: Includes advanced reporting, API and SSO, gamification and workflow automation.
• Enterprise: Includes multiple platforms, migration services, multi-year discounts and custom SMTP.

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Absorb LMS

Absorb LMS is an enterprise-level learning and training solution that helps organizations streamline their eLearning delivery processes. It offers features like workflow automation, personalized dashboards, reporting and analytics, user management and eCommerce. You can connect the platform with many third-party apps like ADP Workforce Now, Salesforce, BambooHR, ClearCompany and Zoom.

Specify additional data that will apply to newly imported users. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Content and Course Management — 100
• Mobile Capabilities — 100
• Reporting and Dashboard — 97
• Platform Capabilities — 93
• User Management and Gamification — 91

Top Benefits

• Integrate Smoothly: The solution integrates with over 200 third-party apps, streamlining data exchange and automating workflows across your entire tech stack.
• Personalized Learning: Tools like Intelligent Assist, Intelligent Ranking and Absorb Pinpoint use a combination of machine learning, natural language recognition and optimization algorithms to contextualize training content based on learner’s personal preferences.
• User-Friendly Interface: Optimize all training content for various devices like iPads and smartphones to provide an easy-to-use interface to learners.

Primary Features

• Collaboration: Learners can ask questions, discuss course topics, share learning material and more via two-way messaging, group chats, discussion forums, file-sharing and more.
• Question Banks: Store a group of questions and answers in the question bank and use them across multiple assessments.
• Compliance: Compliance is the most common form of training provided to employees and helps build a positive work culture. The platform complies with GDPR, SOC 2 Type 2, WCAG 2.0 AA, PCI and provides third-party security audits, nightly scans and more. This ensures that data is secure and meets accessibility standards.

Limitations

• It has a cap on video file size at 800MB.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Anti-Plagiarism Software Integration — Supported with partner integrations
• Skills Catalog — Not supported
• Audit Trail — Not supported

Pricing

Get a free price quote.

Compare Top LMS Software Leaders

How We Choose Products

Our team of writers and analysts at SelectHub is committed to giving you the best recommendations based on our data. To make our list, products had to meet two criteria:

1. Closely match the topic
2. Earn a top-5 analyst score in our selection platform

Our analyst scores are based on an in-depth research process using primary and secondary sources. This includes SelectHub Analyst Briefings, direct communication with vendors, and reviewing materials such as user reviews, product brochures, specification sheets, case studies, user manuals, and technical documentation.

Our platform’s Scoring Engine processes the research and computes the analyst score. The score also factors in platform settings such as industry and company size.

Learn more about our research methodology and editorial standards

Why Do You Need an LMS?

An LMS lets you create, manage and track educational courses and training programs on an interactive platform. It’s a central hub to monitor learner progress, measure course effectiveness, design personalized learning strategies, sell courses online and more on a user-friendly system.

An LMS lets you manage all training activities from a central dashboard. Source

The platform offers a range of features and functionalities to manage teaching and learning activities, including:

• Course Creation: You can build modules using interactive templates, insert multimedia elements such as videos, PDFs and PPTs into slides and allow users to navigate them using drag-and-drop tools.
• Customizations: Branding and white-labeling options allow you to tailor the system interface using your brand colors, unique domain names, logos and more.
• Collaboration: Users can ask questions, share learning material, discuss answer keys and more via real-time messaging, video conferencing, discussion forums and voice calls.
• Centralized Storage: Most LMS solutions provide an online content library to store eLearning material like documents, images, audio files, PDFs and presentations.
• Gamification: You can showcase the number of points earned by learners on the leaderboard, give them badges for accomplishing time-bound tasks and grant certificates for course completion.
• Third-Party Integrations: Connect your LMS with other types of software, such as CRM and ERP systems, eCommerce platforms and video conferencing solutions.

LMS vs LCMS: Key Differences

Here are some of the key differences between a Learning Management System (LMS) and a Learning Content Management System (LCMS) that highlight how they serve different aspects of the training process within an organization.

1. Focus
An LMS is primarily focused on the administration, delivery, tracking and reporting of educational courses, training programs and learning activities. It’s designed to manage and deliver learning content to learners, track their progress and administer assessments.

An LCMS, on the other hand, is more focused on the creation, management and publishing of learning content. It is designed to facilitate the development, storage, organization, reuse and version control of learning materials such as eLearning modules, assessments, simulations and other educational content.

2. Content Creation and Management:
While an LMS may allow for some content creation and management, it typically has limited authoring capabilities and is more oriented towards the delivery and administration of pre-existing content.

An LCMS is specifically designed to facilitate the creation, management and reuse of learning content. It often includes robust authoring tools and content repositories that enable instructional designers and subject matter experts to collaborate on creating and updating learning materials.

3. Reusability and Customization
LMS systems are generally focused on delivering and tracking existing learning content, with limited emphasis on content reusability and customization.

LCMS platforms are built with a strong emphasis on content reusability, allowing organizations to efficiently repurpose and customize learning materials across different courses and programs.

4. Collaboration and Workflow
LMS platforms may include collaboration features, but they’re primarily geared toward learner-teacher interactions, course enrollment and progress tracking.

LMS collaboration tools help instructors and learners interact in real time. Source

LCMS platforms are often designed to facilitate collaboration among content developers, subject matter experts, instructional designers and other stakeholders involved in the content creation and management process.

They typically include workflow and approval mechanisms to streamline content development and updates.

5. Granularity and Interoperability

LMS platforms are generally focused on managing courses and tracking learner progress at a course level, with less emphasis on managing individual learning objects or content components.

LCMS platforms are designed to manage learning content at a granular level, allowing for the reuse and repurposing of individual learning objects across different courses and programs. They often emphasize interoperability with other systems and standards for content sharing and integration.

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Primary Benefits

Here are some of the ways an LMS can benefit your organization:

• Provides a range of multidisciplinary courses online, accessible by all users from anywhere at any time.
• Cuts down infrastructural and transportation costs incurred by in-person classroom learning.
• Allows you to capitalize on your training material by selling it on an eCommerce platform.
• Makes it easy for all users to stay connected despite working from different locations and/or time zones.
• Offers real-time performance tracking tools to measure each learner’s progress through courses and identify improvement areas.

Who Uses Learning Management Systems?

In today’s fast-paced digital world, the demand for online learning platforms has increased exponentially. As technology continues to reshape the eLearning landscape, it’s no surprise that LMS platforms have become a must-have tool for educational institutions, government agencies and corporations alike.

Let’s understand how LMSs cater to the diverse needs of different types of users and enhance their teaching and learning experiences.

Corporate Organizations

An LMS is a centralized and efficient tool that helps corporations deliver continuous learning and development opportunities to their employees. With the corporate LMS market share growing significantly, it’s clear that a majority of L&D pros are turning to LMS platforms to train their workforce.

An LMS helps organizations train their employees on a user-friendly platform. Source

Here are some ways businesses can use an LMS to fulfill their employee training needs:

• Employee Onboarding: Freshers can access training material like company policies and job responsibilities in multimedia formats to easily understand and adapt to various workflows.
• Skill Development: Employees can access skill-based training content to enhance knowledge and abilities relevant to their job roles. These can include courses on technical skills training, leadership development and compliance training.
• Compliance Training: Administrators can create and manage mandatory compliance training courses on topics such as workplace safety and diversity and inclusion to ensure that employees are up to date with necessary certifications.
• Tracking and Reporting: Instructors can monitor learner progress, track course completion rates and compare assessment scores using informative data reports. These analytics help assess the effectiveness of training programs, identify areas of improvement and internalize changes to enhance employee performance.
• Personalization: Instructors can create tailored learning content and provide course recommendations based on learners’ interests and preferences.

Educational Institutions

In a Wiley survey, 91% of respondents indicated a positive outlook toward online learning, while 71% supported fully remote programs with no campus visits.

LMS’ are popular among academic institutions like schools, colleges and universities looking to implement distance or blended learning programs. They support online content creation and delivery, learner progress tracking, proctored assessments, real-time reporting and more to create engaging educational experiences.

Here are some ways an LMS can support educational programs and activities:

• Course Delivery: Teachers can upload lecture notes, slides, videos and other educational content online so students can access and review them even when they’re outside of the classroom.
• Collaboration: Communication tools like whiteboards, video conferencing and chat forums allow students and teachers to engage in online discussions, ask questions and collaborate on projects.
• Assessments and Quizzes: Instructors can create online assessments, quizzes and exams and customize them with different question types, time limits and completion deadlines.
• Academic Calendar: Administrators can manage and share important updates, such as assignment due dates, exam schedules and course registration periods on an integrated calendar.
• Attendance Tracking: Teachers can use attendance tracking features to take virtual roll calls, monitor student participation in classes and record session activity.
• Parental Engagement: Some solutions offer a portal for parents to access information about their child’s progress, including grades, homework, attendance records and feedback.

Independent Users

Individuals may engage with an LMS without being affiliated with a specific educational institution or organization. The software provides flexible and self-paced learning opportunities for these users and helps structure their learning journey based on personal needs and preferences.

Users can choose from a vast range of skill-relevant courses. Source

Independent users of an LMS include:

• Independent learners who seek to acquire new knowledge or skills to pursue personal interests, hobbies or professional development outside of a formal setting.
• Freelancers and entrepreneurs looking to enhance existing skill sets or learn new topics such as marketing, coding and graphic design.
• Individuals switching jobs and looking to gain basic knowledge or develop new skills can access courses relevant to their desired field to bridge existing knowledge gaps.
• People with particular hobbies or interests may use an LMS to deepen their understanding and expertise in specific fields. For example, someone interested in photography, pottery or creative writing can access relevant courses to improve their skill set in these areas.
• Professionals such as lawyers, engineers and healthcare professionals seeking continuing education to fulfill licensing or certification requirements, or stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices.
• Lifelong learners with a desire for continuous learning and personal growth or a general interest in various domains, such as history, science and literature.

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Tips To Find the Right Solution

Whether an LMS is suitable for your organization depends on several factors specific to your training needs, like the number of users, business size and content volumes. Here are some key points to consider when evaluating various solutions:

• Compare Features: Compare the features and functionalities offered by different platforms and determine which ones align with your requirements. Consider aspects such as content creation, assessment and grading tools, reporting and analytics, mobile compatibility and integrations with other systems.

In-built course authoring tools help you create learning eLearning content. Source

• Ensure Scalability: Make sure the platform can support a surge in the number of users and large amounts of data in scenarios like new course additions, updated compliance requirements or company policy revisions.
• Request a Demo: Run a free software trial or demo to test whether it works smoothly with your training workflow.
• Evaluate Vendors: Research the vendors thoroughly based on customer reviews, testimonials and case studies to ensure they have a reliable market position.
• Assess Pricing: Consider the pricing structure of the LMS, including upfront costs, ongoing maintenance fees, licensing models and any additional costs associated with customization, support or upgrades.

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Next Steps

Whether you’re an educational institution transitioning to blended learning or a corporate entity planning to upskill your workforce, an LMS can unlock a world of possibilities for your instructors and learners alike. We hope this article gives you useful insights into the different types of learning management systems and how they can work for your company.

Ready for the next step? Our free comparison report provides detailed insights into leading market solutions and how they stack up.

Have you used an LMS before? Which types of learning management systems best fit your training model? Let us know in the comments!