Find the Learning Management System

Learning Management System Buyers Guide

Last updated: October 03, 2023

As technology advances and the world becomes increasingly digitized, learning management systems (LMS) have become integral to education and professional development (aka enterprise learning management system). In 2022, 100% of large companies in the US employed LMS software to deliver their training. This number is 95% for midsize companies and 76% for startups.  

LMS software can save valuable time and millions of dollars for companies. Companies can upload the learning materials to the LMS content library and deliver training to an employee across the globe with a click of a button.  

During COVID, LMS was a 'godsend' for schools and businesses, allowing them to obtain educational content on the go. LMS helped teachers and administrators to create, manage, and offer online learning programs and courses. It allowed students and teachers to learn and showcase their skills remotely – without concern for the overheads usually associated with traditional didactic settings. 

What Is An Enterprise Learning Management System (LMS)? 

An enterprise Learning Management System (LMS) is a software that enables you to plan, design, administer, and deliver content via the internet for learning, education, and training purposes. LMS can be an application on your desktop computer, or a web-based application hosted on the cloud. Various organizations use it to deliver various learning content such as corporate training, compliance training, cross-cultural training, anti-bribery and corruption training, etc. 

What Is The Difference Between LMS And E-Learning? 

All LMS learning is eLearning, but not all eLearning is LMS.  

LMS is a software platform that helps you create, distribute, and manage eLearning materials. As a user, you can use various features and functionality to design, manage, and do some automation with the learning course. LMS software is equipped with advanced analytics functionality, enabling Admins to monitor the performance of each course, track students' progress, and so on. 

An eLearning platform is a Web-based application. You can use this e-learning platform to design, create, and distribute online learning material or online courses. For example, Adobe Captivate is a "no-code" eLearning platform that enables users to create learning courses without knowing the art of coding.  

Here are some differences between the two:  

Learning Management System (LMS): 

• Offers a complete set of features and functionality including but not limited to file sharing, data storage, reporting and analytics, collaboration tool, etc. 
• Hosted on the Cloud or On-Premise. It can generally be accessed from the company's network only 
• Setting and integrating an LMS is resource intensive and time-consuming 
• Since LMS offers a complete set of features and functionality, it is expensive to buy or subscribe 

E-Learning System:  

• Offers easy hosting of online courses with a basic set of features such as content upload, update, and data storage 
• Hosted on the Cloud. It can be accessed via the internet from anywhere in the world 
• Setting up an E-Learning solution is quick and easy as it can be hosted on a Website or online application 
• Since E-Learning offers a basic set of features, it is cost-effective 

Why Do You Need An Enterprise Learning Management System (LMS)? 

Many organizations like Google, Salesforce, Microsoft, and Adobe frequently conduct mandatory learning programs or training courses for their management and employees as part of regulatory and compliance.  

Through enterprise LMS, companies ensure that employees follow laws, reduce liability risks, and operate effectively, protecting the company from reputational and financial losses. For employees, LMS software provides great learning opportunities to move up their career ladder.  

Linkedin, the leading business and employment-focused social media platform published a report confirming that 59% of managers believed that upskilling and reskilling enhance an employee's skill set to be a more productive contributor to the business. 

Furthermore, educational institutes like schools and universities regularly use LMS to conduct online classes for their students. They also use the software to monitor attendance, verify assignments, and track students' progress. 

Who Are The Users Of LMS? 

LMS is frequently used by the following: 

• Companies and enterprises 
• Schools and colleges 
• Government organizations 

Within these institutions, administrators and learners are the end-users of LMS.  

Administrators 

A person who is responsible for managing LMS education platforms. Admin tasks include overseeing course management, content management, assigning specific learner groups to e-learning platforms, and tracking students' progress through a management platform. A leading research and consulting firm study suggested that primary participants in learning management systems are corporate-level executives (65%) and managers (35%). 

Learners 

A person who uses LMS to learn the course, complete the assignments or tests, and track their progress. In addition, the top LMS solutions make it easy for learners to get what they need by streamlining accessibility. 

Interestingly, a recent report by Gartner predicted that by 2025, 75% of all K-12 organizations globally would use an LMS, whether proprietary or lightweight, to manage in-person and remote classroom activities. This trend of online learning seems to have been fueled by COVID-19 restrictions.  

Benefits Of Online Enterprise Learning Management Systems  

Spend Less On Training  

It's cheaper to buy an LMS software subscription once and to use it for all your training programs than to plan different events (such as conferences and presentations) every time you want to train employees and customers (a course that comes with frequent payments that add up).  

'Train No Matter How Far' (Across Distances!) 

Thanks to their LMS access, employees working from home don't have to miss out on learning opportunities. As a user, you don't need to spend time and money to get everyone in the same room if they work from home or elsewhere. Virtual LMS training helps build learning programs even when the recipients are stationed far away.  

Update Content Quickly 

No longer do your training guides have to be out of date. You can make changes to your training when everything is indexed online. Written materials or in-person presentations are less effective because the author must start from scratch with their design and delivery every time something changes.  

Boost Retention Rates 

Employees value career development. By making an online course library in your LMS app, you can give them a chance to improve their skills. That can be a win-win situation if you take classes that will enhance the company's knowledge and help employees learn new skills or improve their existing ones without switching jobs.  

Track Results 

Most LMS platforms measure users' engagement. The metrics for this analysis can be accessed via LMS reports, which often recommend courses based on how well students do on follow-up tests and assignments.  

What Are The Types Of LMS? 

With a wide range of learning management systems and types available on the market, choosing the right one for you and your organization will largely depend on your specific needs and capabilities. 

Having said that here are some of the main types of LMS available for you and your team to consider: 

Installed LMS (On-Prem) 

 In organizations, installed LMS are built-in on the premises onto your server. While such platforms come with high costs for on-prem installation, your team will likely need an in-house IT department to handle ongoing maintenance and upgrades. However, an installed LMS form can be a game-changer for the right organization with the right resources. 

Web-Based LMS 

Web-based enterprise LMS is a SaaS product hosted within the LMS vendor's servers. Compared to installed LMS, web-based platforms offer greater flexibility and a range of integrations to give learners the best experience. While not every SaaS-based LMS is customizable, such platforms are relatively simple to create and implement. 

Open-Source LMS 

Open-source LMSs have gained popularity over the past few years, given that these platforms are free to use and provide freedom and flexibility with customization options. With open-source platforms, you can manage features and course creation options and schedule and develop priority features rather than waiting for a vendor to provide them. 

ResearchandMarkets.com, a market insights and analysis website, confirms that more than 87% of the learners have migrated to a cloud-based learning management system, as compared to an on-prem learning management system which accounts for only 13%. 

Key Features Of A Learning Management Systems 

Learning management systems come in various shapes and sizes. That said, the features of a learning management system can vary depending on the product or vendor. Here are some of the features that you should expect: 

Artificial Intelligence (AI)  

LMS platforms are powered by AI engines that help learners get the most out of their educational experience by giving them the course formats that work best for them. They also suggest courses related to the ones subscribers have already taken.  

Course Management  

The best Learning Management Software apps let you create and manage courses, put them into categories, sign up users, and get reports quickly and easily. This way, your admins don't waste time on tasks computers can execute more quickly.   

An automated LMS allows you to manage courses in one place, where users can create classes, assign them, send notifications, change layouts, upload course materials, and manage them without much effort. They can also sign up many subscribers at once, set up advanced settings/filters for courses, and streamline channels and learning plans.  

Platform Consolidation  

It's annoying to pay for different LMS systems and manage multiple such platforms for other uses (both internal and external). Instead, you can put all your use cases into one LMS when you combine interfaces. That saves you time, money, and extra trouble.  

Automated Admin Tasks  

The Best LMS Software lets administrators automate repetitive or time-consuming tasks, such as putting users into groups, setting up new congregations, deactivating channels, and adding new users.  

Certifications And Retraining  

The best LMS for schools lets you track and manage all certification and retraining activities, such as by managing programs for ongoing training, continuing education, and compliance.  

Gamification  

Online Learning Management Systems make it easier for learners to be interested in all learning activities by letting them earn points, badges, awards, etc.  

Mobile Learning  

The best learning management systems let you access content from your phone, so you can learn better when needed. Content for learning is available anywhere, at any time, and on any device.   

Click here for a look at some of the best mobile LMS software.  

Personalized Learning Paths  

Even if you want to offer a more personalized learning experience, keeping track of hundreds or thousands of students in an LMS app can be taxing. But because different job roles overlap, specific skill sets are shared, and some courses are required for all employees, sequenced learning paths make it easy to enroll people.  

Reporting  

One of the essential parts of an enterprise LMS is the ability to track and measure how your work is affected by your learning programs. For example, the top LMS lets you get learning insights from reports and dashboards that you can customize to show how learners use the system.  

How Can I Choose The Best Enterprise Learning Management System? 

To choose the right type of LMS, you'll have to consider several factors, like your budget, the size of your team, and how much time it'll take to implement the platform into your team's workflows. 

In their research paper' A Framework to Leverage and Mature Learning Ecosystems', authors Redmond & Macfadyen mention, "A holistic and ecological learning approach should be implemented to enhance learning systems and ensure these systems can adapt to upcoming advancements in education and technology". 

According to eLearning Industry, functionality and price are the two most important factors organizations consider before purchasing LMS software. Other factors include: 

• Ease of use: The most accessible LMS platforms require little to no training 
• Features: LMS apps offer a broad feature set for organizations and learners 
• Customer support: The top LMS platforms offer excellent customer support 
• Pricing: Look out for inexpensive LMS platforms that offer flexible pricing 
• Scalability: The best LMS platforms are scalable – allowing you to build your learning program seamlessly for upcoming advancements in education and technology 

LMS Pricing  

Learning Management Software is priced based on users and capabilities. Therefore, more users and more capabilities normally correspond with increased LMS pricing.  

Here, many vendors provide tiered pricing. For example, first-tier consumers may pay a monthly fee so a selected pool of users can access basic platform functionality and services. Consumers can add more users and get more advanced features as the cost escalates.  

Users can also buy a license to own their LMS indefinitely. Software subscriptions are usually timed/framed on a monthly or yearly basis.  

What Is The Most Commonly Used LMS? 

Here are 10 more learning systems that are popular among companies and education institutions:  

Docebo

Docebo a cloud-based LMS that offers personalized learning experiences, social learning, and advanced analytics. It is most popular among corporations, associations, and training providers. 

TalentLMS

TalentLMS a cloud-based LMS that offers easy course creation, customization, and tracking, used by small to medium-sized businesses, educational institutions, and training providers. It integrates seamlessly with other LMS and project management tools through APIs.  

Litmos

Litmos one of the top learning management platforms on the market designed to meet organizations' training needs. This award-winning software delivers instructor-led training (ILT) content and e-learning to help companies maintain compliance with industry regulations, execute employee training, and more. It is used by corporations, educational institutions, and training providers. 

iSpring Learn

iSpring Learn is a highly intuitive cloud-based LMS designed to create, host, and deliver eLearning content. It is perfect for SMBs and large enterprises and helps implement all types of training scenarios, from onboarding and compliance training to customer and partner training. 

Absorb LMS

Absorb LMS: A cloud-based LMS that offers customizable branding, advanced reporting, and mobile support. It is used by corporations, associations, and educational institutions. 

Schoology

Schoology: a web-based LMS that focuses on collaboration and communication between teachers and students. It is used in K-12 schools and higher education institutions. 

Canvas

Canvas: A cloud-based LMS that offers a user-friendly interface and mobile support. It is used by many K-12 schools and higher education institutions. 

Brightspace

Brightspace: A cloud-based LMS that offers personalized learning experiences, analytics, and support for competency-based education. It is used in K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and corporations. 

360Learning

360Learning: a cloud-based learning management solution that allows you to build a collaborative learning culture. High-growth companies like LVMH, Toyota, and Aircall use 360Learning for its collaborative features and ease of use.

Trakstar Learn  

Trakstar Learn: This cloud-based e-learning platform makes it easy for employees to get training at home, in the office, or out in the field. Users can take courses, answer fun quizzes, and watch educational videos online. It is most popular among organizations with employees all around the world.