Many companies face a tough challenge: finding a training platform that delivers deep information technology (IT) certification prep along with scalability. When the goal is to upskill technical teams while supporting compliance and leadership development, two names often rise to the top: Skillsoft vs CBT Nuggets.

On one side, Skillsoft caters to large enterprises with a wide-ranging content library that spans IT, leadership, compliance, and soft skills. Its ‘Percipio’ platform enhances learning with artificial intelligence (AI)-driven paths, real-time tracking, and certified coaching. This makes it a strong choice for companies seeking scalable, role-specific development.

CBT Nuggets, in contrast, focuses squarely on IT training. From virtual labs to detailed certification tracks, it’s designed for tech teams that want hands-on learning and vendor-aligned paths. With its tight community and practical approach, it resonates with professionals looking to build expertise in networking, cloud, and cybersecurity.

Here’s a side-by-side breakdown to help you decide which platform better fits your team's goals.

Skillsoft Vs CBT Nuggets: At A Glance

Feature

Skillsoft

CBT Nuggets

Pricing

Tiered pricing from $20/month

Starting at $59/learner/month

Training And Course Libraries

180,000+ assets covering IT, Business, Leadership, and Compliance

Specialized in IT training with vendor-specific content

Instructors And Coaches

Combines AI coaching (CAISY™) with certified human coaches

Offers ‘Accountability Coaching’ to help learners stay on track

Integration Capabilities

Integrates with enterprise platforms

Compatible with multiple LMS platforms

Analytics And Reporting

Offers advanced, real-time tracking via ‘Percipio’ with customizable dashboards and detailed insights

Provides automated reporting for learners and admins, with key training progress insights

Certification Management

Offers broad certification prep via ‘Codecademy’, ‘Aspire Journeys’, and sandbox labs

Delivers deep, vendor-specific certification tracks with hands-on labs and career-aligned paths

What Is Skillsoft?

Skillsoft LMS is a cloud-based learning management system (LMS) designed to deliver corporate training and professional development at scale. It offers a wide range of eLearning content, including courses, videos, and certifications across topics like leadership, IT, compliance, and digital skills. The platform includes features like AI-driven recommendations, progress tracking, and mobile accessibility to support on-the-go learning.

The platform also integrates with various enterprise systems, making it a popular choice for human resources (HR) and learning and development (L&D) teams. Its scalable design helps organizations cultivate a culture of continuous learning while aligning employee growth with business goals.

Unique Features Of Skillsoft

  • CAISY™: An AI-powered content creation tool that helps build personalized learning experiences for different roles and departments. It uses generative AI to tailor training content, improving engagement and knowledge retention 
  • Aspire Journeys: Offers structured learning paths curated for specific skills or job roles. These journeys include hands-on labs and assessments to help learners grow while aligning training with business goals 
  • Risk Mitigation: Helps organizations stay compliant by delivering training on topics like data protection, ethics, and workplace harassment. This feature reduces legal risk and supports a safer, more informed work environment 

Pros And Cons Of Skillsoft

Pros

  • Offers digital badges after course completion, which can be added to LinkedIn to showcase certifications and achievements
  • Delivers efficient compliance training to help organizations meet regulatory standards
  • Enables effective tracking of learner progress and performance metrics

Cons

  • Does not support merging multiple accounts for collaborative access
  • Certifications may lack recognition as standard credentials across industries

What Is CBT Nuggets?

CBT Nuggets is an online learning platform focused on IT and cybersecurity training for individuals and teams. It offers video-based courses taught by expert instructors, covering topics like networking, cloud computing, and DevOps. It also provides certification prep for vendors like Cisco, CompTIA, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft. Learners can access practice exams, virtual labs, and transcripts to reinforce concepts and gain hands-on experience.

Designed to support continuous skill development, CBT Nuggets provides progress tracking, team management tools, and offline viewing. It’s a practical solution for IT professionals looking to stay current, earn certifications, or advance their careers through flexible, self-paced learning.

Unique Feature Of CBT Nuggets 

  • Learner Management: Admins can organize learners into groups based on teams, regions, or goals, making it easier to track progress and generate detailed performance reports
  • IT Learner Community: Users get access to a vibrant Slack community of over 10,000 IT professionals, offering peer support, shared learning, and real-time discussions
  • Playlists: Learners can create custom playlists to focus on specific skills, allowing them to structure their training in a way that aligns with personal or professional development goals

Pros And Cons Of CBT Nuggets

Pros

  • Offers efficient certification preparation with targeted learning paths
  • Virtual Labs provide an almost enterprise-level experience for hands-on training
  • Breaks down complex topics into short, easy-to-understand video lessons

Cons

  • Limited video content available for in-depth cybersecurity training
  • Some quizzes may be confusing and occasionally misaligned with the video lessons

Skillsoft And CBT Nuggets: Side-By-Side Feature Comparison

Training And Course Libraries

Skillsoft offers an extensive learning library with over 180,000 assets, including courses, videos, and books. It stands out for its broad coverage in IT, Business, Leadership, and Compliance training. Skillsoft’s structured learning paths and certifications cater to both individual learners and enterprise teams. This makes it a powerful resource for professional development.

CBT Nuggets provides focused IT training through thousands of hands-on, video-based courses. Its content specializes in areas like CompTIA, Azure, Google Cloud, and more. The platform’s practical, instructor-led sessions, virtual labs, and real-world simulations cater to IT professionals looking to deepen their expertise or prepare for certifications.

Winner: Skillsoft takes the lead with its significantly larger and more diverse content library, offering well-rounded training not just in IT but also in business, leadership, and compliance.

Instructors And Coaches

Skillsoft delivers a high-impact coaching model that blends certified human coaches with cutting-edge AI. Its proprietary AI coach, CAISY™, simulates workplace scenarios, allowing learners to practice soft skills like communication and leadership. Combined with a network of global coaches and tightly integrated learning content, Skillsoft supports scalable, enterprise-grade coaching experiences.

CBT Nuggets offers ‘Accountability Coaching’ to help learners stay on track with their goals. Users can collaborate with coaches to create personalized training plans, monitor progress, and maintain consistency. While it focuses on motivation and structure, the coaching is geared more toward learning management than skill simulation or in-depth development.

Winner: Skillsoft wins with its advanced AI-powered coaching, global network of certified experts, and enterprise-ready structure. Its blend of technology and human support offers a more immersive and scalable coaching experience.

Integration Capabilities

Skillsoft integrates with top-tier enterprise systems such as Workday, Oracle, Moodle, 360Learning, Microsoft Teams, and more. These connections support seamless content delivery and reporting. These capabilities are particularly suited for large organizations focused on aligning L&D with HR and collaboration tools.

CBT Nuggets offers flexible integration with a wide range of learning platforms, including TalentLMS, Docebo LMS, Moodle, Canvas, Adobe Learning, and 360Learning. Its broader LMS compatibility makes it easier for organizations of different sizes to plug CBT Nuggets into their existing tech stack. This flexibility makes it suitable for both mid-sized teams and enterprise environments.

Winner: CBT Nuggets wins for its broader LMS compatibility and integration flexibility, and its support for multiple learning platforms.

Certification Management

Skillsoft offers structured certification management through accredited programs. It combines Codecademy’s interactive courses with live instructor-led sessions, practice labs, and AI-enhanced simulations. Learners can prepare for certifications in cloud, cybersecurity, coding, and more with resources tailored for maximum retention.

CBT Nuggets delivers a powerful certification-focused catalog across IT domains like networking, systems administration, cybersecurity, cloud, DevOps, and project management. Learners can select training paths by vendor (Cisco, CompTIA, AWS, Microsoft, etc.) or career track. Each certification course includes video lessons, quizzes, and hands-on labs, enabling learners to gain job-ready skills and validate them through widely recognized credentials.

Winner: CBT Nuggets wins in this category for its depth and breadth across specific certification tracks. Its career-focused structure, vendor alignment, and hands-on resources make it particularly effective for IT professionals preparing for industry-recognized credentials.

Analytics And Reporting Capabilities

Skillsoft leverages its Percipio platform to deliver a deep analytics experience with customizable dashboards, real-time tracking, and detailed user-level insights. It supports advanced reporting on engagement, content effectiveness, and learning outcomes. This helps organizations make data-driven decisions and measure return on investment (ROI) on training programs with precision.

Comparatively, CBT Nuggets provides automated reporting features for both learners and administrators. Users can track their progress, while admins gain access to advanced reports detailing team performance, usage patterns, and certification progress. While effective, the reporting is more streamlined and less customizable than enterprise-level platforms.

Winner: Skillsoft wins with its richer, more customizable analytics and real-time tracking capabilities. It gives organizations deeper visibility into learning impact and allows for more strategic L&D planning.

Skillsoft Vs CBT Nuggets: Which One Should You Choose?

In Skillsoft against CBT Nuggets, your final pick should come down to whether you're solving for organization-wide learning or deep technical mastery.

If you're a large organization looking to deliver training on a scale across various roles, Skillsoft is the clear choice. It offers the kind of structured learning, compliance tracking, and enterprise integrations that make it easier to align learning with business goals.

On the other hand, if your primary focus is upskilling your IT teams with hands-on labs, certification prep, and vendor-specific paths, CBT Nuggets is the stronger choice. It's more targeted, more immersive for tech learners, and ideal for teams that value depth over scale.

In short, Skillsoft wins in breadth and structure, while CBT Nuggets excels in technical depth and engagement, especially for IT departments. Your final pick should come down to whether you're solving for organization-wide learning or deep technical mastery.