Learning management systems empower your team to engage in ongoing and real-time learning, providing you with pre-built elearning courses or the power to build your own instructor-led training.
Training courses can be time-consuming to create and manage and learning outcomes are more valuable with built-in tracking and reporting. That’s why the LMS market exists: to make it as easy as possible for you to streamline and personalize online learning programs.
Whether you need simple training content management, or want to dive into learning content creation yourself, there is a LMS out there for you.
The LMS vendors listed here are some of the best. I made this to help you choose the right tool for you—not all of these are a good fit for everyone, so I have identified what they’re best suited for.
The Best Learning Management System List
Here’s a shortlist of the best learning management systems:
What Is A Learning Management System?
Learning management systems (LMS) are derived from the e-learning trend popular in online grade school and post secondary courses as well as other training and certificate programs. LMS software is designed to handle the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation, and delivery educational and professional courses. LMS examples include tools that build educational courses, share and distribute courses, track user progress of courses, and provide feedback on popular topics and learning gaps for longtime users.
What Are The Benefits Of A Learning Management System?
A learning management system is fully online, meaning that it can be completed remotely, which is great for modern technological work environments. Additionally, LMS offers complex analytics and reporting that in-person learning can’t provide. You can track course completion, engagement, knowledge retention, knowledge gaps, and more. This makes the professional educational experience more personal and adaptive.
Learning Management System Comparison Criteria
What do I look for when I select the best learning management system? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria:
- User Interface (UI): Is it clean and attractive? Can course builders and learners quickly adapt to their designated interfaces? Are grades, To Dos, and analytics easy to find and interpret?
- Usability: Is it easy to build and consume course material? Does the company offer good customer support, user support, tutorials, and training? Do they offer ready-to-go courses to get you up and running quickly? Does the learning tool work with all mobile devices?
- Integrations: Is it easy to connect with other tools for media creation, video conferencing, CMS, and other relevant tools?
- Value for $: LMS software will usually come with a cost but does the tool “pay for itself” by the amount of training you have access to? Are pre-made courses included in the cost as well as the tools needed to build your own material from scratch?
Key LMS Features
- Gamification & social learning features
- Personalized learning paths
- Mobile learning support
- Skills & certification tracking
- Test-out options for advanced learners
Overviews Of The 10 Best LMS
Here’s a brief description of each of the digital learning process tools on my list, showing what it does best and providing screenshots to showcase some of the features.
1. Google Classroom – Best simple LMS course authoring tools
As with all Google products, Google Classroom is easy to use for both instructors & learners.
Pros
- Easy, engaged collaboration features
- Comprehensive tutorial videos
- Flexible page curation
Cons
- Only integrates with Google calendars
- The “Submit” button is easy to miss
- Grading range is limited
2. Chamilo LMS – Best free digital learning management system
Chamilo LMS is both free & open source, allowing for ultimate flexibility.
Pros
- Potential to sell courses/sessions
- Free, open source LMS software
- Advanced engagement features (conditional questions, wiki, forms)
Cons
- Large download size/number of files
- Need knowledge of server configuration for install
- Some SCORM content is unsupported
3. Moodle – Best open-source learning management platform
Moodle is open source, written in PHP and distributed under the GNU General Public License.
Pros
- Plenty of training/tutorial materials
- Solid multilingual capabilities
- Good for bulk course creation
Cons
- No native video conferencing feature
- UI a bit outdated
- Steep learning curve
4. D2L Brightspace – Best for video assignments and game-based learning
Access quizzes, games, and video assignments for better course engagement.
Pros
- Great mobile/tablet app
- Can pin/unpin classes & tools
- Good, clear announcements system
Cons
- No native video chat feature
- Software outages for updates
- No way to delete batches of courses
5. NEO LMS – Best LMS for drag and drop dashboard widgets
Visually appealing dashboard that can be easily customized with flexible widgets.
Pros
- Offers a free version of the tool
- Great gamification options
- Intuitive & easy to use
Cons
- More test question types would be welcomed
- Outdated mobile app
- Math symbols are very limited
6. Schoology – Best LMS for third party integration
Comes pre-integrated with more than 200+ tools & student information systems (SIS).
Pros
- Daily posted content update emails
- Offers a freemium plan
- Social media-like engagement features
Cons
- So-so mobile app interface
- No font/color customization
- Drawn-out document upload process
7. Blackboard Learn – Best learning content reporting/analytics
Analytics for Learn lets course developers present management with evidence of what works.
Pros
- Native messaging/email functionality
- High impact reporting for learner progress
- Platform inclusive (MacOS/iOS, PC, Android)
Cons
- Excessive clicks & menuing
- Plain interface
8. SAP Litmos – Best learning management for higher education
Access to more than 2,500 courses and videos & branded course building from scratch.
Pros
- Good learning path/curriculum building
- Includes microlearning and gamification
- Double-speed option for video playback
Cons
- Complex pricing structure
- Large number of courses developed for UK audiences
- Short log-out time interferes with some lesson lengths
9. Canvas – Best enterprise LMS
Large-scale training and development programs for Fortune 1000 companies.
Pros
- Great mobile app
- Centralized course Q&A in a wiki/FAQ
- Well-structured To Do listings
Cons
- Weak search functionality means a lot of manual scrolling
- Discussion flow can get busy
- No built-in gamification tools
10. Docebo – Best cloud-based LMS with advanced AI
AI analyzes learner behavior to understand skill gaps and then presents recommendations.
Pros
- Great video aggregation & handling
- Customizable dashboards
- Great learning gamification features
Cons
- 800MB file size maximum
- Minimum user amount starts high
- Limits number of widgets used
Other LMS Options
Here’s a few more that didn’t make the top list. Note: You can also consider investing in a custom LMS build if you need something more uniquely tailored to your situation.
- Edmodo – Best learning experience for collaboration
- eThink LMS – Best employee training program for retail and hospitality
- Learnupon LMS – Best for a “social media”-like learning interface
- Joomla LMS – Best LMS for selling courses
- Talent LMS – Best for comprehensive video conferencing support
- ProProfs Training Maker – Best for its customizable expert courses library
- Rise – Best for analyzing learner engagement
- Firefly – Best for easy embedding of rich media (with drag-and-drop)
- Teachable – Best LMS for small businesses & individuals
- Thinkific – Best for landing page/website design for course hosting
- Absorb LMS – Best LMS for B2B (has built-in customer relationship management)
- Coassemble – Best LMS design services to help translate old training materials into a LMS course
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What Do You Think About These LMS Platforms?
The best employees should be lifelong learners, and we as project managers can do a lot to foster a workplace that emphasizes itself as a learning environment. From onboarding to continuous training solutions, your team looks to you for guidance when it comes to career development. Luckily, on-demand learning materials (cloud-based and on-premise) can help you personalize training content in your organization using a virtual classroom.
What learning platform have you experienced while using online courses, and what did you think of it?
What is your preferred SaaS for online training and blended learning, and why? Is there a corporate LMS that you think should be added to this list?
Let me know in the comments.
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