Best Learning Management Systems 2023

Learning Management Systems are now widely used around the world. It is the need of a variety of corporate offices, educational institutions, and numerous other businesses.

And while the needs of different types of businesses will vary, a LMS is likely to add value to all businesses regardless of their type and industry.

Before we get into the details of some of the features that make a learning management system desirable for an organization, let’s first take a look at some of the potential benefits of a learning management system.  

Benefits of a Learning Management System 

Learning Management Systems are an essential part of an organization’s eLearning process and it is even more important when you have a large audience.

Some of the key benefits a learning management system offers include the following. 

Organizes Content 

Instead of your learning content spread out on a variety of devices and physical location, a learning management system allows you to organize all important data and learning material in a single location.

And while that is not a physical location, a LMS stores all relevant content on a remote server that can be easily accessed by all relevant members of the team. Some LMS offer access from a variety of devices and locations that makes training of remote employees a lot easier. 

Reduces Learning Time 

The use of a learning management system reduces learning time. Instead of having sit through physical classes or in-front of an instructor, students can access learning material any time and in the order they desire.

And because of this flexibility, learning becomes a fun and enjoyable experience for learners which in turn reduces learning time. 

Performance Tracking

Learning is incomplete unless you track the progress. With a learning management system, you don’t only get to learn new content but it also allows you to monitor your progress as a learner.

Based on your performance, you will be in a better position to highlight the areas where you need to improve. 

Cuts Cost 

When you have a learning management system, at an organizational level, you do not need to invest in the travel cost of the instructor, physically rent a training site or print training material.

Since everything is done online, using a learning management system can significantly reduce your training and development cost. 

Easy Ungradation and Integration with Social Learning 

When it comes to upgradation of information and content on a learning management system, the job is fairly easy on a LMS. Since the content is at a centralized location, all you have to do is to upgrade the content once only.

Moreover, since a LMS is an online platform, it gives you the flexibility to integrate social learning. You can link to Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter or any other social learning forum through your learning management system.  

Up-to-Date with Compliance Regulations

And lastly, a learning management system allows you to stay to up-to-date with compliance regulations.

Since compliance laws continue to change regularly, it is practically impossible to be aware of them all but here a learning management system can be a valuable tool.

Using a LMS, you can add new compliance regulations to your online platform and all your employees can be aware of the new compliance regulations.  

And while we are already discussing the benefits on a LMS, here it is important to note that there are two types of LMS that most business owners invest in; an open source or a cloud-based LMS.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of each of these types of LMS so you can choose the right one for your organization. 

Cloud-Based LMS – Overview and Benefits 

A cloud-based LMS is hosted on a server and the provider is responsible for security and maintenance of your LMS. Some of the key benefits of a cloud-based LMS are:

• No installation required so there is a considerably low startup cost. 
• Highly efficient and affordable as the prices are determined according to the needs.
• Automatic software updates, user-friendly and saves you from IT troubles. 
• Ideal for customers who train employees at multiple locations. 
• With cloud-based LMS, customer support is available 24/7. 
• Most cloud-based LMS provide free-trials for at least 15 days so you end up making the right choice for your organization. 

An Open Source LMS – Overview and Benefits 

As opposed to a cloud-based LMS, an open source LMS requires setup and installation. It is ideal for small organizations that prefer a cost-effective LMS. It comes with the following advantages. 

• Low-cost, budget friendly, 
• It is installed on the company’s server to the client is responsible for maintenance and security so it is generally more secure. 
• Ideal for basic, stand-alone solution that comes with options for modifications for its end users. 

Critical LMS Features 

When looking for the right LMS for your organization, there are several things that you need to consider. And perhaps the best way to get started is to identify the factors that will make or break the deal for your business.

Focus on your organizational needs and online training requirements and once you figure that out, you will be in a better position to invest in a LMS that best serves your needs. However, you also need to consider a few critical features of a LMS that will help you make the right choice. 

Results Driven Through Data 

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why businesses around the world invest in a LMS is that they want data about their employee’s learning.

And if you are someone looking for data-driven results, make sure you invest in a LMS that allows you to evaluate and track all online training efforts.

Whether it is the duration for which employees took the lesson or number of times an average employee revisited the content, you need this information to enhance your eLearning experience and you can’t do that unless you have a LMS that is driven by data.

So look for LMS options that give you data driven results for almost everything that is a part of your learning management system. 

Provide Tools for Assessing Performance 

Another integral feature that you should not miss out is the tools your LMS has for assessing performance.

Testing tools are perhaps the only way to gauge learning in a data driven manner so go for learning management systems that provide adequate tools for testing and assessment.

With the use of such tools, you will be in a better position to evaluate the success of your online training program.

Mobile Application

Gone are the days when a single desktop is occupied by an employee for the entire working day and beyond.

Today, using multiple devices is the new in thing at all levels so an employee may be using a desktop but has access to a tablet furing meetings and a laptop for completing work projects at home.

So an important feature that you must look at when choosing a LMS is its compatibility with multiple devices.

This can add immense value to your organization as you can expect your employee to access the learning content from any device whether at office or in any other remote location. 

Customization Options

It is essential that you go for a learning management system that offers the highest number of customization options.

When you have customization options, you can add your company logo or go for a color theme that aligns with your organization, create online training certifications, add gamification and the list is never-ending.

But why go for LMS that comes with customization options?

Simply because customization makes your eLearning more interesting and appealing for the learners. 

SCORM and/or xAPI Compliance

A great feature that can significantlyenhance your eLearning program is SCORM and xAPI compliance particularly for industries that adheres to content that relies on these sets of technical standards. 

With SCORM compliance, you can create your online courses in a variety of authoring environment and then run it in your SCORM-compliant LMS.

Another great feature for sharing learning content with multiple applications is xAPI compliance. When your LMS is xAPI compliant, you can track progress, personalize learning path and aim for learning on-the-go. 

Course Catalog Feature

And lastly, make sure you give enough weightage to the catalog feature.

Depending upon your choice of LMS, a course catalog allows you to create a directory of online courses based on your preference and within the catalog, you can search your required content using a variety of filters.

With this feature, it is easier to create, organize and access content whenever required. 

These are the six most critical features that make a LMS desirable but what you choose for your business will depend upon a number of considerations including the type of LMS and your organization’s budget.

In either case, make sure you keep these six features in mind as you head out to choose the right LMS for your business. 

Learning Management Systems FAQ 

What is a Learning Management System?

A learning management system is an application that is often used for administering, documenting and assessing online training programs.

While the term is wide used for organizational level learning, a learning management system can be used by freelancers or groups of individuals for enhancing their knowledge based. 

Typically, training content is uploaded on the learning management system which makes training material accessible to learners even from remote locations.

Moreover, there are tracking and assessing tools in an LMS that allows you to track your progress against your desired training outcomes. 

If you take a look at the history of LMS, the first one was created for the higher education industry in the 1990s, however, today, LMS are essentially a part of every organization regardless of its size and industry and is primarily used for training, and adding to the skill set of employees.

Some of the best learning management systems that you can find in the market today are highlighted in the earlier section of this post. 

How Does a Learning Management System Work?

A learning management system is a platform for eLearning. More specifically, it is an interface that allows learners (professionals or freelancers) to learn more about a specific topic (course content) and track their progress against the desired learning outcome.

Typically, it works like how online learning takes place but with an LMS, you as a learner have more flexibility in terms of when to access the content and from which location and how to track progress against the learning outcome.

If an LMS is implemented at an organizational level, the business then assesses the progress and see how progress the employee has made towards the learning outcome.

Using data driven information, the organization then decides on the next steps to enhance the learning of their employees. 

What Makes a Good Learning Management System?

As mentioned earlier, your choice of the right learning management system for your organization depends upon your organizational needs.

And a good learning management system is the one that best serves your needs. Therefore, we can conclude that there is no good or bad when it comes to LMS however, there is always the desirable one for your organization that best meets your organization’s learning needs.

Let’s take a look at some of the features that make a learning management system more desirable.

Easy to Integrate with Existing Digital Platforms 

Perhaps the best learning management system for organizations are the ones that can easily integrate with the existing digital platforms of the business.

If you are already using software and digital platforms for maintaining data from different stakeholders, the best LMS gels in well and saves you from the trouble of manually entering data. 

Is Data Driven 

A learning management system intends to aid in organizational learning and one cannot figure out about learning unless your LMS is data driven.

If an LMS has the ability to bring together all the data into understandable and useable information, only then it is a desirable learning management system for any organization. 

Comes with Gamification Options 

Learning management systems that come with gamification options encourage learner engagement, enhance the learning experience and reduce learning time.

What more makes an LMS more desirable? 

Accessible from a Variety of Locations and Devices

The idea behind a digital learning platform is to save time and cost and you can only do so if you LMS is accessible from remote locations and from a variety of devices.

Because gone are the days when being in the office was the norm. Today almost every one is on the go so you need an LMS can cater to such an audience. 

Allows Customization

When you have an LMS that offers customization options, it adds flexibility to the learning process and aids in enhancing the learning experience.

While the above mentioned list is a checklist of some of the most desirable features that make a good LMS, the list is not conclusive. Again, the best LMS for your organization depends upon the needs of your employee but this list can surely help you make the right choice. 

How Do You Choose a Learning Management System?

While looking for a learning management system with best features is important, it is equally important to find out a learning management system that best serves your needs.

Here is a 5-step approach that you need to take when choosing a learning management system for your organization. 

Identify Organizational Needs 

There are over 600 LMS that you can choose from, but to get started, you need to identify organizational needs first. It is critical that you understand what your business needs from an LMS.

Determine your training goals and objectives and just like any other objective, your LMS objectives should be SMART. And while it is essential to set up SMART objectives, it is equally important to know your audience.

Make sure you choose a LMS that is suitable for your employees depending upon their skill set, technical knowledge and qualification. 

Define Your Requirements (What Features of an LMS Do You Need?)

Once you have figured out your organizational needs, next you need to identify some of the most desirable features of an LMS that your organization really needs.

It is true that gamification and high customization options may sound more attractive, but they are not always the ones that will add most value to your organization. To get started, you can keep our list of 6 must-have features that make a LMS more desirable. 

Explore the Market 

As mentioned earlier, there is a wide variety of LMS that you can find on the market like mighty networks or Academy of mine, but since you need to invest in one only, you will have to narrow your choice.

A great way to get started is to use our guide and then check for customer ratings, online reviews and word of mouth to narrow down your list. 

Evaluate Options 

There are more than 1000 vendors that can provide a learning management system but once you have narrowed down your choice of LMS, finding the right vendor becomes easier.

It is during this step that you can take the advantage of free-trials that a number of LMS providers offer. 

Choose the Right One for Your Business 

When you have shortlisted the 2-3 LMS and have taken a free-trial, you will be in a better position to choose the right LMS for your business. 

What is the Difference Between LMS and eLearning?

It is not uncommon for people to consider eLearning synonymous to LMS. While both are digital learning platforms, the experience differ significantly.

With eLearning, the course content is limited by the constraints of every individual course. There is limited flexibility about when and how you can access the course content.

However, an LMS gives you greater insight about your learning and growth as an individual and as a professional. It offers an integrated learning experience where you are in charge of your learning. 

In all, a learning management system offers a more holistic experience compared an eLearning course that is more of a stand-alone learning experience. 

Conclusion

Choosing the best learning management system for any business is a challenging job but not when you refer to this buying guide.

Here you learned about the 5 best learning management systems based on their features, performance and pricing followed by a detailed buying guide on how to go about finding the best learning management system for your business.

There are numerous features that make an LMS more desirable but again, your choice will depend upon what your organization and employees need and handle.

So do not get overwhelmed by the number of amazing learning management systems that are available in the market. Instead focus more on what you as an organization need and based on that information, make an informed choice.