Most organizations use a learning management system (LMS) because LMSs are game changers for business. As essential hubs for managing learning, LMSs play a pivotal role in everything from lowering employee turnover to maintaining a continuous compliance culture.
But finding the right LMS or learning platform isn’t easy. A quick search of G2, the popular online software marketplace, for “learning management system” will yield at least 1000 results.
Plus, typically, the selection process to find an LMS is a lengthy one: on average, it takes up to six months to research and decide. Before launching a new LMS, an organization will typically begin evaluation planning, put forth a request for proposal (RFP), and proceed with the evaluation of LMS vendors before finally selecting a vendor and migrating or implementing the new LMS.
Whether you’ve been through this process before and are now looking to migrate to a new system, or whether you’re just embarking on the LMS evaluation process for the first time, this guide will help you figure out,
- how to plan for the right LMS,
- what sort of LMS evaluation criteria to look for, and
- what LMS features to look for right now.
Let’s begin!
What is an LMS Evaluation checklist?
Every learning platform or LMS evaluation starts with planning, which includes specific desired LMS evaluation criteria or an LMS evaluation checklist.
| The LMS evaluation checklist is a template document containing criteria or a rubric that will help you evaluate different aspects of various LMSs or learning platforms to help you decide which one is the best fit for your organization’s needs. |
The LMS evaluation checklist is informed by the needs of the organization and acts as a guide to help you evaluate different LMSs or learning platforms. Knowing the needs of the organization and your learning programs is vital to a successful LMS evaluation.
Your strategic goals at a minimum may include things like reducing the cost of delivery of learning programs, retaining and attracting talent, and increasing engagement.
But maybe this time, your company is scaling up and looking into customer education, or partner enablement, and needs an LMS or learning platform with versatility for multiple use cases.
Or maybe, your previous platform was unable to prove ROI to stakeholders, and you’re looking for robust reporting and data analytics to help you address this challenge.
Whatever your organization needs are, defining your strategic goals will ensure you remain focused throughout the LMS evaluation process, and will better guide you in developing your LMS evaluation criteria.
Why do you need an LMS Evaluation Criteria?
Having an LMS evaluation criteria or LMS evaluation checklist will allow you to systematically compare options based on key factors that are informed by the specific needs of your enterprise. Such options include features, functionalities, pricing, and customer support.
The most valuable reason for an LMS evaluation criteria is consistency, ensuring your learning and development team focuses on the critical features that will address your organization’s needs.
Consistency ensures there are no distractions or added resources due to unforeseen situations, meaning you’ll save time, money, and unnecessary stress.
Best LMS evaluation checklist
There are many LMS evaluation checklists out there, but the best LMS evaluation checklist includes these 15 essential criteria.
Let’s explore each individually.
User experience
User experience includes many things such as:
- an intuitive user interface that ensures usability ease, and higher engagement
- accessibility, meaning an LMS or learning platform capable of delivering content in various formats to accommodate different learning styles and disabilities
- Customization and whitelabeling options that ensure your LMS or learning platform captures the branding and messaging of your organization
Questions you should ask:
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Scalability
True scalability in an LMS involves more than increasing users—it demands robust storage, adaptable integrations, and automation to manage growth efficiently.
Platforms offering headless LMS architecture are particularly suited for scalability, as they decouple the backend and frontend, enabling organizations to add features or expand their user base without overhauling the entire system.
Questions you should ask:
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Automations
With automations, you can bypass pesky administrative tasks like user grouping, and notifications, leaving you free to focus on things that matter, such as optimizing the learning process.
Questions you should ask:
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System consolidation
Beyond centralizing all training courses to one platform, a robust LMS or modern learning platform ensures that your tech stack is integrated and compatible, enabling a well-functioning, seamless system.
Questions you should ask:
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Artificial intelligence (AI)
Thanks to AI-powered features, some LMSs and learning platforms can enable personalized learning in your organization through recommendations and tailored learning paths. Plus some learning platforms now come equipped with AI-driven content authoring for course design, and even assessment generation, allowing for quick content generation.
Questions you should ask:
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Track and manage content
Managing course content creation, certifications, and retraining efficiently is perhaps the most important aspect of an LMS or learning platform. Look for features that simplify your workflow: intuitive drag-and-drop tools that make course building a breeze, a robust library of ready-to-use learning objects, and a thriving content marketplace filled with high-quality, top-tier courses to keep learners engaged and ahead of the curve.
Questions you should ask:
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Localization
Enterprises often have scalability and global needs that require the right localization features. An LMS or learning platform that gets localization right should be able to support multiple languages and global payment gateways.
Questions you should ask:
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Integration and Interoperability
Any LMS or learning platform worth its salt should comply with SCORM, AICC and xAPI standards. These functional requirements not only allow you to deliver, track, and report on learning activities across systems but also ensure content can move freely without losing its functionality. SCORM ensures content functions consistently across platforms, while xAPI expands tracking to include diverse learning experiences, even outside the LMS. Prioritizing these standards guarantees flexibility, scalability, and the ability to integrate effortlessly with your existing tools and systems.
Questions you should ask:
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Mobile learning
Learners need to be able to learn on the go, in the flow of work, so the right learning platform to suit your enterprise needs should be accessible on mobile devices.
Questions you should ask:
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Platform integrations
Modern LMSs and learning platforms should seamlessly integrate with the tools your organization already relies on, such as HRIS systems, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams. Start by identifying the tools your team uses most and ensure the learning platform supports these integrations out of the box. Additionally, look for learning platforms that offer customizable integrations, allowing you to tailor the system to fit your organization’s unique needs and workflows.
Questions you should ask:
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Gamification
Learner engagement is key to user adoption and retention. Gamification can help with that by incorporating game elements into your courses and learning materials like quizzes and evaluations.
Questions you should ask:
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Content Marketplace
A robust content marketplace gives you access to a wide range of pre-built courses and learning materials, saving you valuable time and resources that would otherwise be spent creating content from scratch. These ready-made courses, often developed by industry experts, ensure high-quality learning experiences and allow you to quickly address skills gaps or training needs. By leveraging a diverse marketplace, you can complement your custom content, scale your training efforts efficiently, and keep learners engaged with fresh, relevant material.
Questions you should ask:
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Reports and analytics
Beyond content management and integrations, reporting and analytics are vital features of any LMS or learning platform. They provide customizable reports and dashboards that give you real-time, clear insights into the performance of your learning programs. By tracking key metrics, you can align learning goals with business outcomes, measure progress, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your training initiatives.
Questions you should ask:
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Support
Reliable, ongoing support and regular updates are essential for ensuring the smooth operation and long-term success of any LMS or learning platform. From troubleshooting technical issues to providing guidance on new features or updates, a strong support system helps maximize the platform’s value, keeps it running efficiently, and ensures your team can focus on delivering impactful learning experiences.
Questions you should ask:
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Pricing and Budget
When evaluating an LMS or learning platform, it’s important to consider both the upfront costs and long-term value. Look for transparent pricing models that align with your budget, including features like flexible payment options, scalability as your organization grows, and no hidden fees. A well-chosen platform balances affordability with functionality, ensuring you get the best return on investment for your learning initiatives.
Questions you should ask:
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How to plan for an LMS evaluation
Having a plan in place for an LMS evaluation ultimately ensures a smooth LMS implementation and launch, and increases the chances of LMS user adoption.
In about two months, establish the following key steps for an LMS evaluation plan:
Let’s go over it in more detail.
Define your strategic goals
Before diving into selecting your ideal learning platform or LMS software, it’s important to pause and assess your current situation. Follow the steps below to define your strategic goals.
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By keeping your audience’s learning needs front and center, you’ll be well-equipped to choose an LMS that delivers an impactful experience.
Build your LMS evaluation project team
These are the folks who help you navigate the needs of your learners, what it is that you want to accomplish, technical requirements that need to be considered, and will ultimately help ensure the LMS provider gives you everything you need and more.
In a nutshell, your team will be committed to making sure no wrong choices are made, and that you have chosen the best LMS for your use case and audiences.
This type of operation requires people in different departments, since this is definitely beyond the scope of just one person, or even a single department. Your IT department, HR department, Learning and Development (L&D) team, and any staff who uses/will use the LMS or its data should have representation on your LMS requirements team.
Depending on your use case, you may also want to consult your people in Partner Enablement, Customer Enablement, and Sales Enablement. These are the people who will help to get what you and your audiences need from the right LMS.
Conduct a stakeholder survey and consider external consultants
Understand your audience’s needs and preferences by gathering feedback or conducting surveys. Ask yourself who’s your audience? Admins (IT staff, instructional designers) and learners (students, employees, customers, partners) should come to mind.
When you truly understand your audience, you can design targeted surveys and designate focus groups to get the insights you need. More importantly, you’ll gain a clear picture of the frontend and backend features your LMS or learning platform must have to deliver maximum impact.
Some audiences will be too broad such as employees. It’s best to group them into cohorts that represent your audience the best before sending out surveys.
You may also want to consider involving external consultants or industry experts if this is your first time looking for an LMS or learning platform. External consultants can guide you the right questions to ask to get the most out of your future learning solution.
Set a timeline for the LMS evaluation process
Setting a clear timeline for your LMS evaluation process is crucial for a smooth transition. Begin by determining when the new system needs to go live, then work backward to outline key milestones, including evaluation, vendor selection, migration, and user training.
Allocate time for testing and creating a buffer period to address potential delays, ensuring all courses and users are ready before full adoption.
Collaborate with your vendor to understand their role in the migration process, from transferring content to offering technical support, as this will influence your schedule.
Regularly revisit your timeline to stay on track, and use it as a roadmap to ensure a seamless and successful implementation.
Define LMS evaluation criteria based on organizational needs and RFP requirements
Your organization’s needs may not align perfectly with every feature offered by a vendor, so now is the time to identify which vendor capabilities truly match your expectations.
For instance, some goals might require changes within your business processes rather than relying solely on an LMS or learning platform.
Focus on practicality and clearly define your priorities for learner engagement—whether it’s a more intuitive user experience, AI-driven recommendations, or social learning features.
Use this opportunity to refine your requirements, ensuring they are specific and actionable. A well-defined list will help you craft a compelling, concise RFP that resonates with stakeholders and drives effective decision-making.
Design a weighed rubric to score the criteria
Creating a weighted rubric is essential for objectively evaluating LMS options and ensuring your chosen platform aligns with your organization’s priorities. Start by listing all the criteria that matter most, such as user experience, scalability, integrations, reporting capabilities, and cost.
Assign a weight to each criterion based on its importance to your goals—for example, compliance tracking might be critical for a healthcare organization, while social learning features may rank higher for a collaborative workplace.
Use a scoring system (e.g., 1-5 or 1-10) to rate each vendor against these criteria, multiplying the scores by their assigned weights. This approach allows you to quantify the value of each LMS and compare options side by side.
A weighted rubric not only adds structure and clarity to the decision-making process but also helps stakeholders stay aligned and focused on what truly matters for your organization’s success.
Continue reading to understand the most important LMS features you should consider to make sure your customers, partners, sales reps, or employees can benefit from a revamped and modern online learning experience.
Other key LMS features to add to your LMS evaluation criteria
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Now over to you: Choosing the right learning platform
Choosing the right learning platform is about more than just technology—it’s about finding a partner that aligns with your organization’s goals and supports your long-term success. This is exactly what MidFirst Bank, a privately owned financial institution based in Oklahoma City, wanted from their vendor.
MidFirst Bank needed a solution that could address their diverse workforce, streamline compliance reporting, and scale across multiple business units. Docebo proved to be that partner, offering not just a robust platform but also a collaborative approach that empowered MidFirst Bank to transform their learning ecosystem.
With improved onboarding, enhanced compliance, and automation, saving $11,000 annually, Docebo helped the bank focus on growth and innovation rather than administrative burdens.
So, as you begin your LMS evaluation process, start by identifying the features that will make the biggest impact, such as AI-driven recommendations, seamless integrations, or compliance tracking. Involve stakeholders and end-users in the decision-making process, ask vendors tough questions, and explore case studies to ensure their platform meets your needs.
And remember that, like Docebo did for MidFirst Bank, the ideal vendor will prioritize your success, provide ongoing support, and help you innovate, making your investment a catalyst for growth and transformation.
Want to learn more about the Docebo platform? Take a tour of the platform, and request a demo to learn why over 3,800 institutions worldwide trust Docebo to deliver their learning programs.
LMS Evaluation FAQs
▸ What are the top five LMS evaluation criteria?
When evaluating an LMS or learning platform for an enterprise organization, focus on these five key factors:
- Scalability to grow with your organization
- Automations to streamline administrative tasks
- Integrations with your existing tools
- Content management for easy course creation and delivery
- Reports & analytics to measure performance and align learning with business goals
These elements are essential to ensure the platform supports your organization’s needs both now and in the future.
▸ How much does an LMS or learning platform cost?
The cost of an LMS varies based on factors like pricing models, features, and organizational needs. Common pricing models include:
- Pay-per-user
- Pay-per-active-user
- Pay-as-you-go
- Licensing or subscription plans
- Open-source options
For example, pay-per-user models can range from $8 to $30 per user per month, while subscription plans for large enterprises may start around $15,000 per year. Additional costs may include setup fees, customization, maintenance, and support services. To know more, please read our
Pricing Models guide.
▸ What questions should be asked during the initial meeting with LMS vendors?
When performing an LMS selection, ask these key questions to ensure the platform meets your needs:
Scalability:
- Can the platform scale as our organization grows, and what are the limits on users or courses?
- How does the pricing change as we scale?
Automations:
- What administrative tasks can be automated, such as user enrollments, notifications, or reporting?
- Can the platform accommodate workflows with our existing tools (e.g., HRIS or CRMs)?
Integrations:
- Does the LMS integrate seamlessly with our current systems, such as Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, or HRIS platforms?
- Are there APIs or customizable integration options for unique requirements?
Content Management:
- Does the platform offer easy-to-use tools like drag-and-drop course builders or AI-authoring capabilities?
- What content formats are supported, and is there access to a content marketplace for pre-built courses?
Reports and Analytics:
- How customizable are the reporting tools and dashboards?
- Can the platform track learner progress, engagement, and align these metrics with business goals?
Support and Updates:
- What kind of ongoing support is included, and are updates part of the plan?
- Is 24/7 support available, and what are the typical response times?
Pricing and Budget:
- What pricing model do you use (e.g., pay-per-user, subscription, active users)?
- Are there additional costs for implementation, support, or scaling?
Asking these questions will give you a comprehensive understanding of the LMS vendor’s capabilities and how well they align with your organization’s requirements and goals.
▸ How do you do an LMS evaluation?
Here’s a structured approach to guide you through this process:
1. Define Organizational Goals and Learning Objectives:
- Identify Primary Use Cases: Determine whether the LMS will be used for employee training, customer education, compliance, skill development, or academic purposes.
- Set Clear Objectives: Establish what you aim to achieve with the LMS, such as improving learner engagement, reducing training costs, or enhancing content accessibility.
2. Engage Stakeholders:
- Gather Input: Involve key stakeholders, including HR, IT, department heads, and end-users, to understand their requirements and expectations.
- Prioritize Needs: Collaboratively rank the importance of various features based on stakeholder input to ensure the LMS meets diverse needs.
3. Create a Feature Wishlist:
- Must-Have Features: Identify essential functionalities that are non-negotiable for your organization’s operations.
- Nice-to-Have Features: List additional features that would enhance the user experience but are not critical.
4. Utilize an LMS Evaluation Checklist:
- Structured Assessment: Use a comprehensive checklist to systematically evaluate each LMS against your predefined criteria.
- Customization: Tailor the checklist to reflect your organization’s unique requirements and priorities.
5. Assess Technical Requirements:
- Integration Capabilities: Ensure the LMS can seamlessly integrate with existing systems like HRIS, CRM, and communication tools.
- Scalability and Performance: Evaluate whether the LMS can accommodate your organization’s growth and handle increased user loads.
6. Evaluate User Experience (UX):
- Intuitive Interface: Look for a user-friendly design that facilitates easy navigation for both administrators and learners.
- Accessibility and Mobile Support: Confirm that the LMS is accessible across various devices and complies with accessibility standards.
7. Consider Support and Training:
- Vendor Support: Investigate the level of customer support provided, including availability, response times, and support channels.
- Training Resources: Check for the availability of training materials to assist in onboarding and ongoing usage.
8. Analyze Cost and Return on Investment (ROI):
- Transparent Pricing: Seek clear information on pricing models, including any hidden costs or add-ons.
- Value Assessment: Balance the cost against the features offered to determine the overall value and potential ROI.
9. Request Demos and Trials:
- Hands-On Evaluation: Engage in product demonstrations and utilize trial periods to experience the LMS’s functionality firsthand.
- Feedback Collection: Gather feedback from actual users during the trial to assess satisfaction and identify potential issues.
10. Review Vendor Reputation and Future Roadmap:
- Track Record: Research the vendor’s history, customer reviews, and case studies to gauge reliability.
- Innovation and Updates: Inquire about the vendor’s commitment to future developments and feature enhancements.
