Some of the best types of learning management systems are able to address the e-learning needs of various businesses and organizations of different sizes, industries, or modes of operation.
Simply put, a learning management system (LMS) is a type of software solution that empowers learning and development (L&D) departments to provide high-quality online learning courses, e-learning materials, webinars, and more.
These online learning programs work to facilitate business growth and improve the learning experience by streamlining the entire e-learning and training process.
Most LMSs also provide course-content creation, content management, learner progress tracking, analytics, and reporting capabilities, among other features.
However, with so many online learning platforms and LMS vendors on the market, organizations need to know what to look for in these systems to get the most benefit and fulfill their learning goals.
By and large, we can divide LMS software into five main categories:
- Corporate LMS
- Academic LMS
- Open-Source LMS
- Cloud-Based (SaaS) LMS
- Mobile LMS
While there is some overlap between them, each of these online training tools comes with its own set of unique features.
In this article, we’ll be breaking down each of these categories, looking at their specific features, what they’re good at, and their pros and cons.
Disclaimer: The information below is accurate as of August 1, 2024. Please note that the solutions(competitors’/softwares’ features) we review may change over time. If you have updates or new features to share, let us know. This helps us keep our content accurate and up-to-date.
Type #1: Corporate LMS
A corporate LMS is a tool that companies use to provide online courses and access to training materials to their employees, customers, and other stakeholders.
While large corporations generally use these types of LMS software, small and medium businesses (SMBs), NGOs, or governmental organizations can also benefit.
Usually, corporate LMSs help businesses of all shapes and sizes when onboarding new hires and partners, upskilling or reskilling existing employees, training customers on how to use their products and services, conducting compliance training, and more.
When it comes to large enterprises, corporate LMSs often provide a cost-effective method of training entire teams, departments, or branches through customized learning paths based on specific roles, languages, or experience.
For smaller organizations, corporate training platforms provide scalable learning and development opportunities without incurring significant costs or a drop in productivity.
That said, it’s important to point out that ‘corporate LMS’ is somewhat of an umbrella term. While all such tools fall within the description above, they can differ in terms of their specific features.
Corporate LMS features
Generally speaking, however, corporate LMS platforms have a combination of the following features:
- E-learning content creation – This usually includes or integrates with various content-authoring tools for training material and e-learning course creation.
- Content management – The ability to store, update, upload, distribute, and delete training content.
- Employee and customer education – Corporate LMSs need to provide employees, customers, and other stakeholders with training programs in a wide range of modules, formats, and methodologies, and be able to streamline the entire process.
- Knowledge assessments – This includes elements such as tests, quizzes, or surveys capable of determining learners’ knowledge and skills.
- Learner management – These systems should also include a database with all team members, learner information, learning materials, and individual schedules.
- Gamification – These gamification elements include video game elements such as leaderboards, badges, rewards, etc., designed to improve user engagement with the course material and promote course completion.
- Certification management – Learners can also earn various certifications after completing training programs. Corporate LMSs allow admins to track these achievements based on individual users.
- Third-party integrations – The best LMSs can integrate with a wide range of third-party tools such as the company’s customer management system (CRM), human resources information system (HRIS), Google Analytics, video-conferencing tools, etc.
- Progress tracking and reporting – Corporate LMSs should have built-in learner-progress tracking and reporting capabilities.
- SCORM compliance – All LMSs must be compatible with the e-learning industry Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) standards to create and share e-learning content.
- Data security – Advanced data security measures capable of preventing any potentially sensitive data loss or unauthorized access.
Let’s now take a look at some of the benefits of corporate LMS platforms.
Benefits
Both SMBs and large enterprises stand to gain a lot from using a corporate LMS in their customer training and onboarding, or when upskilling/reskilling their employees.
Depending on the specific corporate LMS, companies can experience the following benefits:
- Streamlines the employee onboarding process and the customers’ time-to–productivity in regards to learning how to use the company’s product or service.
- Provides consistent training among all employees regardless of their roles, responsibilities, or experience.
- Employees get on-demand access to learning materials and training courses, improving their productivity in the process.
- Provides a customizable and personalized learner experience, depending on each individual’s training needs.
- Automates enrollments and many other repetitive and time-consuming administrative tasks, freeing up admins, HR teams, and success teams to focus on other key areas of their job.
- Offers real-time tracking and reporting capabilities in terms of learner progression, user engagement, milestones, etc.
- Corporate LMSs that have social learning capabilities also promote collaboration between learners, further improving engagement and knowledge retention.
- Many of these tools also enable companies to train their employees at scale, which is especially beneficial for businesses that experience rapid growth.
- Usually, corporate LMSs provide training in multiple languages, allowing companies to train diverse or international teams.
Pros
It’s important to point out that the benefits, as well as the pros and cons of LMSs, depend on the individual vendors and providers of these systems.
That said, with many corporate LMS solutions, you’ll have:
- E-learning course creation and curation capabilities.
- Progress tracking and reporting functionalities.
- User-friendly UI and UX.
- Automated onboarding and administrative tasks.
- Robust integrations with third-party tools.
- Sensitive data protection.
- Social and mobile learning functionalities.
Cons
In terms of drawbacks, corporate learning management software solutions don’t generally cater to educational institutions such as universities and colleges.
Type #2: Academic LMS
As their name would suggest, academic LMS tools find most of their use among educational institutions like schools, high schools, colleges, or universities.
Since both academic and corporate LMS platforms have some overlap in terms of functionalities, businesses can use an academic LMS for their employee training initiatives.
Among the similarities, we can include:
- The ability for admins and instructors to create, curate, and manage training materials.
- Streamlining and automating parts of the e-learning and training process. This can include things like automated notifications, enrollments, tracking learner progress, video conferencing, and more.
- Providing training courses in a virtual classroom environment and on-demand access to e-learning content.
- Gamification, which also plays an important role in student learning as it can boost student engagement and knowledge retention.
Academic LMS features
That said, academic LMSs provide some specific features geared more toward educational institutions. These include things like:
- Quarter, semester, and holiday scheduling.
- Forums for communication.
- Class self-registration.
- Integration with student information systems.
- A greater focus on grading.
Benefits
In terms of benefits, educational institutions can look for some of the following:
- One of the main advantages of an academic LMS is its ability to provide a centralized location to store and manage all educational course materials, learner information, and other relevant data.
- It can also provide better flexibility by providing students with on-demand access to the learning materials. Coupled with mobile learning, this allows today’s generation to read and learn from their smartphones or other mobile devices.
- Like many other types, academic LMSs offer a high degree of personalization and customization to fit both the institution’s and the individual learner’s needs and requirements.
- Some academic LMS tools also grant parent or guardian access to student activity and information, keeping them updated on their progress. Parents or guardians can also communicate with teachers, helping build better overall relationships.
- These platforms tend to favor student communication and collaboration, facilitated through social learning capabilities.
- These tools’ advanced tracking and reporting functionalities make it possible for teachers to keep an eye on student activity, course completion, and time spent on different assignments. This helps uncover any problem areas, develop individualized learning paths, and improve overall student outcomes.
- With automated capabilities and by having all study materials in a centralized location, teachers, students, and administrators can save time without the need for as many in-classroom courses.
Pros
Like corporate LMS tools, academic LMSs differ from one vendor to another in terms of their specific features and functionalities.
That said, here are some pros and cons of these higher education learning systems.
- Self-enrollment.
- Centralized storage for all learning materials and student information.
- Student activity and progress tracking.
- Focus on teacher-student collaboration.
Cons
Like corporate LMSs, academic LMSs lack sufficient functionalities to address all the needs and requirements of business enterprises.
Type #3: Open-Source LMS
Open-source LMS systems are those e-learning tools that have open-source code. This means that users can change and modify the software’s source code to match their exact needs and requirements.
Another selling point for open-source systems is that they’re generally free. Some such systems may require a nominal fee in that the basic source code is free but any add-ons, features, or upgrades come at a cost.
NGOs and academic institutions generally, but not exclusively, use open-source LMSs as a means of cutting costs.
Moodle is a popular example of an open-source LMS.
While these systems can customize every feature to suit their needs, users need an in-house IT team with extensive technical knowledge.
Open-source LMS features
In terms of features, most open-source LMS software solutions provide:
- More control over the platform’s features and dashboards than commercial LMSs.
- More overall control over data, which is useful when dealing with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or similar data-privacy regulations.
- Open-source LMS users can also develop their own features rather than having to wait for the LMS vendor to do so, as is the case with most other types of LMS.
Benefits
Open-source LMSs provide some benefits, like the following:
- They’re highly customizable to the specific needs of an organization. This, their greatest benefit, is particularly welcome when companies have very exact training and compliance training requirements.
- This high degree of customization means open-source LMS solutions can also provide a high degree of branding. This includes the ability to display the company’s logo, color scheme, fonts, motto, etc.
- With minimal or no licensing fees, open-source software is a cost-effective solution. This can be a good option for start-ups looking to minimize their costs or for large organizations with a knowledgeable team able to handle the system effectively.
- By definition, open-source software systems benefit from a large community of developers who constantly work to improve them. By leveraging their experience, companies also get access to frequent source-code upgrades and bug fixes.
- Businesses have more control over their data security. With commercial LMSs, this responsibility falls on the system’s vendor.
Pros
To summarize, open-source LMSs help businesses by:
- Providing a cost-efficient solution for their learning-management needs.
- Offering a highly customizable solution that can address all of their e-learning needs and requirements.
- Providing access to a huge community of developers, product updates, and bug fixes.
- Offering integration capabilities with a wide variety of third-party systems like CRM, HRIS, training content creation, and more. Most open-source solutions can do this.
Cons
That said, open-source LMSs have their specific drawbacks. These include the following:
- While most open-source systems have no licensing fees, users will need to invest in a dedicated in-house IT team with expertise in customizing and maintaining the system. This can include additional training and hosting costs.
- These LMSs don’t have a dedicated customer service team. Any support available comes from forums, which often means that it takes time to find a solution.
- They also tend to offer a basic user interface, which may not be as user-friendly as their commercial LMS counterparts.
Type #4: Cloud-based (SaaS) LMS
Also known as software-as-a-service (SaaS) or web-based LMSs, cloud-based LMSs are hosted on remote servers and accessed via the internet.
This contrasts with on-site LMSs, which are installed on the company’s own servers. This means that both admins and learners have access to the relevant training material around the clock, on any device, and from anywhere where there is an internet connection.
The majority of SaaS LMS solutions offer a variety of features, customization options, and third-party integrations with all sorts of relevant tools needed for employee or customer training.
Cloud-based LMS tools are generally more cost-effective than other types, allowing companies to pay based on the number of users. They also tend to offer trial periods so businesses can test their capabilities.
Cloud-based LMS features
SaaS LMSs include some of the following features:
- Course creation and management: allowing users to create, manage, and organize e-learning courses, modules, and training materials.
- Content library: Where organizations can store and manage various types of e-learning content, such as videos, documents, or quizzes.
- Customization: Businesses can customize the learning portal to align with their branding and specific preferences.
- Gamification: Supports various gamification elements like badges, points, and leaderboards to enhance learner engagement and motivation.
Docebo is one such cloud-based LMS.
It provides organizations with the necessary tools to create, manage, deliver, and track training and learning experiences for both employees and customers.
Aside from the above SaaS LMS features, Docebo also includes the following:
- Third-party integration: It integrates with third-party tools and applications, such as CRM systems, HR software, webinars, and video-conferencing platforms, among others.
- Social learning: Docebo encourages collaboration and social learning through features like discussion forums and social sharing.
- Blended learning: It also provides a combination of both electronic and face-to-face teaching and learning, known as blended learning.
- Mobile Learning: The platform offers mobile compatibility, enabling learners to access courses and content on various mobile devices.
- AI-Powered Features: It also incorporates AI capabilities to personalize learning experiences, recommend content, and improve overall learner engagement.
Docebo serves a variety of industries, such as corporate, hospitality, government, healthcare, and manufacturing.
Its user-friendly interface and range of features make it suitable for organizations of different sizes and learning requirements.
That said, let’s take a quick look at the benefits of cloud-based LMSs.
Benefits
- SaaS LMSs generally provide the necessary tools or integrations with content-authoring apps to create or import engaging e-learning materials.
- They offer a centralized e-learning portal for learners to access on-demand.
- Most SaaS LMSs also have data-tracking and reporting capabilities to measure relevant e-learning metrics and KPIs.
- They also provide a high degree of flexibility and customization.
- Most cloud-based LMSs, like Docebo, also provide learner certification management capabilities.
Pros
- Faster implementation and integration with third-party software.
- High customization capabilities.
- Real-time data and learner-progress tracking and reporting capabilities.
- Highly scalable in accordance with the company’s needs.
- On-demand access to e-learning course material.
Cons
- Being hosted on the cloud, SaaS systems require a reliable internet connection for users to gain access to the platform and use it effectively.
- SaaS systems, in general, can pose a somewhat higher risk to data security. It’s important to check if the LMS vendor offers comprehensive data protection and security such as multi-factor authentication, SSL/HTTPS connection, data backup, and more.
Type #5: Mobile LMS
Mobile LMSs, as their name suggests, are optimized for mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc., but pretty much work on every device, desktops included.
In other words, this is a system that lets companies deliver e-learning courses via a mobile app. These can come in the form of live training sessions or be pre-recorded and uploaded into the system.
Mobile LMS features
- Depending on the specific LMS, they provide different features such as content management and curation, quizzes, data tracking, reporting, onboarding capabilities, etc.
- By design, learners can also access the information while offline, increasing the LMSs’ flexibility.
- Instructors can also come into contact with learners through video conferencing or online forums.
Benefits
In terms of benefits, businesses have a few things to look forward to.
- One of the major reasons some organizations choose a mobile LMS is the enhanced flexibility that it provides. This is especially true for those with a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy.
- Another benefit is in terms of mobility. Learners have access to training material while on the go, 24/7, even if they don’t have an internet connection. This makes it a good option for those in the field who need a quick refresher.
- Mobile devices are also how most people consume content nowadays. A mobile LMS takes advantage of this trend to increase learner engagement with the course content.
- These mobile-friendly systems also facilitate continuous learning by giving learners the ability to engage with the course content whenever they have the time.
Pros
- On-demand, around-the-clock access to e-learning content.
- More engagement with the course material.
- Better collaboration between instructors, learners, and teammates.
Cons
- Mobile LMSs can sometimes result in learners becoming distracted, especially if the mobile is connected to social media and users get constant notifications.
- Relying on mobile LMSs often results in learners multitasking, which can result in less knowledge retention. Mobile systems should include various features such as gamification to counteract this issue and increase learner engagement.
How to choose the right LMS type for your needs
The way companies choose the right LMS to fit their e-learning requirements is by carefully considering their e-learning needs and analyzing which type of LMS best fits those parameters.
Docebo provides numerous benefits to companies of all shapes and sizes and in a wide range of industries.
It also combines many of the advantages of corporate, cloud-based, and mobile LMSs, making it a flexible solution for most.
Schedule a demo with Docebo today and see how it can satisfy your e-learning requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A couple of extra answers to your questions.
Q1. What should organizations consider when choosing the right type of LMS for their needs?
Companies should consider the following:
- Whether they’re training or educating employees, customers, or students.
- If they want to create their own LMS with its own custom features for unique needs.
- Whether they expect the company to scale and if the LMS can take on a larger number of learners.
- If learners would benefit more from mobile learning or social learning.
Q2. How can I stay updated with the latest trends in LMS development?
One of the best ways to keep yourself up to date on the latest LMS trends is to follow Docebo’s Learning Network. We regularly update it with useful information to keep our readers up-to-date on what’s going on in the industry.
