Learning Management Systems (LMS) Software

What is Learning Management Systems (LMS) Software?

A Learning Management System (LMS) is software that facilitates and delivers online learning and training sessions. LMS software can be customized to suit varying training needs, and contain a range of modules to support these needs, including:

  • The creation, automation, and delivery of online learning courses and programs,
  • End-to-end course management, which includes authoring, registering and administering online learning programs,
  • Student evaluations and progress reports,
  • Certification and award management,
  • Examination management,
  • Personalized learning recommendations (typically provided by AI-based LMS platforms).

LMS systems can be used for education purposes at the primary, high school, and collegiate level, as well as for corporate workforce training and employee performance management. But not all LMS vendors diversify into both academic and corporate frontiers.

Need to explore which LMS providers each dominate academic and corporate industries? We’ve got pages dedicated to each:

LMS systems for schools
LMS systems for businesses

Popular Learning Strategies Delivered by LMS Platforms

LMS solutions cater to diverse learning styles and offer features to support the following popular learning strategies:

  • Skills-based learning: Skills-based learning is an interactive learning method that focuses on practicing and applying skills to master concepts or material. LMS systems provide interactive learning tools, customized learning paths, and assessments using real-life applications of course materials to support skills-based learning.
  • Multimodal learning: Multimodal learning is a learning method that incorporates different types of learning materials to support different learning styles, such as visual, auditory, or practical applications. LMS platforms provide multimodal learning with courses, tutorials, and practical tasks that engage learners in a variety of mediums including text, images, video, and audio. LMS platforms also provide tools for presentations and demonstrations.
  • Social learning: Social learning is a learning method that uses interaction, discussion, and peer engagement to solidify concepts and learn new material. LMS platforms provide various social learning tools to support this style, including:
    • Collaboration tools
    • Discussion boards
    • Online Communities
    • Gamification
    • Leaderboards
  • Asynchronous learning: Asynchronous learning allows students to learn and master information and concepts at their own pace. LMS platforms support asynchronous learning by making courses and supplemental materials available to students anytime.
  • Blended learning: Blended learning is a learning method that uses digital courses, online resources, and face-to-face learning modalities. LMS solutions offer tools to create and manage digital course material, deliver pre-recorded video training sessions, or do live presentations/demos.
  • Microlearning: Microlearning is a learning method by which information is learned in small, easy-to-master segments. LMS platforms support microlearning by providing tools to create and deliver training or courses in short, easily digestible sessions.

Top 10 LMS Software Providers

Centrical / Path / Dokeos / Trakstar / SAP SuccessFactors Learning / isolved / Blackboard / TalentLMS / HireRoad / Canvas

WH Score
9.3
Centrical
9reviews
Starting Price:N/A
Centrical is a comprehensive employee engagement and performance management software that helps companies increase productivity, improve employee engagement, and drive business results. With Centrical, you can streamline performance evaluations, goal setting, and development planning all in one plac...
WH Score
9.1
Path
24reviews
Starting Price:N/A
There’s no shortage of learning management systems on the market, and many of them try to be everything to everybody. Path LMS is a robust solution, but it has a specific focus where it stands clearly ahead of the competition. Path lets lecture-based learning truly shine, and goes far beyond o...
WH Score
9.1
Dokeos
3reviews
Starting Price:N/A
There is no shortage of learning management systems available on the market place, and many of them are quite good. But if your industry makes special demands of your learning system, whether through legal compliance or regulatory processes, then quite good just isn't going to cut it.
WH Score
9.0
Trakstar
85reviews
Starting Price:N/A
Mindflash is an industry-leading LMS system, used by companies from Microsoft and Apple to PBS and Johnson & Johnson, to create, manage, and track digital courses. Whether you want to teach customers how to use your product, train new employees on organizational procedures, or earn and maintain ...
WH Score
9.0
SAP SuccessFactors Learning

SAP SuccessFactors Learning

38reviews
Starting Price:$2.17 per user / per month
If you're ready to increase your competitive advantage, if you’re ready to boost your organizational productivity, if you're ready to redefine corporate training by placing your employees at the center of the learning experience… then you’re ready for SAP SuccessFactors Learning. ...
WH Score
9.0
isolved
98reviews
Starting Price:N/A
isolved is the most-trusted HCM technology leader, providing the best combination of software and services to meet the needs of today’s People Heroes – HR, payroll, and benefits professionals. 
WH Score
8.9
Blackboard
99reviews
Starting Price:N/A
Blackboard LMS is a cloud-based learning management system (LMS) designed to support the delivery of educational content and facilitate student engagement. It is a comprehensive platform that enables educational institutions, trainers, and businesses to manage learning processes, content, and perfor...
WH Score
8.9
TalentLMS
113reviews
Starting Price:$0 per user / per month
TalentLMS is a cloud-powered learning management system that can help you create content and help learners quickly. The setup for TalentLMS is streamlined and user-friendly so you can create and launch your learning programs in hours, not days and weeks. TalentLMS is feature-rich, and with building ...
WH Score
8.9
HireRoad
19reviews
Starting Price:N/A
Inquisiq LMS is an award-winning learning management system built to meet the needs of a rapidly-changing, highly competitive workforce. A mobile-friendly platform that’s designed to fit any budget, Inquisiq LMS carries no set-up fees and amazingly flexible payment options. It can be tied to a...
WH Score
8.9
Canvas
578reviews
Starting Price:N/A
The team at Canvas knows the dirty little secret about learning management systems: many of them are simply never used. In order to make sure that doesn't happen with their software, Canvas built around six primary tenants. Their strict adherence to them has helped make Canvas one of the mo...
The right software for your business

Get your personalized recommendations now.