LMS buyers guide: compare and choose your LMS
59 LMS reviews, sorted by use case, features, pricing and hosting. Find the platforms that fit your learners, then open any review for features, pricing, strengths and limits.
Written by the team at Kprise, the maker of MyPass LMS. MyPass appears in this guide and is labeled Our product wherever it does. Check any shortlist against the vendors' own pages before you buy.
LMS platforms by use case
Start here. Pick the kind of learning you run to see the platforms commonly used for it and what each is typically used for.
LMS for Associations
Association and nonprofit LMS platforms support professional associations, trade associations, nonprofits and membership organizations delivering education to members and external learners.
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Association learning, AMS integration, member education, CE tracking, certification, assessments, virtual proctoring, surveys, DRM, AI-assisted authoring, SCORM and reporting. |
| Oasis LMS | Association education, continuing education, certification, assessments and ecommerce. |
| TopClass LMS | Association education, professional development, certification and continuing education. |
| Moodle | Flexible association and professional learning with extensive customization. |
| Forj | Association learning, community engagement and professional development. |
| Path LMS | Association education and continuing professional development. |
| Elevate LMS | Learning and education programs for associations and nonprofits. |
| Freestone | Continuing and professional education programs. |
| eLogic Learning | Corporate, association and extended-enterprise training. |
| CrowdWisdom | Association learning, engagement and professional development. |
LMS for Certification
Certification LMS platforms help organizations deliver learning, assessments and credentialing programs.
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Certification journeys, learning paths, assessments, AI-assisted grading, eProctoring, automated certificates, design certificates and professional education. |
| Moodle | Customizable learning and assessment programs that can support certification workflows. |
| Oasis LMS | Certification, assessments, continuing education and professional learning. |
| TopClass LMS | Association certification and professional education. |
| BenchPrep | Professional certification preparation and exam readiness. |
| EthosCE | Healthcare education, CME/CE and professional certification. |
| Questionmark | Online assessments and examinations. |
| ExamSoft | High-stakes examinations and assessment. |
| Inspera | Digital assessment and examination. |
| Meazure Learning | Assessment and online proctoring. |
LMS for Continuing Education
Continuing education LMS platforms are used for professional development, CE, CME, CPE, CLE and CEU programs.
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Professional education, CE, certification and structured learning programs. |
| Oasis LMS | Continuing education, CME/CE, certification and assessments. |
| EthosCE | Healthcare CME and continuing education. |
| InReach | Continuing and professional education. |
| TopClass LMS | Association education and continuing education. |
| Path LMS | Professional and continuing education. |
| Freestone | Association and professional education. |
| Moodle | Flexible continuing education and professional learning. |
LMS for Corporate Training
Corporate LMS platforms support employee training, onboarding, compliance and professional development.
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Employee training, compliance, onboarding, professional development, assessments and certification. |
| Moodle | Corporate training, compliance and workforce learning with extensive customization. |
| Docebo | Enterprise employee, customer and partner learning. |
| Absorb LMS | Corporate, compliance, customer and extended-enterprise training. |
| TalentLMS | SMB and mid-market employee training. |
| LearnUpon | Employee, customer and partner training. |
| Cornerstone Learning | Enterprise workforce learning and talent development. |
| SAP Litmos | Employee onboarding, compliance and workforce training. |
| 360Learning | Collaborative employee learning and knowledge sharing. |
| iSpring Learn | Employee training, onboarding and compliance. |
| Totara | Enterprise learning, workforce development and compliance. |
| WorkRamp | Employee enablement, onboarding and customer education. |
| Learn Amp | Employee learning, engagement and development. |
| Valamis | Enterprise learning and skills development. |
| Sana Learn | AI-enabled enterprise learning and knowledge. |
| SkyPrep | Employee training, onboarding and compliance. |
LMS for Customer Education
Customer education platforms help companies train customers on products, services and solutions.
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Customer, member and external learning, certification and structured professional education. |
| Docebo | Customer education and extended-enterprise learning. |
| LearnUpon | Customer, partner and employee learning. |
| Thought Industries | Customer education and professional learning. |
| Skilljar | Customer education and customer academies. |
| Northpass | Customer, partner and external training. |
| Absorb LMS | Customer and extended-enterprise education. |
| TalentLMS | External and employee training. |
| Moodle | Flexible customer and external learning. |
| WorkRamp | Employee, customer and partner education. |
LMS for Partner Training
Partner LMS platforms support distributors, resellers, franchises and channel partners.
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Partner training, certification, structured learning and external education. |
| Docebo | Extended-enterprise and partner learning. |
| LearnUpon | Partner and customer training. |
| Absorb LMS | Partner and external education. |
| Thought Industries | Customer and partner education. |
| TalentLMS | External and partner training. |
| SAP Litmos | Corporate and partner training. |
| Moodle | Customizable external and partner learning. |
LMS for Online Courses
Online course LMS platforms focus on course creation, learner experience and selling education.
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Professional education, structured courses, certification, marketplace for course creation and selling, open core and WordPress plugin. |
| Moodle | Flexible open-source online learning. |
| Thinkific | Online course creation and selling. |
| LearnWorlds | Online courses and interactive learning experiences. |
| Teachable | Course creation and digital education sales. |
| Kajabi | Courses, memberships and digital products. |
| LearnDash | WordPress-based online learning. |
| Tutor LMS | WordPress course creation and management. |
| LearnPress | WordPress LMS and online courses. |
| Podia | Online courses and digital products. |
LMS for Higher Education
Higher education platforms support universities, colleges and academic programs with courses, grading and institutional learning.
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| Moodle | Open-source university and higher education learning. |
| Canvas | Higher education and academic learning. |
| Blackboard Learn | University and institutional learning. |
| D2L Brightspace | Higher education, assessment and learning analytics. |
| Open edX | Large-scale online education and open learning. |
| Sakai | Open-source higher education. |
| ILIAS | Academic and institutional learning. |
| OpenOlat | Academic and organizational learning. |
| Google Classroom | Classroom and education management. |
| MyPass Community Edition Our product | Free, open-core, self-hosted LMS for professional education, structured courses and certification. Download, configure and host it on your own server with no LMS licensing cost. |
LMS for Healthcare
Healthcare LMS platforms support clinical and professional education, CME/CE, compliance and certification.
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Professional training, compliance, certification and structured learning. |
| Oasis LMS | Healthcare education, continuing education and certification. |
| EthosCE | Healthcare education and CME/CE. |
| Moodle | Flexible healthcare and professional education. |
| D2L Brightspace | Academic and professional healthcare learning. |
| Canvas | Higher education and healthcare education environments. |
LMS platforms by key feature
Need something specific, such as SCORM, AI grading, ecommerce or AMS integration? Each list shows the platforms that offer it.
Open-Source LMS
Open-source LMS software provides access to the underlying software and can offer extensive control over customization, hosting and integrations.
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| Moodle | Open-source learning with extensive customization and integrations. |
| Open edX | Open-source online and large-scale learning. |
| Open LMS | Open-source LMS ecosystem and managed deployments. |
| Totara | Open-source enterprise and workforce learning. |
| Sakai | Open-source higher education. |
| ILIAS | Open-source institutional learning. |
| Chamilo | Open-source online education and training. |
| OpenOlat | Open-source academic and organizational learning. |
Open-Core LMS
A core LMS that organizations can download, configure and host on their own server and infrastructure at no software licensing cost. Commercial charges apply only when organizations choose managed hosting services from the vendor.
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | An open-core LMS with a free Community Edition that can be downloaded and self-hosted, with paid options for managed shared hosting, private hosting, enterprise deployment, support, infrastructure and additional capabilities. |
This model can be attractive to organizations that want the freedom of self-hosting while retaining a path to managed hosting and enterprise support as their learning operation grows.
Free LMS
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| Moodle | Free and open-source LMS software for self-hosted learning. |
| MyPass Community Edition Our product | Free Community Edition that you download, configure and host on your own server, with no LMS licensing cost. |
| Open edX | Open-source online learning. |
| Sakai | Open-source academic learning. |
| ILIAS | Open-source institutional learning. |
| Chamilo | Open-source training and education. |
LMS with Course Authoring
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Built-in authoring, AI course generation, multimedia content, image and diagram generation, visualization, assessments and SCORM course creation. |
| Moodle | Course creation and learning activities. |
| TalentLMS | Built-in course creation for employee training. |
| LearnWorlds | Online course authoring and interactive learning. |
| Thinkific | Course creation and online education. |
| iSpring Learn | LMS combined with the iSpring authoring ecosystem. |
| D2L Brightspace | Course creation and academic learning. |
| Docebo | Enterprise content creation and learning management. |
SCORM LMS
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | SCORM authoring, conversion, export, playback and tracking. |
| Moodle | SCORM learning and tracking. |
| TalentLMS | SCORM-based employee training. |
| Docebo | Enterprise SCORM learning. |
| Absorb LMS | Corporate SCORM delivery. |
| LearnUpon | SCORM training. |
| D2L Brightspace | SCORM learning. |
| Open LMS | SCORM-based learning. |
| iSpring Learn | SCORM and authoring ecosystem. |
LMS with Certification
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Learning paths, assessments, automated certificates and certification programs. |
| Moodle | Customizable certification workflows. |
| Oasis LMS | Certification and continuing education. |
| TopClass LMS | Association certification. |
| EthosCE | Healthcare certification and professional education. |
| BenchPrep | Certification preparation. |
| D2L Brightspace | Learning and credential-related programs. |
LMS with Assessment & Exams
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Multiple question types, question banks, exams, randomized questions and answers, AI-assisted grading, virtual proctoring and certification. |
| Moodle | Quizzes, assessments and question banks. |
| Oasis LMS | Assessment and exam workflows. |
| Questionmark | Online assessment and examination. |
| ExamSoft | High-stakes examinations. |
| BenchPrep | Exam preparation. |
| D2L Brightspace | Assessment and learning analytics. |
| Inspera | Digital assessment and examination. |
AI LMS
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | AI course authoring, content generation, AI-assisted evaluation, AI surveys, AI learning assistance and automation. |
| Moodle | AI capabilities through its ecosystem and integrations. |
| Docebo | AI-powered enterprise learning and personalization. |
| Absorb LMS | AI-enabled learning experiences and administration. |
| 360Learning | AI-assisted collaborative learning. |
| TalentLMS | AI-assisted course and learning workflows. |
| D2L Brightspace | AI-enabled education and learning. |
| Sana Learn | AI-focused enterprise learning and knowledge. |
| Oasis LMS | AI-assisted content and assessment capabilities. |
LMS with Ecommerce
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Paid professional education, courses, certification programs, WordPress plugin, marketplace to create and sell courses. |
| Oasis LMS | Course, certification and education ecommerce. |
| TopClass LMS | Association education and ecommerce. |
| Thinkific | Online course sales. |
| LearnWorlds | Course ecommerce. |
| Teachable | Online course sales. |
| Kajabi | Courses, memberships and digital products. |
| TalentLMS | Paid training. |
LMS with AMS Integration
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Inbuilt AMS, association learning with AMS integration, member management, CE, certification and training-member synchronization. |
| Oasis LMS | Association learning with AMS and CRM connections. |
| TopClass LMS | Association education and member learning. |
| Forj | Association learning and community. |
| Path LMS | Association and professional education. |
| Moodle | Flexible integrations through APIs and plugins. |
LMS with SSO
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | Secure organizational and association learning with SSO capabilities. |
| Moodle | Flexible identity and SSO integrations. |
| Docebo | Enterprise SSO. |
| Absorb LMS | Enterprise identity and SSO. |
| TalentLMS | SSO for organizational learning. |
| D2L Brightspace | Institutional and enterprise identity. |
| Canvas | Education identity and SSO. |
| Oasis LMS | Association and organizational SSO. |
LMS with DRM / Content Protection
| LMS | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| MyPass LMS Our product | DRM (Digital Rights Management), protected documents, device-level access control, secure document viewing and protection for proprietary learning materials. |
| Moodle | Access controls and security through the platform and ecosystem. |
| Docebo | Enterprise content access and security controls. |
| Absorb LMS | Enterprise learning content security and access management. |
LMS pricing models
LMS pricing can be based on users, subscriptions, hosting, features, contracts or custom enterprise requirements. Always add up the whole cost: software, hosting, implementation, integrations, support and administration.
Enterprise / Custom-Priced LMS
For reference: MyPass LMS pricingUnlimited registered users, no per-seat fees
- Community Edition
- Free, self-hosted
- Hosted plans
- From $79/mo billed annually
- Free trial
- 15 days, no credit card
- Every plan and price
- See pricing →
LMS hosting and deployment
Decide who runs the infrastructure. Self-hosting gives you control and more work; SaaS and managed hosting hand that work to the vendor.
Cloud LMS
Managed / Private LMS
MyPass LMS provides a path from the self-hosted Community Edition to managed shared, private and enterprise deployments, so you can start with full control and move to managed infrastructure as requirements grow.
LMS integration ecosystem
An LMS rarely works alone. Common connections include an AMS, CRM, HRIS, SSO, ecommerce and payment gateways, virtual classrooms, content libraries and analytics. These platforms connect to each type.
LMS + Virtual Training
Connecting an association management system? See how MyPass handles it on the integrations page.
How to choose an LMS
Before you book demos, answer six questions. Your answers decide which of the lists above matter.
What is your primary use case?
What features are essential?
Who are your learners?
What systems must the LMS integrate with?
How should the LMS be hosted?
What is the total cost?
Do not compare only the subscription price.
LMS comparison checklist
Ask every vendor on your shortlist the same 17 questions. Tick each one off as you get a clear answer.
Starting shortlists
There is no single best LMS for every organization. The right one depends on your learners, learning model, technology, budget and long-term plans. These are reasonable places to start.
For associations
For corporate training
For customer education
For online courses
For AI-powered learning
For LMS ecommerce
For open-core learning, MyPass LMS offers a different model: a free Community Edition you can self-host, with a path to managed shared, private and enterprise deployments. The best LMS is not necessarily the most popular one. It is the one that fits your use case, features, integrations, hosting, pricing and long-term strategy.
Every LMS review, A to Z
All 59 platforms in the guide. To search and filter them by category, use the LMS reviews page.
Want a head-to-head view? Compare MyPass LMS directly.
Our comparison pages put MyPass LMS next to Moodle, Docebo, TalentLMS, LearnUpon, Canvas and 21 more platforms on the same ten capability areas, including the rows where the other platform is the better fit.
LMS buying questions, answered
How do I use this LMS buyers guide?
Start with your main use case, such as associations, certification or corporate training, and note the platforms listed for it. Narrow that list with the features, hosting and integrations you need, then read the full review of each platform left on your shortlist. Finish with the checklist so every vendor answers the same questions.
Who writes these LMS reviews?
The guide and every review are written by the team at Kprise, the maker of MyPass LMS. MyPass appears in this guide and is labeled as our product wherever it does. We describe other platforms from their public information, but we are not a neutral party, so confirm details with each vendor before you buy.
What should I compare when I buy LMS software?
Compare fit before features: your use case, your learners, the content you need to create, and the systems the LMS must connect to, such as an AMS, HRIS or SSO. Then compare hosting and the total cost, including implementation, integrations, support and administration, not only the subscription.
What is the difference between open-source, open-core and SaaS LMS?
Open-source LMS software gives you the code to host and customize yourself. Open-core means a free core edition you can self-host, with paid managed hosting and support from the vendor. SaaS means the vendor hosts the platform and you pay a subscription, usually with less setup work and less control.
Which LMS platforms are used in higher education?
This guide covers Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard Learn, D2L Brightspace, Open edX, Sakai, ILIAS, OpenOlat and Google Classroom for higher education, each with a full review. MyPass Community Edition is listed too, for institutions running professional education or certification programs on their own servers.
How much does MyPass LMS cost?
The Community Edition is free to download and self-host. Hosted plans start at $99 a month, or $79 a month billed annually, and private hosting is $319 a month, or $249 a month billed annually. Every plan includes unlimited registered users with no per-seat fees, and you can try it free for 15 days without a credit card.
Shortlisting? Put MyPass LMS on the list.
Training and certification software since 2010, used by 130+ organizations in 11 countries. Unlimited registered users with no per-seat fees, hosted plans from $79 a month billed annually, and a free self-hosted Community Edition.
15-day trial · No credit card · Full platform