8 Best FREE Learning Management Systems (LMS Platforms)

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have aided companies in delivering their e-learning services. With the help of this learning software, they can mobilize their learning materials and make them available to others.

LMS software creates different groups of learners depending on their job position or function. This makes it easy to create, track, and manage the learning progress. LMS also offers a gamification option so that professionals and learners can see their progress and earn rewards in badges.

Many Learning management systems are available, and choosing one is difficult. Following is a handpicked list of Top learning management systems with pros, cons, popular features, key specs, and website links.
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Best Learning Management Systems: LMS Platforms!

LMS Tool Name Main Features Deployment Type Supported Browser Free Trial Link
Thinkific • Inbuilt Site Builder
• Asynchronous learning.
• Blended Learning.
• Mobile Learning.
Cloud-Hosted Open API Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari 30 days Learn More
Podia • Offer quizzes, upsells, drip content, and payment plans for users.
• Asynchronous learning.
Cloud-Hosted,
Open API
Safari, Chrome 14 days Learn More
Moodle • Asynchronous learning.
• Blended Learning.
• Mobile Learning.
Cloud-Hosted,
Open API
Chrome, Edge, Explorer, Firefox, Safari 45 days Learn More
Talent LMS • Asynchronous learning.
• Blended Learning.
• Mobile Learning.
Cloud-Hosted,
Open API
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari No Learn More
Canvas • Blended Learning.
• Mobile Learning.
Cloud-Hosted,
Open API
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari 14 days Learn More

A learning management system is an application software for documentation, automation, tracking, reporting, delivery, and administration of learning, training, and development programs.

LMS offers features like Generating Reports, Dashboards, Teacher communications, Gamification, Assessments and Certifications, Course calendars, Attendance management, Managing the users and courses, Online assessment, Role-based learning, and Course creation.

The best free LMS software includes

Small uses LMS to Medium companies/businesses. These include Colleges and universities, health care, HR departments, government, Entrepreneurs, consulting, Professional groups, Hobbyists, self-learners, etc.

LMS can help fix the Learning and Development (L&D) problems an organization, enterprise, and company face. These issues include high costs associated with in-person learning and employees not having time to train after work.

LMS solves these problems by standardizing and localizing the needed training, creating time for training workers, and encouraging learners.

Consider the following factors when choosing the right Learning Management System.

  • User Interface: The interface should be intuitive, clean, and allow for easy navigation.
  • Integration and compatibility: The LMS should be supported by multiple devices and flexible enough to connect with other e-learning tools.
  • Analytics and Reporting: The tool should track and let you know about your audience activities and the result of your engagement.
  • Pricing: Establish your budget and pick the LMS that fits your price range. You could also consider trying out the free versions before venturing into the paid software.
  • Privacy: The solution you pick should maintain your data privacy, online security, and content confidentiality.
  • Usability: it should be reliable with a good customer support system and ready to use, especially by new users.
  • Compliance: The LMS needs to support xAPI or SCORM course content.
  • Customization: Consider looking into the branding tools if you desire to design your software interface to your liking.

1) Thinkific

Best for Creating and selling online courses

Thinkific is a learning management software used to create online courses and sell digital products like bundles, learning materials, and memberships. Companies and experts use this tool for knowledge retention, business scaling, and business growth.

Thinkific offers the best support and has the easiest technology to manage businesses. You can create courses and publish them online for your students. The students can then log in to the site and follow the posted courses. It allows students to access the courses on any device. This way, it can track their progress even if they switch devices.

Logo, company name Description automatically generated

Features:

  • Thinkific offers multiple websites with reliable, secure cloud hosting.
  • Provides a site with live lessons, engagement surveys, and assessments.
  • This application has a site builder that offers several website themes of your liking.
  • It has a reporting system to analyze students’ progress and offer certificates.
  • Provides branded sites and custom domains for editing HTML and CSS.
  • Thee-commerce feature allows you to receive payments from more than a hundred countries.
  • Seamlessly integrate with tools such as CRM, mailing lists, and existing websites.
  • Deployment Type: Cloud-Hosted, Open API
  • Supported Browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari
  • Supported Systems: iOS 11+, Android, Windows, macOS
  • Pricing: Plans start at $39/ month. Discounts on Yearly Payments.
  • Free Trial: Yes – 30 days

Pros

  • Thinkific has an easy-to-use functionality that you can access with limited technical skills.
  • The support team easily resolves issues.
  • Get videos from over 1000 online platforms.
  • Customization of your brand is easy and advanced.
  • Thinkific allows you to set your domain with your branding.

Cons

  • Do not have its default in-built email marketing tool.
  • The interface layout is not modern and clean.

Visit Thinkific >>


2) Podia

Best for Selling digital products on e-platform

Podia is a cloud-based software used by online creators, educators, administrators, and entrepreneurs. It helps you host and sell digital courses, communities, digital downloads, and webinars. This LMS offers live chat support, guides, video tutorials, and articles for scaling up and starting an online business.

Podia can be used for microlearning, training companies, channel training, onboarding, and employee training. It helps users train through online tutorials, virtual, documentation, or in person.

This LMS lets users administer, deliver and monitor their audience engagement. It schedules live sessions, creates membership plans, and records webinars.

Logo Description automatically generated

Features:

  • Offer quizzes, upsells, drip content, and payment plans for users.
  • It has message and email marketing tools to help marketers campaign for new clients.
  • The website’s advanced site editor feature allows for its website design.
  • Offers on-page live charts to engage with customers.
  • The application has a design theme and pre-build template library to personalize the user interface.
  • Integration is possible with Zoom, Google Analytics, Google AdWords, Paypal, Mailchimp, YouTube, and Stripe.
  • Deployment Type: Cloud-Hosted, Open API
  • Supported Browser: Safari, Chrome
  • Supported Systems: macOS, Windows
  • Pricing: Plans starting at $33/ month. Discounts on Yearly Payments.
  • Free Trial: Yes – 14 days

Pros

  • Provides a weekly Demo with Q $ A sessions as part of tutorials.
  • Users are instantly paid without any transaction charges.
  • The platform has highly responsive and reliable customer support.
  • Creating your design is made easy.

Cons

  • You need more setup to customize the user interface.

Visit Podia >>


3) Moodle

Best for School learning and teaching; Professional Education, Higher Education, Non-Profit, Corporate Government.

Moodle is a top learning management system used by administrators, educators, tutors, and customers. It provides a secure, scalable, customizable, configurable system and dynamic online learning programs.

Moodle is braced by a world’s community of developers, supporters, and users for both the teaching profession and learning. Its functionalities complement services, including Moodle Cloud hosting solutions, Moodle Workplace, and a network of Service Providers.

This software supports a more accessible approach to education and a place to share educational resources. It also integrates with third-party applications, making training more efficient.

Features:

  • Interactive tools and plans, with customized reporting and logs.
  • A personalized activity dashboard displays all available courses and the scheduled tasks.
  • It has a single platform for creating multiple courses, learning, and a quick backup.
  • Offers attendance tracking, attendance management, and class schedule.
  • Provides third-party platform integration with content repositories and plagiarism detection.
  • Regular security updates ensure your Moodle site is safe, private, and secure.
  • Deployment Type: Cloud-Hosted, Open API
  • Supported Browser: Chrome, Edge, Explorer, Firefox, Safari
  • Supported Systems: Windows 7 & XP, Linux, MAC OS X 10.6+
  • Pricing: Plans start at $110 a month. 25% Discount on Yearly Payment.
  • Free Trial: Yes – 45 days

Pros

  • This software comes with a simple interface that is easy to navigate on any device.
  • It is free to use as long as you can download, install, and host the material on your site.
  • It comes with an intuitive text editor that makes it easy to format texts, even for beginners.
  • Moodle has a customizable site layout and design that help you create your theme.

Cons

  • With Moodle, you cannot assign learning materials to different categories.
  • The initial level of learning can be difficult.

Link: https://moodle.com/


4) Talent LMS

Best for Remote or in-house product training, skill training, compliance training of colleagues, employees, and other people.

Talent LMS is a cloud-based software built for students, employees, partners, and customer training. It offers an intuitive learning experience and a strong development program for e-learning.

This software offers a customized training option with a quick and easy setup process that makes adoption easier. It also has a customer support system that is efficient. This LMS also helps experts and learners can get support and guidance.

Talent LMS provides comprehensible analytics on the entire e-learning environment.

Features:

  • It has a video conferencing tool for live online training sessions and supports e-commerce.
  • Extensive report builder that accesses your account and timeline to view all the system activities.
  • Strong management for course catalog, branding, and course authoring.
  • Provides an assessment and exam engine for creating tests.
  • It defines user roles and offers individual plans and mobile accessibility.
  • It supports a multi-organization structure, e-commerce, exam engines, and training metrics.
  • Offers good management of course branding, course authoring, and course catalog.
  • It provides mobile accessibility, defines user roles, and offers individual plans.
  • Deployment Type: Cloud-Hosted, Open API
  • Supported Browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari
  • Supported Systems: Android, Windows, iOS, and macOS
  • Pricing: Plans start at $59/ month. Discounts on Yearly Payments.
  • Free Trial: Lifetime free basic plan

Pros

  • Their support team is efficient with a good response, which fix any issues quickly.
  • It offers the implementation of more language variations.
  • Navigating the platform is simple, and no instructor-led training is required.
  • The interface allows for customization.

Cons

  • The learning program setup is robust.
  • Interface modifications and adding other content to the site are hard to be achieved.

Visit Talent LMS


5) Canvas

Best for Educators’ implementation and students’ successful learning.

Canvas software is a powerful learning management system that delivers extensive learning experiences to learners and educators. This tool makes implementation, learning, teaching, and lively customer support

Canvas workspace is collaborative, customizable, and reliable to make learning more productive. It allows students to interact with learning resources, submit paperwork, and get notifications.

Canvas has been developed to deliver a dynamic connection among learners and educators.

Features:

  • Canvas can integrate with Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) and Student Information System (SIS).
  • Students and educators can record, upload, and share resources and video messages.
  • The dashboard, global navigation menu, and top courses overview help organize learning.
  • Offers a content editor that helps customize the profile of a user as desired
  • Supports external integration like HTTP browser links, Facebook, and RSS support.
  • Its collaborative workspace makes it easy to upload, record, and share video messages.
  • Offers improved media reporting and Ether pad integration.
  • Deployment Type: Cloud-Hosted, Open API
  • Supported Browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari
  • Supported Systems: Android, Windows, iOS, macOS
  • Pricing: Plans start at $10/ month.
  • Free Trial: Yes – 14 days

Pros

  • The platform has a clean design and is easy to navigate.
  • Canvas lets you see your currently scheduled classes, which makes tracking easier.
  • It has adapted to all devices, hence making accessibility easier.
  • The support team is efficient.

Cons

  • The canvas grade book is complicated and takes time to understand.
  • Teachers can see the grades of students in other classes.

Link: https://www.instructure.com/canvas


6) Blackboard

Best for Learning institutions for assessment, group discussions, profiling, and testing.

Blackboard is an LMS used for online professional development, flexible learning, and training. It comes with enhanced cloud profiles with student portfolios.

This LMS tool is mostly used for K-12 learning and training. It can provide access to grades, accounts, and online course materials. Learning institutions also use it for discussions, testing, and assessments.

Blackboard has been used by government organizations and several corporates for upgraded digital learning experiences that make organizations and employees thrive.

Features:

  • Offers calendar schedules for any discussions or meetings and students’ previews.
  • The learning Management structure is arranged by organized presentation features with clear modules.
  • Provides processes for grade enhancement, content editor, and group management.
  • It provides good enrollments in programs, active collaboration, and enhances social learning.
  • Manages admissions, communication, curriculum, and eCommerce.
  • Supports the discovery of new software capabilities, functions, and features.
  • Deployment Type: Cloud-Hosted, Open API
  • Supported Browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari
  • Supported Systems: Windows 8+, iOS 10+, Android 4.2+, Ubuntu
  • Pricing: Plans start at $300/ year. Discounts on Yearly Payments.
  • Free Trial: Yes – 30 days

Pros

  • Online tasks are simple to assess and grade.
  • You can integrate with several other platforms.
  • This solution is intuitive and simple to navigate, especially for students.
  • The dashboard allows for personalization.

Cons

  • Help is not readily available from the support team.

Link: https://www.blackboard.com/


7) Docebo

Best for Rapidly growing enterprises in multiple environments to understand the learning impacts on the business.

Docebo is a leading SaaS e-learning tool plugged into the enterprise tech stack of mid to large enterprises. Companies use the Docebo LMS to create and deliver a learning experience to administrators and employees.

This platform is used in e-learning to facilitate and personalize learners’ experiences. It also supports onboarding, giving different learning outcomes for the business objectives.

Docebo solution is mobile-ready, scalable, and fully integrated, coming with more than 30 languages. It can offer social learning activities and external training to customers, members, and partners.

Features:

  • Have the ability to create courses, assessments, and monitor course data.
  • It supports language localization for modifying and customizing the available translations.
  • eCommerce capabilities to sell learning content and custom courses.
  • Importing and creation of a course with the content mark section.
  • It is one of the best free learning management systems that automatically perform admin tasks, certification, and scalability, making mobility simple.
  • Supports language localization that allows for the modification of the existing translations.
  • It has a powerful audit trail and Salesforce integration.
  • Deployment Type: Cloud-Hosted, Open API
  • Supported Browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari
  • Supported Systems: Microsoft Windows 8+, Linux, OSX
  • Pricing: Plans start at $900/ month. Discounts on Yearly Payments.
  • Free Trial: Yes – 14 days

Pros

  • The dashboard is highly customizable with various language support.
  • It makes it easy to use your already created learning materials.
  • Small and large enterprises can use it for training.
  • You can use the learning analytics offline.

Cons

  • Docebo API needs to be upgraded to access all objects easily.
  • Customer support is not always active.

Link: https://www.docebo.com/


8) Ispring Learn

Best for Launching training programs for sales, product, compliance, and certification.

iSpring Learn is a good tool for mission-critical training projects. It is ideal for sales, onboarding, and product training. The tool has features that make it easy for e-learning in training managers and learners.

This corporate online training program allows users to learn from any region on any device. Trainers can also create courses from scratch within the platform. They can upload video tutorials, presentations, supplementary documents, audio tracks, and flash clips.

iSpring Learn has regular updates with automated reports that keep track of the training effectiveness and the learners’ progress. You just need to upload training courses, assign employees, and track their progress.

Features:

  • It offers a flexible and customizable systematic learning platform to fit learners’ needs.
  • iSpring has an event calendar that makes activity and event organization easy.
  • Analyzes the user’s progress and provide a full report.
  • It provides unlimited space for storage, numerous formats, and SCORM support.
  • You can integrate with the Microsoft Team and Zoom used for web meetings.
  • It has a webinar capability used in hosting Q&A sessions and virtual events.
  • iSpring has a self-registration feature and can send invitations via email.
  • Deployment Type: Cloud-Hosted, Open API
  • Supported Browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari
  • Supported Systems: Android 7+, Windows, iOS12+, macOS X
  • Pricing: Plans start at $2.82/ month. Discounts on Yearly Payments.
  • Free Trial: Yes – 14 days

Pros

  • Setting up courses is easy and takes a short time.
  • It has a clean display with an easy-to-use interface.
  • The user interface is easily customizable to your liking.
  • The software can be set on multiple devices.

Cons

  • iSpring Learn does not have eCommerce features.

Visit Ispring Learn


9) PowerSchool Schoology Learning

Best for Distance and collective learning for K-12 schools, district success, and community collaboration.

Schoology is an innovative LMS for student learning engagement. This LMS is helpful for kindergarten through middle school to 12th grade and higher educational institutions. This LMS helps enhance communication in districts and schools through discussion forums and interest-based access portals.

This networking application makes it easy to produce and distribute learning materials. It connects learners, promotes collaboration, and allows educators to share academic and training resources. Schoology provides an e-platform to personalize learning and improve student performance.

Features:

  • Capable of integrating with other education platforms and student information systems (SIS), including free LMS platforms.
  • Provides tools for Classroom and performance assessment Management.
  • It is capable of tracking students’ attendance.
  • Provides synchronous learning, employee training, content library, gamification, and mobile learning.
  • It has assessments, testing, and automated grading systems, making it an ideal choice for those looking for free LMS systems.
  • Provides instructional tools that enable the educator to create quick assignments.
  • It has an open source learning management system, a communication management system, blended learning, and data analytics.
  • Deployment Type: Cloud-Hosted, Open API
  • Supported Browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari
  • Supported Systems: Android 6+, Windows 10+, iOS 11+, macOS
  • Pricing: Plans start at $10 per user.

Pros

  • It is highly secure, ensuring the privacy of students.
  • Saving and sharing learning materials is easier, especially for the teachers.
  • Simple interface that makes it easy for teachers and students to navigate.
  • Allowed parents and guardians to have access.

Cons

  • You cannot open this application on two or more computers simultaneously.
  • The grading system is complicated, making it hard to grade student performances.

Link: https://www.powerschool.com/classroom/schoology-learning/

Best LMS Systems (Learning Management Software)

LMS Tool Name Main Features Deployment Type Supported Browser Free Trial Link
Thinkific • Inbuilt Site Builder
• Asynchronous learning.
• Blended Learning.
• Mobile Learning.
Cloud-Hosted Open API Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari 30 days Learn More
Podia • Offer quizzes, upsells, drip content, and payment plans for users.
• Asynchronous learning.
Cloud-Hosted,
Open API
Safari, Chrome 14 days Learn More
Moodle • Asynchronous learning.
• Blended Learning.
• Mobile Learning.
Cloud-Hosted,
Open API
Chrome, Edge, Explorer, Firefox, Safari 45 days Learn More
Talent LMS • Asynchronous learning.
• Blended Learning.
• Mobile Learning.
Cloud-Hosted,
Open API
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari No Learn More
Canvas • Blended Learning.
• Mobile Learning.
Cloud-Hosted,
Open API
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari 14 days Learn More