Introduction
As online learning continues to grow, more organizations and individuals are looking to create top-quality elearning content. Whether you’re a business looking to train employees, an association offering certification programs, or an entrepreneur launching an online course business, having the right elearning content platform is essential. This article reviews 15 of the most widely used and full-featured platforms for building online courses, tutorials, simulations and assessments.
Methods of Evaluation
To evaluate and rank each platform, we considered factors like available course creation tools, customization options, multimedia support, LMS features, pricing plans, mobile delivery, analytics and reporting. Beyond these functional criteria, we also looked at key performance indicators like number of backlinks, domain authority, organic traffic and keyword search trends to understand developer mindshare and learner popularity for each solution. While no platform is perfect for every need, this multidimensional evaluation aims to help you find the best fit based on your specific use cases and budget.
1. LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning, formerly known as Lynda.com, is an online learning platform owned by LinkedIn that includes thousands of online courses in 7 different languages across software, creative, and business skills to help users learn business and technology skills from expert instructors. Some courses include software tutorials, business skills lessons, photography training, and many more. Over 15 million members subscribe to LinkedIn Learning’s courses from mid-size businesses to Fortune 500 companies and individuals.
Pros: Some key advantages of LinkedIn Learning include:
– Wide selection of technical and business skills video courses from top instructors
– Access to courses from top industry experts and thought leaders
– Mobile app provides on-the-go learning anywhere, anytime
– Track progress and gain certificates of completion to add to your profile
– Can be used for both personal development and corporate team training
Cons: One potential disadvantage is the volume of content available could make it difficult to find the right course. It also lacks some of the hands-on interaction and networking of in-person training options.
Pricing: LinkedIn Learning offers both individual and team pricing plans.
For individuals it starts at $29.99/month or $359 annually.
Team subscriptions range from $24.99-$34.99 per user per month based on the number of users.
Some key stats about LinkedIn Learning include:
– Over 16,000 video courses available
– Courses taught by industry experts
– More than 930 million members globally
– Available as both a personal and corporate subscription
– Content can be accessed on desktop, mobile, and tablets
2. Adobe Captivate
Adobe Captivate is a leading elearning development tool that allows users to create interactive software simulations, tutorials and assessments. Developed by Adobe, Captivate integrates seamlessly with other Creative Cloud applications like Photoshop, Premiere Pro and After Effects to design and develop good-looking elearning content.
Pros: Some key advantages of Adobe Captivate include:
– Robust feature set for creating software simulations, tutorials and assessments.
– Integrates well with the Adobe Creative Cloud products
– Wide range of outputs including SCORM, HTML5, mobile apps and more.
– Strong support for multimedia, quizzing, branches and conditions
Cons: One potential disadvantage of Adobe Captivate is that it has a high upfront cost which may not be suitable for all budget sizes.
Pricing: Adobe Captivate is available through various pricing plans on an annual subscription basis starting from $342 per year for a single user.
Some key stats about Adobe Captivate include:
– Used by over 90,000 companies worldwide
– Supports major mobile platforms like iOS and Android
– Can output to over 20 different file formats including SCORM, AICC and HTML5
– Integrates directly with the Adobe Creative Cloud for asset management
3. Coursera
Coursera is one of the leading online learning platforms founded in 2012 by Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. It partners with top universities and organizations around the world to offer online courses, degrees, certificates and specializations in a variety of subjects.
Pros: Some key advantages of Coursera include:
– Leading provider of MOOCs and online degrees from top universities.
– Offers specialized programs, professional certificates and courses.
– Simple interface and mobile apps for affordable lifelong learning.
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that not all courses provide credit towards an academic degree or professional certification. Additionally, some courses can be relatively expensive for certain specializations and professional certificates.
Pricing: Most individual courses on Coursera are free to audit. For verified certificates, users need to pay a fee which varies based on the course. Course specializations and degree programs have different pricing models that can range from a few hundred dollars to over $10,000 depending on the program.
Coursera has over 150 university partners and has served over 150 million learners globally. It offers over 5,000 individual courses from 200+ top institutions. Coursera sees over 5 million course enrollments per month and has a catalog of over 3,000 guided projects and hands-on assignments.
4. Moodle
Moodle is an open-source learning platform or course management system (CMS) that has been used by educators around the world since its inception in 2002. With a global community of over 150,000 sites in over 240 countries, Moodle allows teachers to create personalized online learning experiences. Some key facts about Moodle include that it is free and open source, customizable via a large number of plugins, and can scale from a single teacher site to a site with hundreds of thousands of students.
Pros: Some key advantages of Moodle include:
– Open source and free to use, reducing cost barriers
– Highly customizable through an extensive catalog of plugins
– Easy to deploy both on-premise or in the cloud
– Robust learning and community support through an active worldwide user base
– Flexible platform that can be adapted for many types of courses and educational needs
Cons: One potential disadvantage of Moodle is that the open source nature means there is no single vendor providing support. Institutions need to either rely on the community for support or purchase commercial support options from third party providers.
Pricing: Moodle is open source and free to download, install, and use. Various commercial support and subscription options are available from third party vendors and partners for a fee, but the software itself always remains free to all users.
Some key stats about Moodle include:
– Over 150,000 sites in more than 240 countries worldwide
– Used by over 230 million users
– More than 9,000 plugins available to extend functionality
– Translated into over 110 languages
– Flexible and customizable platform that can scale from small to very large course offerings
5. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization that offers free online video tutorials on a variety of academic subjects. Founded in 2006, Khan Academy’s mission is to provide a world-class education for anyone, anywhere. They have a library of over 9,000 micro-lecture videos covering topics from math to art history to computer programming.
Pros: Some key advantages of Khan Academy include:
– Extensive library of high-quality educational video content that can be accessed for free
– Micro-learning design makes videos short and easy to digest in small bursts
– Tracks student progress and provides personalized learning recommendations
– Non-profit model helps provide education to anyone worldwide with an internet connection
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that Khan Academy’s content is best suited for supplementary rather than sole primary instruction. As a non-profit, their resources are more limited compared to commercial platforms.
Pricing: Khan Academy offers all of its educational content and resources completely free of charge. As a non-profit organization, they rely on donations to continue developing and maintaining their library of educational videos and tools.
Some key stats about Khan Academy include:
– Over 100 million registered users worldwide
– Available in over 40 languages
– Library of over 9,000 short instructional videos
– Non-profit educational organization
6. Edx
Edx is an online learning platform and MOOC provider founded by Harvard and MIT in 2012. It offers free and paid online courses from a catalog spanning diverse subject areas delivered by world-class institutions like Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, Google, and more. With over 30 million users globally, Edx aims to provide universal access to high-quality learning.
Pros: Key advantages of using Edx include:
– Access to courses from top-ranked universities globally
– Large catalog of online courses on diverse topics
– Most courses are free to take, with options for paid certificates
– Simple and easy to use course player for self-paced learning
– Robust discussion forums to connects with other learners
Cons: One potential disadvantage is the lack of direct student-instructor interaction since courses are delivered online. While discussion forums help, it may not replace the classroom experience for some.
Pricing: Edx offers most of its online courses for free. For verified certificates demonstrating completion of a course, pricing varies:
– Individual courses range from $50 – $100 per certificate
– MicroMasters programs culminating in graduate certificate range from $500 to $1500
Some key stats about Edx include:
– Over 30 million users worldwide
– Courses from over 150 partner institutions globally
– Catalog of over 3000 online courses across different subjects
– 80% of courses are offered for free, 20% offer verified certificates upon completion
– Partner institutions include Harvard, MIT, UC Berkeley, Google, Amazon and more.
7. Teachable
Teachable is an all-in-one platform for creating, hosting and selling online courses and membership sites. Founded in 2013, Teachable allows users to deliver online course content via their own website or embed it anywhere on the web. Key features include hosting course content, handling payments, issuing certificates, and analytics.
Pros: Key advantages of using Teachable include:
– All-in-one platform for creating an online business with courses
– Robust course builder and publishing tools make content creation simple
– Hosting, payments, certificates, and analytics all integrated into one platform
– Can deliver courses on any website or embed player anywhere on the web
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that being fully-hosted on Teachable’s platform means users don’t have full control over the hosting infrastructure.
Pricing: Teachable offers a free Basic plan as well as Pro ($29/month) and Business ($99/month) paid plans with increasing storage, bandwidth and customization options. All plans allow hosting unlimited courses and students.
Some key stats about Teachable include:
– Used by over 150,000 entrepreneurs and online educators
– Users have sold over $500 million worth of courses
– Hosts over 18 million students
– Offers free and paid plans tailored for different course types and budgets
8. Thinkific
Thinkific is an all-in-one platform for creating, marketing, and selling online courses. Founded in 2012, Thinkific allows entrepreneurs and businesses to build beautifully designed websites for their online courses and memberships. With a simple drag and drop interface, you can easily structure course content, lessons, videos and integrate quizzes and assignments.
Pros: Key advantages of the Thinkific platform include:
– All-in-one platform for building, hosting, selling and marketing online courses without third party tools.
– Intuitive course builder makes it easy for non-tech users to create professional looking online courses.
– Wide range of pre-built themes and customization options.
– Integrated tools for email marketing, payments and promotion to help drive more subscribers.
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that for advanced features like live classes or member forums, Thinkific’s paid plans can be more expensive compared to some competitors.
Pricing: Thinkific offers 3 paid plans – Basic ($29/month), Plus ($99/month) and Pro ($199/month). All plans include the core course building and hosting features. Higher plans provide additional features like membership sites, integrated payments and tools for live classes.
Some key stats about Thinkific include:
– Over 60,000 course creators have used the platform to generate over $1 billion in sales.
– Thinkific courses have over 12 million student enrollments.
– Features integrations with top tools like MailChimp, ActiveCampaign and Hubspot to help with marketing.
– Launched in 2012 and is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada with over 300 employees.
9. Lynda
Lynda, now known as LinkedIn Learning, is an online learning platform owned by LinkedIn that offers subscription-based access to a library of high-quality instructional videos across various software, creative and business skills topics. Founded in 1995 as a software training company, Lynda transformed into an e-learning platform and was acquired by LinkedIn in 2015.
Pros: Some key advantages of Lynda include its comprehensive library of business, software, technology and creative courses taught by expert instructors. Lynda also takes a project-based approach to learning that allows users to learn by doing. The platform tightly integrates with LinkedIn profiles and corporate learning programs, making it easy for professionals and businesses to track skills development.
Cons: As Lynda is now owned by a larger company in LinkedIn, it may lack some independence and focus on education that it once had as a standalone platform. The pricing can also be higher compared to some other online learning platforms targeted at individual users.
Pricing: Lynda offers monthly and annual subscriptions plans. For individuals, prices start at $19.99/month or $299 annually for unlimited access to its entire library of courses. Corporate and educational subscriptions are also available with additional seats and features.
As of 2023, Lynda offers over 15,000 online video courses taught by industry experts. The platform has over 10 million members and is accessible in 28 languages. Monthly active users spend an average of 8 hours per month on the platform learning new skills.
10. Pluralsight
Pluralsight is an online learning platform that offers a comprehensive library of technology and creative skills video courses taught by expert authors. Founded in 2004, Pluralsight has grown to host over 10,000 courses and aims to help organizations and individuals gain skills to build better products.
Pros: Some key advantages of Pluralsight include:
– Large library that can be overwhelming with content choices across many technologies and roles
– Courses are well-structured by topic for easier navigation and learning paths
– Interactive features like assessments keep learners engaged and help measure comprehension
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that while the content is well-produced, some courses may become outdated over time if not updated frequently enough to keep pace with changing technologies.
Pricing: Pluralsight offers individual and team plans. Pricing starts at around $29 per month for an individual subscription or $299 per year if billed annually. Team and enterprise subscriptions are priced based on the number of users.
Some key stats about Pluralsight include:
– Over 10,000 video courses covering various creative and technical skills
– Courses taught by experts with an average of 15+ years of experience
– Courses are well-produced with interactive elements for engaging learning
– New courses and updates are released frequently to keep content current
11. Creative Live
Creative Live is an online learning platform founded in 2011 that provides interactive live classes, workshops and events on creative and business topics. The company offers its content through their website CreativeLive.com where users can attend live or access a huge on-demand library of pre-recorded classes.
Pros: Some of the key advantages of Creative Live include:
– Platform for interactive live online classes, workshops and events as advertised in their tagline ‘Do what you love’.
– Ability to record live classes and share them to a huge on-demand library for access anytime.
– Engaging virtual classroom experience with features like live chat, Q&A and peer interaction.
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that without the ability to easily download files or follow along projects step-by-step, some classes may be better suited to in-person or offline learning.
Pricing: Creative Live offers different subscription plans priced as follows:
– Individual membership: $15/month or $150/year
– Pro membership: $25/month or $250/year
– Business/Enterprise plans also available for teams and organizations.
Some key stats about Creative Live include:
– Hosts over 500 live online classes, workshops and events each year.
– Over 7,000 on-demand classes in their library across topics like photography, art, design, crafting, marketing and entrepreneurship.
– Has hosted over 4 million attendees globally for their online classes.
– Ranks as one of the top websites for online education according to third party websites like BuiltWith.
12. TalentLMS
TalentLMS is a leading cloud-based learning management system (LMS) software for businesses, associations and online education providers. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Francisco, TalentLMS serves over 5,000 customers globally including 70% of Fortune 500 companies. As a complete online learning platform, TalentLMS allows organizations to easily deploy engaging online courses, track progress and enhance learning outcomes.
Pros: Some key advantages of TalentLMS include:
– Complete learning management platform for businesses and associations.
– Robust reporting, custom branding and single sign-on integrations.
– Variety of templates and engaging content formats included.
– Intuitive interface for creating and managing online courses easily.
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that the premium paid plans can be costly for very large organizations or those with high volume usage.
Pricing: TalentLMS offers three main pricing plans – Basic, Plus and Premium. Pricing starts from $49/month for the Basic plan (up to 50 users) and goes up to $149/month for the Premium plan (unlimited users). There are also Enterprise options for very large deployments.
Some key stats about TalentLMS include:
– Over 5,000 customers worldwide across 100 countries
– 70% of Fortune 500 companies use TalentLMS
– Supports 40+ languages
– Over 25 million users on the platform
– 92% customer retention rate
13. Alison
Alison is an online learning platform that offers free online courses across various topics including business, technology and personal development. Founded in 2007, Alison currently has over 6 million registered learners from around the world. The platform aims to make education accessible and affordable for anyone who wants to upskill and empower their career.
Pros: Some key advantages of Alison include:
– Extensive catalog of free online courses on business and tech topics
– Courses are accessible and can be completed at one’s own pace
– Courses are designed and structured around knowledge check quizzes
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that since the courses are free, they may not offer in-depth learning compared to paid online courses or programs.
Pricing: Alison offers all its courses completely free of cost. Learners can choose to upgrade to a premium or certified track for a small fee if they wish to obtain a verified certificate of completion.
Some key stats about Alison include:
– Over 1000+ free online courses available across 15 categories
– 6 million+ registered learners from over 200 countries
– Courses designed and structured around knowledge check quizzes for effective learning
14. Infor Talent Management
Infor Talent Management is a comprehensive talent management solution from Infor that offers learning, recruiting, performance, and other HR modules. It aims to streamline and automate all aspects of talent acquisition and development within an organization. Infor Talent Management is fully integrated with Infor’s ERP and HCM solutions for seamless data sharing and workflows.
Pros: Key advantages of Infor Talent Management include:
– Robust talent management features spanning learning, recruiting, performance management and other modules
– Integrated platform works seamlessly with Infor’s other HR and back-office applications
– Flexible and customizable workflows and processes to suit an organization’s unique needs
– Scalable to support the talent management requirements of large global enterprises
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that Infor Talent Management works best when used as part of Infor’s broader ERP and HCM suite. As an integrated platform, it may not be as flexible if used as a standalone talent management solution.
Pricing: Pricing for Infor Talent Management depends on factors like the number of users, modules, required customizations and support. It is typically sold under annual subscription licenses. Infor provides transparent pricing on request for an customized quote.
Some key stats about Infor Talent Management include:
– Used by over 16,000 customers globally across various industries
– Supports enterprises with over 100,000 employees
– Integrates with Infor’s ERP, payroll, and other HR systems
– Customizable to meet specific industry and compliance needs
15. SAP SuccessFactors
SAP SuccessFactors is an enterprise-grade cloud-based learning management system (LMS) and human capital management (HCM) software. Part of the broader SAP SuccessFactors HCM suite, the integrated LMS provides a full suite of functionality for implementing corporate training programs, managing compliance, and developing employee skills.
Pros: Key advantages of SAP SuccessFactors LMS include its tight integration within the broader SAP SuccessFactors HCM platform, highly customizable user experience, robust compliance features, and ability to scale to the needs of very large global enterprises.
Cons: A potential disadvantage is the higher price compared to standalone or mid-market LMS solutions due to additional functionality and scale. Significant implementation and customization services are often required as well.
Pricing: Pricing for SAP SuccessFactors LMS is tailored to business needs and depends on user volumes and subscription term. Annual subscription fees apply per active user, with volume discounts available for larger deployments.
Some key stats about SAP SuccessFactors LMS include: Used by over 6,000 customers in more than 190 countries; Over 50 million users; Supports more than 70 localizations and languages; Over 25 years of experience in HCM technology.
Conclusion
Whether you need a full-featured LMS, a tool for interactive online classes or a platform for developing and selling online courses, this list covers the top software options on the market. While the ‘best’ choice depends on your unique needs, these 15 platforms represent leaders in different categories that could be a great starting point in your search. Consider evaluating a few that align most closely with your requirements through available free trials before making your final selection.