Are you struggling to train your team effectively?
Is your current training process a mess of spreadsheets and outdated materials?
You’re not alone. Many businesses face these challenges.
That’s why Learning Management Software (LMS) is crucial.
It streamlines training, tracks progress, and boosts engagement.
But with so many LMS options, finding the right one can be overwhelming.
Don’t worry!
This article highlights the 9 best learning management software for 2025.
We’ll help you find the perfect LMS to transform your training and empower your team.
What is the Best Learning Management Software?
Choosing the right LMS can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
So many platforms exist, each promising unique features. How do you pick the best one?
It depends on your needs. Do you need to sell courses? Or focus on internal training?
This list of the 9 best learning management software will simplify your search.
We’ll explore top contenders to help you find the perfect fit.
1. Thinkific
Thinkific is a popular platform for creating & selling online courses.
It’s user-friendly, even if you’re not tech-savvy.
You can quickly build courses, market them, and manage your students.
Thinkific handles everything from hosting to payments, making it a great all-in-one solution.
Our Take
It excels at helping you create and sell online courses. It’s easy to use and has great features. It loses a few points for its limited community options and the fact that pricing can increase as your business grows. If your primary focus is creating and selling courses, Thinkific is a great choice.
Key Benefits
- Thinkific excels at helping you build and sell online courses.
- Course Creation: Easy-to-use course builder with advanced features.
- Sales & Marketing: Tools to promote your courses and generate leads.
- Student Management: Track student progress and engagement.
- Integrations: Connect with other marketing & sales tools.
Pricing
- Basic: $36/month – Unlimited Courses, 1 Community, 5 Digital Downloads.
- Start: $74/month – Unlimited Courses, 1 Community, Unlimited Digital Downloads.
- Grow: $149/month – Unlimited Courses, 3 Communities, Live Lessons, Membership.
Pros
Cons
2. Teachable
Teachable is another popular platform for creating & selling online courses.
It’s known for its ease of use and strong marketing features.
Like Thinkific, it handles hosting, payments, and student management.
Teachable is a good choice for creators who want to build a thriving online course business.
Our Take
It’s a fantastic platform for creating and selling online courses. However, it loses points for its limited community features and pricing, which can increase as you grow.
Key Benefits
Teachable excels at helping you build and sell online courses.
- Course Creation: Easy-to-use course builder.
- Sales & Marketing: Tools to promote your courses.
- Payment Processing: Seamless integration with payment gateways.
- Student Management: Track student progress and engagement.
Pricing
- Basic: $39 monthly – 5% transaction fee, 5 published products of each type (course, coaching, downloads).
- Pro: $119 monthly – 0% transactions fees, Unlimited membership tiers, Affiliate marketing.
- Pro+: $199/month – 0% transaction fees, 200 Courses, 200 Coaching products.
Pros
Cons
3. Skool
Skool is a community-based learning platform.
It combines courses, community, and coaching into one place.
This makes it ideal for creators who want to build engaged communities around their content.
It’s a newer platform, but it’s quickly gaining popularity.
Our Take
It excels at building engaged communities and offers excellent value for its price. However, it loses a few points due to its slightly limited course customization and fewer marketing integrations than other platforms. If community is your top priority, Skool is worth checking out.
Key Benefits
- Integrated Community: Courses and discussions are seamlessly connected.
- Gamification: Built-in features to reward engagement.
- Easy Course Creation: Simple tools to build and deliver your courses.
- Direct Messaging: Connect with members one-on-one.
Pricing
- 1-month plan: $99/month
Pros
Cons
4. Circle
Circle is a community platform that can also be used for learning.
It’s highly customizable and allows you to create a unique space for your audience.
While not strictly an LMS, it offers features suitable for online courses & communities.
Our Take
It provides a premium community experience with a wide range of features. It loses some points due to its higher price point and slightly steeper learning curve.
Key Benefits
Circle prides itself on fostering deeper connections and providing a distraction-free environment.
They have a proven track record, powering communities for big names like Adobe, ConvertKit, and Teachable.
- Modern Design: Clean and user-friendly interface.
- Robust Features: Discussions, events, and member management.
- Integration Options: Connect with other tools that you use.
- Customization: Tailor the look and feel of your community.
Pricing
Circle offers a 14-day free trial and three main pricing plans:
- Professional: $89 monthly – Rich member profiles, Searchable member directory.
- Business: $199 monthly – Workflows, Custom profile fields, Admin API.
- Enterprise: $360 per month – Unlimited Workflows, Custom single sign-on (SSD.)
- Plus Branded App: Custom Pricing
Pros
Cons
5. Mighty Networks
Mighty Networks is another platform that combines community and courses.
It allows you to create a branded space for your audience.
It’s a good option for creators who want to build a membership-based community with integrated courses.
Our Take
It’s an excellent platform for building online communities, especially with its mobile app. It loses points for its basic course features and pricing, which can add up.
Key Benefits
- Community Focus: Tools for fostering discussions and engagement.
- Course Creation: Build and sell online courses.
- Membership Features: Offer different membership tiers.
- Mobile Apps: Engage your community on the go.
Pricing
Mighty Networks has a few different pricing tiers:
- The Community Plan starts at $41/month: This gives you the basics.
- The Courses Plan starts at $99 per month: This unlocks more features like online courses and live streaming.
- The Business Plan starts at $179 per month: This unlocks more features SSo & Auto generated Polls.
- The Path-to-Pro starts at $360 per month: This is for larger communities with more advanced needs.
Pros
Cons
6. GoHighLevel
GoHighLevel is an all-in-one marketing & sales platform.
It includes features for course creation, community building, and marketing automation.
It’s a powerful tool for businesses that want to streamline their online presence.
Our Take
It’s a powerful platform for agencies and marketers but can be overwhelming for beginners. It loses points for its complexity and steep learning curve.
Key Benefits
GoHighLevel aims to provide all the tools you need to run your online business in one place.
- Marketing Automation: Automate your marketing campaigns.
- Sales Funnels: Build and manage sales funnels.
- Course Creation: Create and sell online courses.
- Community Features: Build and manage your community.
Pricing
- Starter: $97 monthly – All the tools to capture more leads, Nurture & close leads into customers.
- Unlimited: $297 monthly – Everything in the starter plan.
Pros
Cons
7. Kajabi
Kajabi is a popular platform for creating & selling online courses.
It offers various features, including course creation, marketing tools, and community features.
It’s a good, all-in-one solution for course creators.
Our Take
It’s great for online businesses. The price and basic community features are drawbacks. But it’s a strong contender.
Key Benefits
Kajabi simplifies online business management.
They offer a 14-day free trial. Key features include:
- Course creation and hosting.
- Marketing and sales tools.
- Community features.
- Website and landing page builder.
- Payment processing.
Pricing
Kajabi offers different pricing tiers.
These are based on features and usage.
- Kickstarter: $71/mo – 1 Website, 1 Product + 1 Community, 250 Contacts.
- Basic: $119/mo – 1 Website, 3 Product, 10,000 Contacts.
- Growth: $159/mo – 1 Website, 15 Product, 25,000 Contacts.
- Pro: $319/mo – 3 Website, 100 Product, 100,000 Contacts.
Pros
Cons
8. Swarm
Swarm is a platform designed for cohort-based courses.
It focuses on creating a collaborative learning experience.
It’s a good fit for creators who want to teach live or in small groups.
Our Take
It’s great for building basic membership sites and fostering community. However, it loses points for its quickly scaling pricing and limited course features.
Key Benefits
Swarm focuses on ease of use and community building.
It aims to simplify the process of creating & managing a membership site.
- Intuitive Interface: Easy to navigate and set up your community.
- Flexible Memberships: Offer different tiers and access levels.
- Course Creation Tools: Build and sell your online courses.
- Community Engagement: Features to foster discussions and interaction.
Pricing
- Novice: $39 monthly – 1 space, 25 Members, Video, Voice, Text, Paid memberships.
- Pro: $79 monthly – 5 Spaces, 50 Members per space, Live Streams (45 mins).
- Expert: $149/month – Unlimited Spaces, 150 Members per space, Full White Label.
Pros
Cons
9. Bettermode
Bettermode is a community platform that can be used for learning.
It offers features for creating a vibrant community around your courses.
It’s a good choice for creators who want to build a strong community.
Our Take
It’s a strong platform for those who prioritize customization and community engagement. It loses points for its complexity and limited course-building capabilities.
Key Benefits
Bettermode focuses on providing a customizable and engaging community experience.
- Customization: Tailor the look and feel of your community.
- Engagement Tools: Features for fostering discussions and interaction.
- Integration Options: Connect with other platforms.
- Analytics: Track community activity and growth.
Pricing
Bettermode offers a free plan and three paid plans:
- Starter: Free – Bettermode.io Domain, Bettermode Badge, 100 Members.
- Pro: $49/month – Unlimited Members, Custom Domain, Priority support, Advanced Analytics.
- Enterprise: Custom Pricing
Pros
Cons
What to Look for When Choosing a Learning Management Software?
- Ease of Use: Is the platform intuitive for both admins and learners? A clunky interface will hinder adoption.
- Pricing: Does the pricing model align with your budget and number of users? Consider hidden fees.
- Features: Does it offer the necessary tools? Think course creation, assessments, progress tracking, and reporting.
- Integrations: Can it connect with your other software? This saves time and streamlines workflows.
- Customer Support: Is reliable support always available if you encounter issues? Good support is essential.
- Mobile Compatibility: Can learners access training on their mobile devices? Mobile learning is crucial.
- Scalability: Can the platform grow with your business? Choose an LMS that can handle future needs.
- Security: Does the LMS prioritize data security and protect sensitive information?
How Can Learning Management Software Benefit You?
Learning Management Software (LMS) can revolutionize your training programs.
It centralizes all your learning materials in one accessible location.
This eliminates the chaos of scattered files and outdated resources.
An LMS makes tracking learner progress simple and efficient.
You can easily monitor who has completed training and identify areas where learners might need extra support.
Beyond organization, LMS platforms boost learner engagement.
Interactive elements like quizzes, videos, and discussions make learning more dynamic and fun.
This leads to better knowledge retention & improved learning outcomes.
Plus, an LMS automates many administrative tasks.
This frees up your time to focus on what matters most: creating impactful training content.
Buyer’s Guide
Our research process for finding the best learning management system involved thoroughly examining LMS software.
We explored various platforms, from established players like Absorb LMS to newer, innovative solutions.
Our goal was to identify the best LMS options for different needs.
We considered factors like pricing, features, and user experience.
Here’s a breakdown of our research steps:
- Keyword Research: We started by identifying key terms like “learning management system,” “app,” “best learning management system,” “absorb LMS,” “social learning,” “online training,” “LMS software,” “compliance training,” “best LMS,” “learning path,” “employee training,” “personalized learning,” “online learning,” “learning process,” “learning and development,” “LMS system,” “blended learning,” “learning program,” “use LMS,” “training materials,” and “learning needs” to understand what users are searching for.
- Platform Evaluation: We tested each learning management system. We looked at pricing, features, and any negatives. We wanted to see what each platform offered.
- User Reviews: We analyzed user reviews and feedback to get real-world insights.
- Feature Comparison: We simply compared the features of each platform side-by-side.
- Support and Refunds: We checked if each platform offered robust support, community resources, or a refund policy. We prioritized platforms with good support options.
Wrapping Up
Choosing the right learning management software is a big decision.
It impacts your training effectiveness and learner experience.
We’ve covered nine excellent options in this article. Each platform offers something unique.
Thinkific and Teachable are great for selling courses.
Skool and Circle excel at community building. Consider your specific needs and budget.
Don’t rush the process. Test out different platforms if possible.
Our research and insights can help you make an informed choice.
We’ve done the hard work so you can focus on building fantastic learning experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Learning Management System (LMS)?
An LMS is a software application for administering, documenting, tracking, reporting, and delivering educational courses, training programs 2, or other learning and development programs. It helps you manage all aspects of your online learning.
What are the benefits of using an LMS?
An LMS offers many benefits. It centralizes training materials, tracks learner progress, boosts engagement, automates administrative tasks, and provides valuable data insights. It makes training more efficient and effective.
How much does an LMS cost?
LMS pricing varies widely. Some platforms charge a monthly fee, while others charge a usage-based fee. Depending on features and the number of users, costs can range from some dollars a month to hundreds.
What features should I look for in an LMS?
Key features include course creation tools, assessment features, progress tracking, reporting capabilities, communication tools, mobile compatibility, integrations, and customer support. Choose features that align with the specific needs.
How do I choose the right LMS for my business?
Choosing the right LMS depends on several factors. Consider your budget, the size of the organization, your training needs, and your team’s technical skills on different platforms. Before deciding, try free trials.
