It’s no secret that learning management system software can be a game-changer in the classroom.
LMS training is proven to make the classroom a more interactive, accessible environment.
But it can be difficult to know what the right software is for your business. Evaluating size, functionality, and price of LMS software can be an arduous task. We can help you gain a clearer picture of different LMS software offerings and the industry as a whole by going through the free LMS software available right now.
Check out the list below of the best free LMS software and find the learning management system that best fits your needs. All of the products in this list are ranked by user satisfaction as of October 10, 2019.
The Canvas Learning Management Platform allows schools to build the digital learning environment that meets the unique challenges faced by their institution. Canvas simplifies teaching, elevates learning, and eliminates the headaches of supporting and growing traditional learning technologies. Canvas is made up of a powerful set of highly integrated learning products that allow institutions to get all of the functionality they need and none that they don’t.
Features:
What users like:
"I really like that everything is in one place. I can interact with my students through quizzes (which are automatically graded and entered into the grade book,) I can take attendance, and communicate with the messaging feature. I am so glad my university switched from Blackboard."
Canvas review by Deryc P.
What users dislike:
"On the teacher’s side of canvas, uploading assignments and quizzes and files can get a little confusing. I was a teacher's assistant for some classes, and I had some difficulties figuring out how to upload assignments. I did figure out how to work things out, it just took a little bit of navigating!"
Canvas review by Lauriane G.
TalentLMS is an enterprise-friendly, cloud-based learning management system that is highly customizable and easy to maintain. The secret to TalentLMS’s success lies in its simplicity, as it is easy to navigate and customize.
Features:
What users like:
"Talent LMS is a user-friendly training portal our employees can access from anywhere. The features available and the flexibility of the system allow us o tailor the training system to our needs. And the customer support has always been quick and responsive."
TalentLMS review by Amelia K.
What users dislike:
"As a Super Admin User, there are some back office functions that are possibly not explained as clearly as they could be meaning that I have to ask for help directly from the team. I find myself sometimes manually changing things in the background for each of our courses or branches that I am certain could probably be done in one go."
TalentLMS review by Sarah T.
Schoology is a widely-used learning management system that is popular in many high schools. Its format is highly adaptable to different needs and learning styles and is easily adjustable to fit the goals of a particular classroom, school, or district as a whole.
Features:
What users like:
"I like the interface because it is easy to navigate for students and it not too complex for teachers to use that are not very good with technology. It has great features that make it a comprehensive LMS for my classroom. It has all of the basic elements of an LMS, but it also has more advanced options like graded assessments, adaptive release, and integration with Google and Microsoft."
Schoology review by Sheila M.
What users dislike:
"I don't love the assessment feature, I feel like it could use a few tweaks to make data assessment easier for me. I am confident that the Schoology team is receptive to this information and will continue improving this over time! There is a lot of work on the front end to get your classes set up and resources really put into place, but I feel like next year this will be an invaluable time saver because I put in the work on the front side."
Schoology review by Jennifer S.
Blackboard is a well-trusted and well-reviewed option that comes with a polished mobile app in addition to its web interface. It is widely-used in schools and universities, and can be accessed on a variety of devices.
Features:
What users like:
"Blackboard does have some great features. It is a great content management platform where it is very easy to manage course materials, manage full-time positions, and manage both your courses (from a student's end), and grade submissions (from an instructor's point of view). It is easy to access through both Windows and MacOS, and is good to have all things in one place.'
Blackboard Learn review by Divyanshi M.
What users dislike:
"It could look better and be organized in a more concise fashion. The look is outdated and it seems as if everything is in the same font/style which is hard on the eyes."
Blackboard Learn review by Hannah D.
Chamilo functions as an LMS that capitalizes on fostering a community of educators and students. The platform values feedback and collaboration among educators to ensure users are getting the most out of the system.
Features:
What users like:
"I love the simplicity and easiness for the final user, specially for people that are not from the IT world. Another aspect that I love from Chamilo is that all its development it totally based on international standards and it has a true open-source license."
Chamilo review by Jose Arturo M.
What users dislike:
"Chamilo has to improve in some connections by native way. There are some functional plugins but it's important to have more community and more developers because the product is amazing."
Chamilo review by Andreu D.
Moodle enables educators to custom-design their own private websites with personalized courses for students. It also is adaptable to all types of learners and class sizes.
Features:
What users like:
"The best thing about the Moodle platform is the ability it has so that students can complement their knowledge by interacting with their teachers, since it allows you to perform many tasks available to everyone."
Moodle review by Ivan Danilo G.
What users dislike:
"I don't like there isn't a submission reminder. It would be a lot more helpful if there were reminders if you didn't finish a submission . Sometimes i will get side tracked and only finish half the project. I wish i did have more access to my own profile to change my name and add some more information."
Moodle review by Katie K.
LatitudeLearning gives educators all the tools they need to ensure that their students are getting the most out of their LMS experience. Individual learning plans are at the center of this learning management system.
Features:
What users like:
"It is a complete LMS and has a lot of features. There are also a lot of customization options to suit your needs. It is particular good for compliance training as there are tracking features. The reporting features are also good and complete."
LatitudeLearning review by Elijah L.
What users dislike:
"The user interface could be a little smoother and more friendly. In our industry we have a lot of individuals not computer savvy so user interface could use some improvement."
LatitudeLearning review by Chris C.
Co-founded by LMS experts from Harvard and MIT, Appsembler- Tahoe boasts a learner-centric focus and easy scalability to a large amount of users. It also allows for course research to be done through the system, adding a game-changing research component to the learning environment.
Features:
What users like:
"Appsembler's multi-tenant Open edX platform is rock-solid. We have not experienced a single outage since our class began in December 2018. Their support is very responsive. I typically get a response back within an hour. Overall, we are very happy with the system. Their branding and styling wrapper made setup a breeze."
Appsembler- Tahoe review by Mike K.
What users dislike:
"Managing multiple courses for multiple segments is a challenge; we need a better interface for enterprise level administration."
This list of free learning management system software provides a look at all of the capabilities of a learning management system that you shouldn’t feel a need to pay for. If you need more resources for finding the best LMS software, check out G2’s guide to the highest-rated LMS software.
Whether they’re employed in the classroom or in the office, it’s no secret that learning...
by Rob Browne
Free virtual private network (VPN) solutions are tempting.
by Sudipto Paul
