{"id":13608,"date":"2022-07-08T14:37:46","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T14:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vmaker.com\/blog\/?p=13608"},"modified":"2026-05-11T03:39:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T03:39:44","slug":"what-is-lms-how-to-choose-best-learning-management-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vmaker.com\/blog\/what-is-lms-how-to-choose-best-learning-management-system\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an LMS (Learning Management System) & How To Choose The Best One?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

There’s no doubt that collaborative learning is the way of the future.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It brings all the good things about in-person learning to the online space and democratises the learning process.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Organisations no longer hesitate to spend time and money on online training. A LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report found that more than 55% of L&D departments were planning to spend more on online learning in the years ahead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As more companies shift to remote and hybrid work models, they all actively look for reliable tools and platforms to help them create, host, manage, deliver, and assess online training content.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This is where an LMS comes in.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

More than 80% of organisations now use a learning management system (LMS)<\/strong>, and the global LMS market is projected to reach roughly $76 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of around 19%.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you are unsure what an LMS is and whether your company needs one, this guide covers everything you need to know about a learning management system in plain language. For broader context on how teams use video for upskilling, see how videos in learning and development<\/a> fit into the modern L&D function.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What is an LMS (Learning Management System)?<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A learning management system<\/em> is an online platform used to create, host, manage, and deliver online courses or training programs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The first learning management systems appeared in the late 1990s. The software was basic at first, with a set of course modules and simple assignment submission features.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In the early 2000s, the corporate world started adopting LMS platforms and authoring tools to meet learning and development needs. Over time, people began using LMSs for a wider range of use cases.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Modern learning management systems are far more advanced. They come with features that make learning more engaging, interactive, and easier to track.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Who uses an LMS?<\/h2><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

LMS platforms are used across many industries for a wide variety of use cases. Two key user types dominate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Administrators<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Administrators handle the management side: course planning and creation, assigning learner groups, tracking progress, and analysing outcomes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Learners<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Learners receive access to their assigned courses and assessments. They can track their own progress through the platform.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Courses can be assigned individually or by role across the company’s organisational structure.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How does a learning management system work?<\/h2><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A learning management system is a large repository of learning resources. It stores, organises, and tracks training content in one platform. Anyone with valid login credentials can access the resources inside.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If the LMS is self-hosted, users either install the software locally or access it through their company’s server. For cloud-based LMSs, access is browser-based and works from anywhere.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Here is what an LMS lets you do:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    \r\n
  1. Create online courses<\/li>\r\n
  2. Organise courses into categories and modules<\/li>\r\n
  3. Deliver courses to learners<\/li>\r\n
  4. Track learning progress<\/li>\r\n
  5. Manage users<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    LMS use cases<\/h2><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Since the pandemic, many organisations have come to rely on a learning management system. Common use cases include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Employee onboarding<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Onboarding new employees is no small task. An LMS lets organisations build specific learning paths for each new hire’s role.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Employee upskilling and retention<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Hiring the right talent matters. Keeping them by investing in their growth and skill development<\/a> matters more. An LMS lets companies tailor their own training materials<\/a> to ensure employees pick up the right skills for their roles.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Compliance training<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    An LMS helps companies create mandatory training and certification programmes for compliance topics like HIPAA, OSHA, GDPR, or industry-specific regulations. Programmes can be assigned, tracked, and evidenced for audits, all from one platform.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Sales enablement<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Hunting down ideal customer profiles and closing deals is hard. Salespeople do it every day. That is why companies train them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Sales enablement training also speeds up onboarding, so new hires arrive equipped with the best sales techniques, scripts, and materials.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Customer training<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Common among software and tech companies. The goal: help customers fully understand the product they have bought, which reduces customer churn and drives expansion revenue.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Partner training<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    A learning management system also works for training partners, channels, and resellers. It helps standardise enablement across an extended sales and delivery network, which directly improves partner programme outcomes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    \"Create<\/a>
    Create engaging training videos with Vmaker<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Different types of LMS<\/h2><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    The main deployment options for a learning management system:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Open-source LMS<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Users can modify the look, feel, and behaviour of the platform by changing the source code. The trade-off: you need decent programming knowledge to customise the system properly.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Enterprise LMS<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Commercial learning management systems with strong support and a feature set that helps organisations create, manage, and deploy courses without engineering effort.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    SaaS LMS<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Cloud-based learning management systems with regular updates and features that suit a range of industries. Usually subscription-based, with the vendor handling hosting and maintenance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Installed LMS<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Locally hosted on the organisation’s dedicated server. Since it is hosted in-house, the LMS can be fully customised, with the trade-off of higher maintenance cost.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    How do you choose the best learning management system?<\/h2><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Choosing the right LMS is difficult. It is normal to feel overwhelmed by the number of options online.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Analyse the pros and cons of each product. Pick the one that fits your business requirements, not the most popular option. Most popular is rarely the best fit for any specific company.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Three steps before you buy:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    1. Prioritise your needs<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Get clear on your core requirements, then rank them. If your organisation has multiple branches and departments that need training, look for an LMS that lets you build separate learning resources for each department under one account.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    2. Read customer reviews and ratings<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Check reliable review platforms like Capterra<\/em><\/a> and G2<\/em><\/a>. They surface what real users liked and disliked about the software.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Also check testimonials and case studies on the vendor’s site.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    3. Proof of concept<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Before buying, run a proof of concept. Test the platform against your real use cases and see how it performs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Features to look for<\/h2><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    LMS solutions today do more than build and deliver courses. Here is what to look for before choosing your learning management system:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n