You might feel overwhelmed by all the available options if you’re searching for an LMS (or learning management system) for your organization. Some LMS vendors don’t even use the acronym, instead calling their solutions an LXP (learning experience platform), TXP (talent experience platform), or a learning ecosystem. How are you supposed to compare apples to apples when some vendors insist that they’re a strawberry?
Craig Weiss is a thought leader in the e-learning industry with over two decades of experience. He has firsthand knowledge of thousands of e-learning solutions new and old and receives regular updates on upcoming features and refreshes before the general public. Weiss uses this inside info to release two top-10 lists every year: one backward-looking in December and another forward-looking in January. This year, Weiss has released a top-75 list of systems he’s considering for his top-10 lists, giving LMS buyers plenty of strong contenders to choose from.
If you don’t want to blindly go through a list of 75 LMS solutions, Weiss has you covered. His latest project, FindAnLMS.com, makes it easy to compare the best learning systems in the world head-to-head based on your organization’s specific needs, guided by Weiss’s exclusive insights and ratings every step of the way. You can create a free account on FindAnLMS.com right now to get started or keep reading for a brief snapshot of some of the great systems profiled on the site.
How does Craig Weiss decide which systems are in the Top 75?
Weiss considers several factors in his decision-making process including overall functionality, next-gen capabilities, UI for both administrators and end users, and analytical tools. He does not consider factors that don’t affect a system’s performance such as how many clients they have or what brand names are listed on their websites. Vendors cannot pay Weiss to be included on his annual lists either, nor do vendors on FindAnLMS.com receive any special treatment.
What kinds of systems will I see on FindAnLMS.com?
Weiss curates the best LMS solutions in the world for FindAnLMS.com, so you’ll only see the best of the best on the site. Here are 14 examples:
Cornerstone
Weiss names Cornerstone as the top platform for skills management feature sets in 2021 with a strong third-party content marketplace covering professional skills, leadership training, compliance, and more. Its interface actively encourages employee engagement, and the parent company recently acquired EdTech to add LXP capabilities to an already robust package.
Learn Amp
Learn Amp consistently ranks as a top-five system on Weiss’s lists because it can do it all. The company describes its product as a learning ecosystem with strong metrics, learning capabilities such as channels and playlists, and many integrations. The system is also highly customizable.
Fuse
Fuse was Weiss’s top-ranked learning management system at the beginning of 2022 and should fully embrace cohort-based learning by the end of 2023. Everything on the platform is tied to “communities” for easy segmentation, giving it a unique look compared to other systems. Fuse also has outstanding search capabilities that work just like Google.
Absorb
Notably, Absorb’s inclusion on this list assumes that you will be buying all of the company’s optional add-ons. Absorb Create LI is an outstanding course authoring tool, while Absorb Analyze facilitates data visualization that tells a story. Throw in Absorb Infuse to bridge the gap between online learning and practical applications and Absorb Engage to engage learners and you have a winner.
AcademyOcean
AcademyOcean stands out for its multithreading capabilities, allowing admins to create an unlimited number of training portals called “academies” with custom branding and domain names. The system also includes all of the basic features you would expect such as personalized learning paths and custom certificates.
Biz Library Skills
Biz Library Skills is the first LMS to map all skills to the content users are taking, making it easy to upskill employees for their dream job or verify that fresh hires will be able to hit the ground running. Weiss notes that this emphasis on skills is likely to appear in other systems down the road.
D2L Brightspace
D2L offers a superlative skills management feature set that plays particularly well in the association market. Weiss also expects the company to fully embrace cohort-based learning by 2023.
DeGreed
DeGreed is a dedicated upskilling platform with an opportunities module that transforms it into a true TXP. Weiss notes that its content curation is second to none while the optional DeGreed Intelligence add-on offers features like Guidebooks that stand out in a crowded industry.
Thought Industries
Weiss named Thought Industries as the best system for the customer education market in both 2021 and 2022. It offers a slick UI/UX (or learner experience) for both learners and administrators, metrics that are tied to the unique needs of customer training, and powerful virtual classroom capabilities (vILT).
OnPoint Digital
The greatest strength of OnPoint Digital is that you can strip it down to the stubs to create full customization. The platform is also mobile-friendly and engages learners through gamification and social learning opportunities. API integrations make it easy to connect your LMS to other programs as well.
PluralSight
PluralSight is unique in that it is 100-percent technical skills-based, featuring nearly 1,000 hands-on labs to give learners practical experience with coding languages such as Python and JavaScript, cloud computing, IT operations, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Schoox
Schoox is a true TXP capable of handling all of an organization’s e-learning needs, though its e-commerce capabilities only represent the bare minimum required for customer education. Otherwise, Weiss notes that the platform is just solid everywhere.
Eurekos
Weiss named Eurekos as the runner-up in his 2022 Customer Education Bracket for its excellent built-in course authoring tool, strong UI/UX, and extensive Virtual Marketplace. The vendor is also improving their website to communicate everything their platform can do.
GyrusAim
GyrusAim excels at closing the gap between online learning and on-the-job training by automatically validating that employees have the skills they need to get the job done. The system also boasts strong metrics and outstanding customer service should anything go awry.
Find the best learning management systems on FindAnLMS.com
Craig Weiss makes his annual lists to help consumers find a great LMS for their needs, but, of course, your specific situation dictates what kind of system would work for you. FindAnLMS.com is the only place to compare the top names for multiple industries with expert guidance, so create a free account to get started today!
