7 High-Quality and Low-Cost LMS Applications for Employee Skill Development

What are the best LMS apps for employee skill development?

When you implement a learning management system, you receive access to an online program or software through which employees can participate in learning courses and review educational material. In some cases, you can set up prebuilt classes provided by the vendor or create custom coursework focused on the tech and business skills and concepts most important to your organization.

When looking for an LMS system, Chris Dukich, founder and CEO of Display NOW, says companies should prioritize simplicity, easy expansion and compatibility with other available systems. “It’s also critical to think about if the platform is available for mobile use and if there are any report generation capabilities to assess the activities of employees,” Dukich noted.

Here are some of the best LMS applications that may be right for your team.

1. iSpring Learn LMS

With more than 744,000 active users, iSpring Learn LMS is one of the best cloud-based learning management systems for small businesses and enterprise-level training programs. It’s a complete learning system that allows instructors to create and distribute course content and monitor student performance from a central dashboard.

What separates iSpring Learn from other LMS applications is its fully integrated, powerful authoring tool and detailed custom reports. Business owners and managers can view these reports and identify where a particular team member lacks skills and knowledge.

The program allows employees to take courses at their own pace, extract critical learning points from the course content and derive key action items. Students and instructors can reach out to each other for instant feedback or instructions related to any part of a course.

If you already have training content for your employees in Word, PowerPoint or audio and video files, you can upload those to iSpring LMS and create a ready-to-use web-based course. iSpring Learn LMS can also be accessed via iPhone and Android apps, through which students can download course content, complete it offline and sync it with their accounts once they are back online.

2. TalentLMS

TalentLMS is another leading cloud-based learning management system with thousands of satisfied users in the corporate and academic worlds. It offers an attractive user interface that helps users quickly familiarize themselves with its options and features. You can create courses by uploading existing course material or developing brand-new content. This app also allows you to publish courses under your own business domain name.

Users can view courses on mobile devices via TalentLMS iOS and Android apps. Notably, the platform has a free plan that allows five users and 10 courses. You can get a feel for the platform and upgrade to a paid plan as you scale.

3. Litmos LMS

With more than 30 million users, Litmos LMS (formerly SAP Litmos) is one of the most popular cloud-based learning management systems available. In addition to standard course creation, distribution and monitoring features, Litmos supports integration with a wide range of third-party apps, including Salesforce. 

Litmos allows you to create custom classrooms or one-on-one training sessions. Users can also access the course material using iOS and Android apps. It offers a free, 14-day trial version without course or user number limits. While that might not be enough time to create, run and evaluate a course, you can still get a feel for this powerful LMS solution for small businesses and corporations.

4. LearnUpon

LearnUpon is another modern, easy-to-use and highly affordable cloud-based learning management system that’s particularly useful for large and midsize businesses.

The platform is ideal for companies aiming to create in-house training programs for different departments. The app has extensive user rights-management features that are helpful for companies with multiple departments and complex hierarchies.

LearnUpon also provides e-commerce tools and allows creators to sell their courses online or make them available to public audiences outside their company. It supports Salesforce integration and is also accessible from iOS and Android devices. You can request a live demo of the platform but there’s no free trial. 

5. Educadium

At first glance, Educadium may appear old-fashioned and insufficient for modern training and learning needs. However, a closer look reveals a robust learning management system with a rich selection of features at very affordable rates.

Educadium is a popular LMS among educators because of its simplicity and ease of use. It allows instructors to create separate learning portals or public and private classrooms and assign different learning objectives. Course material can be uploaded as videos, PDFs, Word documents or PowerPoint presentations.

Students and teachers can even collaborate using live chat services. The platform also comes with various handy tools, like design themes and landing page templates, which are helpful for creating interactive online courses.

6. Docebo

Docebo is an excellent LMS choice thanks to its appealing and intuitive platform. It allows you to create personalized learning experiences for multiple audiences and manage them all from a single platform. Notably, Docebo leverages artificial intelligence so you can create more effective learning programs with less effort.

The software integrates with other e-learning tools like LinkedIn Learning and Skills, as well as some of the best customer relationship management (CRM) software, e-commerce and content management tools. You can use Docebo’s mobile app or publish your own app using the company’s app builder.  

7. 360Learning

360Learning is easy to set up and your employees will quickly adapt to the intuitive software. The platform integrates seamlessly with third-party providers like LinkedIn Learning, Coursera and Zoom.

The company focuses on collaborative learning, which means employees of all skill and experience levels share their insights and knowledge. 360Learning is an excellent choice for businesses that want to focus on continuous learning and upskilling.

What factors should you consider when choosing an LMS?

Top learning management systems offer valuable features at affordable rates. However, they differ in terms of the user experience, value-added tools and precise pricing. The right LMS for your business depends on your requirements, budget and objectives.

Here are a few factors to consider before choosing an LMS app for your company:

• Audience size: The first thing to determine is how many employees will use the system. If you have many employees, you may need an LMS app geared toward enterprises that can handle a large influx of enrollments.
• Delivery method: Next, consider how you want to deliver the material to your employees. Do you want learning sessions to occur on a set schedule with specific task deadlines or do you want employees to complete courses on their own time?
• Special features: Weigh any special features that come with the platform you’re eying. For instance, can employees access the app on their mobile devices? Are there built-in discussion forums and can users earn certificates for completing their coursework? How much do these bells and whistles matter to you?
• The grading system: Consider how coursework is graded through the system and what kind of data you can access. For example, it may be helpful to see the percentage of employees who have completed each module successfully and how long it took them. With this information, you can identify areas where the material is unclear and determine if your employees need more help.

As you search for the best LMS app for your organization, take advantage of free trials and demos. Consult online reviews to gauge which platforms suit your business. When you’re ready to sign up with your vendor of choice, try to negotiate a short-term commitment in case you want to switch to another application later.

What are the benefits of LMS apps for employee development?

An LMS app allows employees to study at their own pace and absorb the skills and concepts presented to enhance their professional knowledge and talents. It also allows managers and decision-makers to identify skills gaps, tailor course material according to team member needs and track progress.

“LMS helps corporations to develop standard and timely training programs for their employees which is very useful in enhancing their skills,” Dukich explained. “This is achieved through a systematic approach to monitor the progress of learning and making the materials available when needed by the employees.”

Here are some of the biggest benefits of using an LMS app with your employees:

• LMS content is available in one location: When you use an LMS app, all educational materials are available and secure in one central location. If you’re using a cloud-based app, your employees can access the information from anywhere.
• LMS apps provide user progress data: If you send employees to an all-day training event, you won’t know what they understood or even paid attention to. With an LMS app, you can monitor their progress, note course milestones, see if they pass quizzes and determine where they need additional help.
• LMS apps are less expensive than other training materials: When you invest in an LMS app, you can stop spending money on all-day training conferences, in-house trainers and printed materials. LMS apps are more effective than other types of training plans at a fraction of the cost.
• LMS apps provide interactive training materials: Employees can take quizzes, participate in online discussions and watch videos explaining the concepts they’re learning, which can help them learn and absorb the material faster.

LMS apps are an excellent complement to other professional development opportunities, including mentorship and one-on-one coaching. When you invest in employee skill development, you signal to your staff how much you care about their role at your company. Your investment in their skills and talents will help you boost employee retention, engagement and productivity.