The Best LMS for Small Business List
Here’s the list of the best LMS for small businesses that I’ll cover in this article:
- 4. SkyPrep — Easy-to-use LMS platform with an intuitive user experience and quality customer support
- 5. iSpring Learn — Create interactive online courses easily and encourage engagement with advanced gamification features
- 7. TalentLMS — Diverse learning management system with training incentives and drag-and-drop course builder tools
- 8. 360Learning — Collaborative learning management system with flexible content authoring and learner feedback tools
- 9. LearnUpon — Comprehensive LMS system with distinct learning portals for different employee groups
- 10. isEazy LMS — LMS with attractive user interface and useful personalization options based on employee job roles and individual preferences
Our one-on-one guidance will help you find the perfect fit.
Does your organization already have a learning management system (LMS) in place? If not, I recommend you implement one as soon as possible. With learning and development (L&D) trending upward, having a dedicated LMS for small businesses could be a game-changer for your company.
There are so many reasons to invest in a solid learning management system. LMS software helps you centralize your organization's internal learning and training initiatives. They will also improve your employee engagement and enhance your employee's information retention. Their advanced L&D analytics will also make tracking training compliance easier too.
There are many different LMS options on the market, but some are not ideal for small businesses. In this article, I'll walk you through the best LMS options for small businesses and explain what they can do.
Comparison Criteria
Wondering what I look for when selecting the best learning management systems for small business? Here’s a summary of my LMS evaluation criteria:
- User Interface (UI): I’ve selected LMS software with clean, colourful and uncomplicated interfaces to make the learning experience fun and engaging.
- Usability: I prioritize systems that organize their online learning content in an easily understandable way, with bonus points given to systems that can tailor how content is displayed for different user groups to avoid a cluttered user experience.
- Integrations: I look for systems that have native integrations with other commonly used HR software applications or the ability to create custom integrations through an API.
- Value for $: I prefer pricing structures that are transparent and affordable for small businesses, especially flat monthly fees not tied to the number of system users.
LMS for Small Business: Key Features
Here’s a summary of the main LMS features you can expect to find in the best LMS for small business:
- Customizable branding: The ability to change the appearance of your training portal so it includes your corporate logo and resembles your company brand.
- Course content libraries: Many systems come with preloaded content libraries for a variety of industries, so you can access top-quality material without having to create it yourself from scratch.
- Multimedia content authoring tools: The ability to combine multimedia files such as text, images, video clips, audio clips, presentation slides, weblinks, and more into engaging digital training content.
- Learning paths: A feature that allows you to organize training content so it must be completed sequentially.
- Distinct learning groups: It’s helpful to be able to designate training courses for distinct employee groups since not all training will be relevant for all roles. Having different learning groups makes it easier to maintain a better user experience, by only giving users access to what they actually need.
- Diverse question & answer formats: There’s more than just multiple-choice questions. The best LMS systems have more options, including true or false, image-word match, fill-in-the-blank, and others.
- Engagement tools: Features that incentivize and reward employees for completing e-learning tasks, including points, medals, badges, leaderboard status rankings, or other content gamification features.
- Information retention tools: Built-in functions like quizzes, assessments, and polls that test how well learners are retaining information.
- Automated expiry reminders: Sometimes training courses expire! Automated expiry reminders are appreciated as they keep training compliance numbers high.
- Mobile accessibility: Not all employees work from a desk, so mobile device accessibility is important as well.
Related: Key Learning Management System (LMS) Features You Need To Know
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Overviews of the 10 Best LMS for Small Business
Below you’ll find a brief description of each LMS for small business that explains the tool’s key features, plus screenshots to show the user interface.
Trakstar
Create training systems, onboarding programs, upskilling content, and learning paths
Trakstar offers a purpose-built learning management system (LMS) through its Trakstar Learn module, which allows HR professionals to create engaging training systems, onboarding programs for new hires, quality upskilling content, and effective learning paths. Trakstar is ideal for small businesses looking for an all-in-one HR solution for talent management, as it offers performance management, applicant tracking, workforce analytics, and learning management solutions.
Trakstar Learn is a learning management system that can support large enterprises as well as small businesses. It is SCORM-compliant, which means that any course content created with Trakstar Learn is supported by and can be uploaded to other LMS systems that are also SCORM-compliant. This will result in better accessibility as learners are able to access valuable learning content with virtually any SCORM-compliant LMS.
Learners can easily access meaningful learning content and materials, whether they’re taking a course in work safety, regulatory compliance, or product/service training across different sectors like higher education, eCommerce, government, and healthcare. Trakstar’s cloud-based LMS can be used online, in person, or in a hybrid environment to maximize its capabilities; i.e., learners can get the most out of the onboarding program, upskilling content, and ongoing training courses.
Small businesses with a relatively small workforce can use the quizzes and assessments feature to engage their employees with multiple-choice questions, problem solving, short answers, and other related questionnaire types. Businesses are not charged to start using the various Trakstar products. They also get unlimited storage for course content, sessions, reviews, and other data. Reporting is included in the subscription.
Pricing for Trakstar is quote-based. Small businesses can complete the request form on the Trakstar pricing page to get a personalized price quote.
Connecteam
Easy to use course creation tool best suited for onboarding & basic job training
Connecteam is an all-in-one learning management system that enables SMBs to create online courses and training programs for their employees. Users can easily upload lessons, presentations, videos, and quizzes and organize this content into structured courses and learning paths. Employees can access the platform on any device to complete courses on their schedule. Administrators have a dashboard to monitor engagement, progress, and results. The software’s survey feature lets managers gather employee feedback on their learning experiences. Its notification system allows users to automate email and push notifications sent to learners throughout the course.
Connecteam has messaging and communication tools to help users engage learners and foster teamwork. They can create groups, send messages, and interact with trainees. These features help create a more social and intuitive learning experience that keeps employees invested in the training process. The platform provides businesses with various course templates, which they can customize with their branding and training content. Connecteam simplifies onboarding by delivering an intuitive process where companies can upload training materials, such as policies, job descriptions, and welcome videos. The software also features an e-signature function, enabling companies to ensure employees acknowledge the materials before commencing work.
Connecteam allows supervisors to monitor employee progress and gather valuable insights. Managers can track individual and group performance, test scores, and communication for audits and compliance. These features allow SMBs to constantly iterate their training programs and make data-driven decisions for their employee development. Connecteam’s mobile apps for Android and iOS devices make it easier for staff to access their training modules and communicate with their supervisors, providing a flexible training experience. The app allows employees to learn independently, complete tasks, and share with colleagues, providing seamless employee training and development experience.
When an employee excels in their training, onboarding, or upskilling, you can use the Connecteam rewards and recognition program to shout them out. Assign points that can be traded for customized gifts, or create social awards to acknowledge them in a public channel. You can encourage peer-to-peer recognition to keep your team motivated (and even a little bit competitive) about training and upskilling.
Integrations include Google Calendar, Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, and others.
WeSchool
Best Learning Management System for teams that want to get started with training
WeSchool is a learning management system (LMS) that guides businesses and educational institutions to create effective in-person and online courses, training programs, and other learning activities. But it goes a step further. WeSchool’s social learning features and easy-to-use interface engages users to favor retention and participation, which is further enhanced by its analytics and dashboard metrics.
Why I picked WeSchool:
I chose WeSchool because not only is it much easier to use than other LMSs out there, but the platform guides you to create personalized training paths regardless of experience. It's suitable for businesses and educational institutions of all sizes, and it can be easily customized to fit the specific needs of each organization.
From links, videos, PDFs, audio or documents, creating engaging and interactive courses is as simple as drag and drop. Instructors can easily create and manage courses, set up quizzes and assessments and upload or embed content directly into the platform or by uploading it from a service of their choice in whatever format they prefer.
Real-time data can be used to improve training experiences by understanding how users are engaging with training materials and assessments, the total number of training materials completed and the average time spent on individual assessments.
Organizations can seamlessly customize the look and feel of their WeSchool platform, allowing it to reflect their branding and be instantly recognizable to their users. The platform also offers a variety of communication touchpoints, including a discussion forum, private messaging, and conversations centered around content materials. These features enhance collaboration among users, ensuring a smooth and engaging learning experience.
WeSchool Standout Features & Integrations
Features include course creation and management, assessment creation, progress tracking, course usage reports, communication tools (both private and public), organizational tools, live sessions, and a mobile app for learning on the go. You can also design your own certificates for course completion and personalize your learning environment.
Integrations include Single Sign-On, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zooms, and Webex - as well as any other video conference integration of preference. A perfect solution to not interfere with your current tool of choice.
SkyPrep
Easy-to-use LMS platform with an intuitive user experience and quality customer support
SkyPrep is a powerful and intuitive learning management system (LMS) that helps small businesses train their employees, customers, and partners with ease. SkyPrep provides an easy-to-use and intuitive platform that was developed for non-technical users to make the learning experience engaging and effortless for both admins and learners alike.
The modern design, simplified navigation, and efficient user flows make everything uncomplicated, from viewing information, accessing different features in the platform, to completing tasks.
SkyPrep is not just known for providing an easy-to-use LMS, they are also known for their best-in-class customer support. Every client on a paid plan is paired with a single dedicated and knowledgeable Customer Success Manager and a personalized action plan is created to help them get the most out of the solution.
Whether small businesses are looking to onboard new staff, upskill employees, train customers on their products, or keep up with compliance requirements, SkyPrep makes the training experience easy and seamless.
SkyPrep integrates with ADP, Google, Microsoft Office 365, PayPal, Salesforce, Zoom, and more. Additional integrations can be accessed through a paid plan with Zapier.
Pricing details for SkyPrep are available upon request. You can also request a 14-day free trial through their website.
iSpring Learn
Create interactive online courses easily and encourage engagement with advanced gamification features
iSpring Learn is everything you’d expect from an LMS: automated training delivery, learning paths, and mobile learning. You can help new employees adapt to the workplace quickly, identify and develop their competencies and qualifications, create training content with quizzes and multimedia online, and build an ever-expanding corporate knowledge base.
iSpring Learn is designed with the needs of small and medium-sized companies in mind and will let you scale your business by upskilling your team and enhancing business processes. iSpring Learn also has gamification features like leaderboards, points, and badges to encourage employee engagement.
iSpring Learn's interface is super intuitive and you can customize it by adding your brand colors and logo. Thanks to the interface, even people without strong tech skills can master all the capabilities right away. Even employees enjoy their learning experiences on the platform; it’s so user-friendly and modern looking that browsing and taking courses feels like selecting a TV show on Netflix.
The main advantage of iSpring Learn is that it lets you go beyond training to make a real difference. A built-in newsfeed keeps all employees up to date on product releases and company news. A 360-degree performance appraisal module helps you track the precise competencies of each employee and even identify hidden interpersonal challenges among them. And its reporting engine is a game-changer for your communication with business executives: they trust metrics, and iSpring Learn generates progress reports that clearly show how your training activities affect teams and business.
iSpring Learn integrates via REST/SOAP API with your HR system, corporate portal, ERP system, and other systems used by your back office, as well as things like Zoom and single sign-on (SSO).
Pricing for iSpring Learn starts at $2.99/user/month, billed annually. They also offer a 30-day free trial.
Groundwork1
Best email based employee training system
Groundwork1 is a learning management system (LMS) that's been designed with small businesses in mind. It's a cloud-based platform that helps you create, manage, and deliver eLearning courses. It's a great tool for businesses that want to provide training for their employees, but don't have a huge budget or a lot of time to spend on setting up a complex system. It's user-friendly, so you don't need to be a tech wizard to figure out how to use it. Plus, it's got a super affordable price tag, especially considering all the features it offers.
Groundwork1 is actually billed as an 'email based employee training system.' I've never seen that offered before, so it makes Groundwork1 stand out. You can send training modules right to their email, which is great for small cybersecurity lessons, process updates, and virtual onboarding. It has secure downloads for material that is easier to access locally, action buttons to confirm that an employee has taken a specific action outside of the eLearning system, and a digital signature so they can confirm they completed the course. This is great for accountability, though the completion tracking metrics help with this too.
There are a few features that make Groundwork1 stand out from the crowd. It's got an intuitive course builder. You can easily create engaging courses with multimedia content, quizzes, and interactive elements. It also has a great tracking and reporting feature. This lets you see how your learners are doing, so you can adjust your training as needed. The mobile learning feature means learners can access course material on their smart device, meaning your employees can access their training from anywhere.
Automatic email reminders will fire if an employee hasn't completed their module(s) in a timely manner. People are busy, so this is a great way to make sure their training doesn't get neglected. You can schedule when these are sent. The course builder is drag-and-drop, letting you upload and then place multimedia assets quickly. Obviously, you need to have the assets ready to go beforehand, but the actual course assembly is faster than most systems I've seen.
Integrations were not listed on their site, but it makes sense that they would at least connect to popular email platforms like Google and Outlook.
TalentLMS
Diverse learning management system with training incentives and drag-and-drop course builder tools
TalentLMS supports a wide range of training programs, including employee training (e.g., onboarding, compliance, lifelong learning and remote workforce training), department training (e.g., customer support, sales and marketing), and external training (e.g., customer, partner and extended enterprise training). You can create your own courses using a drag-and-drop building tool that supports text, presentation files and video content, or embed other features like quizzes, tests, assignments or surveys to evaluate learners at the end of each course. You can also use TalentLMS to create custom course certificates to acknowledge training completion too.
To help connect employees who are completing training remotely, TalentLMS supports video conferences, and includes tools to start discussions, send messages, or leave course feedback. In addition, their system includes incentives for training completion, such as badges, points, rewards, and a leaderboard, to gamify the learning experience and make it more fun.
TalentLMS integrates with BambooHR, GoToMeeting, Salesforce, Zapier and Zoom. They also have an API to support additional custom software integrations too.
Talent LMS has a freemium plan that lets you host 10 courses for up to 5 users. After that, pricing for their paid plans starts at $69 USD/month for up to 40 users, with additional options to scale up for larger workforces too.
360Learning
Collaborative learning management system with flexible content authoring and learner feedback tools
360Learning is a modern LMS focused on collaborative learning and helping organizations upskill from within by tapping into their existing network of employee knowledge. Their main goal is to empower knowledge sharing and real-time feedback in an engaging, easy-to-use learning environment.
Their authoring tools include course templates, cheat sheets, video recording tools, numerous question and answer formats, and an answer correction feature that improves information retention. To further measure information comprehension, their Knowledge Check feature keeps learners engaged by intermittently quizzing them on items they recently learned.
A combination of collaborative editing tools, plus co-authoring and group-level authoring tools allow multiple authors to develop content together. Content authors also have access to a centralized feedback inbox, making it easier to track suggestions instead of following pings and tags in multiple locations. To further support collaboration, learners can give feedback at the activity level by adding a Reaction Score or a Relevance Score at the end of each course.
360Learning integrates with 25+ commonly used software tools, including content programs like Busuu, Canva, Coursera, Genially, LinkedIn Learning, Loom, OpenClassrooms, SCORM, Skillsoft and Udemy Business, and HCM systems like BambooHR, Cornerstone, HiBob, and SAP SuccessFactors. They also have a Chrome extension and integrations with Salesforce, Slack, Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
Pricing for 360Learning starts at $8 USD/user/month for up to 100 users. You can also request a free demo or a 30-day free trial through their website.
LearnUpon
Comprehensive LMS system with distinct learning portals for different employee groups
LearnUpon LMS allows teams to create dynamic content in a range of formats that can be mixed and matched, including extensive, multi-part or bite-sized training using SCORM or xAPI files, video clips or documents. Like most LMS systems in this list, their platform also comes with lots of engagement features, including earning badges and points, a leaderboard, and multimedia banners to highlight important messages. You can also customize their system to award course credits and completion certificates to your employees too.
One thing I like about their platform is the ability to segregate your users into different groups through distinct learning portals. This is helpful to streamline your individual user’s experience, since different types of staff will have different types of training requirements. By only allowing users to see and access the training that’s relevant to them, their user experience will be improved instead of cluttered and confusing. You can also create learning paths that link courses together in a sequence, with guardrails for progression criteria and timeframes for completion.
Other helpful features in LearnUpon’s platform include the ability to automate key tasks like reminders, notifications and pre-scheduled reports. They also have a discussion forum for learners, a robust learner-facing mobile app, and a training dashboard, which updates in real time. On top of all that, their system is available in 20 different languages too.
LearnUpon integrates with many webinar tools, including Adobe Connect, GoToWebinar, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, and Zoom, as well as other commonly used systems like Salesforce, Degreed, and Zapier. Their webhooks and flexible API also support additional custom software integrations too.
Pricing details for LearnUpon are available upon request. You can also request a free demo or a free trial through their website.
isEazy LMS
LMS with attractive user interface and useful personalization options based on employee job roles and individual preferences
isEasy LMS gives organizations the tools they need to identify training requirements, plan and allocate resources, execute and automate the training roll out, and evaluate their training impact with tools to measure compliance by person, department, region, or other useful characteristics.
Their user interface uses blocks and cards to organize course content, and it can be personalized based on user behaviors. Users can also rate content, share their opinions and ideas post-completion, and collaborate with others through live classrooms, forums or posts. Other useful features include automatic and personalized notifications for users, certificates and diplomas that automatically generate each time a user completes a course, and the ability to automatically schedule business intelligence reports.
Pricing for isEasy LMS starts at 350€ per month for up to 100 users. You can also request a free demo or free trial through their website.
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The 10 Best LMS for Small Business Summary
Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Trakstar Create training systems, onboarding programs, upskilling content, and learning paths | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
2 | Connecteam Easy to use course creation tool best suited for onboarding & basic job training | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $29/month for 30 users (paid annually) | Visit Website |
3 | WeSchool Best Learning Management System for teams that want to get started with training | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $49/month (25 licenses) | Visit Website |
4 | SkyPrep Easy-to-use LMS platform with an intuitive user experience and quality customer support | 14-day free trial | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
5 | iSpring Learn Create interactive online courses easily and encourage engagement with advanced gamification features | 30-day free trial | From $2.87/user/month (billed annually) | Visit Website |
6 | Groundwork1 Best email based employee training system | Free plan available | From $1.50/user/month | Visit Website |
7 | TalentLMS Diverse learning management system with training incentives and drag-and-drop course builder tools | Free demo + free plan available | From $89/month | Visit Website |
8 | 360Learning Collaborative learning management system with flexible content authoring and learner feedback tools | 30-day free trial | From $8/user/month | Visit Website |
9 | LearnUpon Comprehensive LMS system with distinct learning portals for different employee groups | Free trial available | From $8.32/user/month | Visit Website |
10 | isEazy LMS LMS with attractive user interface and useful personalization options based on employee job roles and individual preferences | Request a free demo | From 350€/month for up to 100 users | Visit Website |
Other LMS Options
Here are a few more LMS options that didn’t make the best learning management system list:
- Tovuti
Sophisticated learning management system with rich employee engagement features and robust admin settings
- Trakstar Learn
Trusted LMS platform, well-suited for tracking mandatory training compliance
- Easy LMS
Affordable, user-friendly LMS with useful administrator tools and a training Academy, available in multiple languages
- CoreAchieve
Functional LMS software, available as a pre-designed SaaS or customizable PaaS model
- Agylia LMS
Straightforward LMS with a visually rich interface and content distribution groups for a simplified user experience
- EdApp
Mobile LMS solution with research-backed tools to improve information retention, well-suited for deskless workers
- eloomi
Combined LMS and performance management solution, well-designed for onboarding and ongoing training compliance
- Constructor
Easy to use LMS with AI-powered course content creation for a multimedia, interactive approach to learning
- KMI LMS
Straightforward LMS platform with helpful integrations for easy content authoring from Microsoft or Google systems
- Coassemble
Online training course management system with deep user data analytics that link training outcomes to business impacts.
What’s the Difference Between a Learning Management System and a Training Management System?
The terms “learning” and “training” are often used interchangeably, though they are technically different in scope.
Training forms one portion of a learning management program, but training is focused on teaching the user a specific task and how to perform it correctly. Health & safety procedures or other technical skills are common examples of this.
On the other hand, learning is intended to expand, develop or enhance a learner’s skills, and is more focused on long-term career development. In this category, you’ll find training on softer topics such as management skills, or a course on how to be an effective mentor.
Training and learning are both important, and for that reason, most LMS systems in this list do incorporate them both within their learning management software. While a true training management system would only focus on procedural training, learning management systems tend to have a broader, more comprehensive focus.
If you’re interested in the nitty gritty distinction between training and learning, take a look at Learning vs Training: What’s the Difference and Why Do You Need to Know, by the Academy to Innovate HR.
Other Resources
If you made it this far, I hope this list helped you find an LMS solution that piques your interest.
Need some ammunition to get buy-in from your executive committee? Take a look at our article outlining How a Learning Management System Can Benefit Your Business for a quick and digestible summary.
Curious what other LMS options are available for larger organizations? Take a look at our original list of the best learning management systems, which may have what you’re looking for.
Last but not least, I recommend you sign up for our free People Managing People newsletter to receive our latest content aimed at helping leaders, managers, and business owners achieve greater success in the workplace.
Also Worth a Read: Best HRIS for Small Businesses to Manage HR Data