LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) offers a vast array of online courses covering business, technology, creative services, and certifications. It facilitates learning for all sectors, from SMBs to enterprise settings, with personalized training paths and a rich content library. Additionally, it features interactive instructor-led tutorials, personalized recommendations, and integration with various online education platforms. However, it primarily focuses on hosting content rather than offering comprehensive learning management services.
For those exploring other options in the realm of online learning platforms, alternatives to LinkedIn Learning include Skillsoft, Litmos, Pluralsight, Udacity, Codecademy, Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera, LearnUpon, Cornerstone, Moodle, SuccessFactors, Teachable, and more.
Skillsoft
An exemplar of American educational technology, Skillsoft stands as a pioneer in providing tailored, cloud-based learning experiences. Born out of visionary Charles Moran’s ingenuity in 1998 and currently helmed by CEO Jeff Tarr, Skillsoft continues to enrich the skills of over 45 million users across a myriad of sectors.
Skillsoft Top Features
Cloud-based Learning Management System offering personalized, adaptive learning experiences tailored to users’ skill levels.
Collaboration tools, mobile and offline learning, complemented by social learning.
Constructive integration with third-party applications such as Microsoft and Google workspace.
A broad course library touching upon leadership development, technical skills, compliance training and more.
Recognition of learning progress through digital badges upon course completion
Additional Features
Learning paths customization, reporting and analytics tools, compliance management
Skillsoft Downsides
Lacks advanced administrative capabilities compared to some Learning Management Systems.
The user interface, while functional, may not be as intuitive or engaging compared to other platforms.
Adaptability with certain third-party applications may require significant configuration.
Skillsoft Pricing
The pricing structure accommodates both individual and organizational needs. Individual and Team plans are available from $19/month with custom pricing for Enterprise plans.
Skillsoft Use Cases
Use case 1: Education
Skillsoft’s extensive course library and adaptive learning technology makes it ideal for educational institutions looking to provide tailored, growth-oriented learning experiences to students.
Use case 2: Healthcare
This platform, with its flexibility in on-the-go mobile learning and offline content, proves beneficial for healthcare professionals requiring continual education within demanding schedules.
Use case 3: Financial Services
The comprehensive analytics and strict compliance management offered by Skillsoft becomes a crucial ally for financial sectors that deal with sensitive data and regulatory adherence.
Litmos
A leading player in the cloud-based LMS world, Litmos is utilized by over 20 million learners worldwide. With its inception in 2007, the platform has evolved, becoming part of CallidusCloud, SAP, and Francisco Partners.
Litmos Top Features
Robust content authoring for diverse course creation.
eCommerce capabilities facilitating online business operations.
Task automation for streamlined workflow.
Gamification to enhance user engagement and learning.
Video assessments for interactive learning and feedback.
Custom UI branding/dashboards for a personalized user experience.
Integration Capabilities
Additional Features
Salesforce, HRIS solutions, WordPress, Articulate, and Captivate
Mobile learning, customizable features
Subscriptions: SAP Litmos Pro and SAP Litmos Pro+Courses
24/7 customer support, recognized for usability and fast implementation
Litmos Downsides
Need for enhanced reporting on instructor-led sessions.
Limited integration options compared to some competitors.
Areas for customer service improvement needed.
Litmos Pricing
Litmos offers SAP Litmos Pro and SAP Litmos Pro+Courses which are billed annually. Additionally, a 14-day free trial is available for users wanting to test the waters.
Litmos Use Cases
Use case 1
Litmos is an ideal solution for employee skills training. With its robust content authoring tool, companies can create diverse courses matched to their specific employee skill requirements.
Use case 2
For customer training, Litmos’ user-centered approach and gamification features ensure an engaging, user-friendly learning experience.
Use case 3
Litmos can efficiently handle compliance training, with task automation and robust video assessment features, making it a go-to LMS for organizations requiring regulatory compliance.
Moodle
An all-in-one learning platform, Moodle delivers a robust, integrated and secure system for educators, administrators, and learners globally. The Open Source software boasts 213 million+ users, leveraging on a learner-centric model and a full suite of collaborative tools.
Moodle Top Features
Offers a single system for personalized learning environments.
Has multi-tenant and multilingual capabilities (120+ languages).
Features drag-and-drop with built-in authoring and badge customization tools.
Offers robust reporting and analytics tools, aligning with WCAG 2.1 for inclusivity and accessibility.
Customizable Tools
Compatibility and Integration
Comes with fully integrated forums, wikis, chats, and blogs
Compatible with Linux, Mac, Windows platforms
Offers customization for any teaching or training method
Supports API, BigBlueButton, Dropbox integration and more
Moodle Limitations
No direct chat or call option for user support.
May involve a learning curve for new users due to the vastness of features.
Moodle Pricing
As an Open Source software under the GNU General Public License, Moodle comes with no licensing fees. This makes it a flexible and cost-efficient choice for institutions and organizations.
Moodle Use Cases
Educational Institutions
Moodle serves as a complete solution scalable to the needs of education institutions, enabling blended learning and 100% online courses.
Business Organizations
Moodle can be utilized by business organizations for securing a tailored and integrated learning environment.
Non-profit Organizations
With customizable features and multi-lingual support, non-profit bodies can adapt Moodle to create a suited digital learning platform.
SuccessFactors
Meet SuccessFactors, a cloud-based Learning Management System from SAP that acts as the fulcrum of efficient employee training. It offers companies the prowess to create, manage, and report on a spectrum of training activities.
SuccessFactors’ Best Features
Flexible and extensive content support including text, images, interactive quizzes, and videos.
A robust planner for managing training events across diverse locations, instructors, and courses.
In-depth tracking and reporting on completion rates, expenses, performance measures.
Connectivity with other HR and enterprise systems for data synchronization.
Personalized learning experiences facilitated through a combination of blended and digital learning capabilities.
Feature
Benefit
eCommerce Functionality
Enables external training to customers, vendors.
Compliance Training
Automated compliance training assignments, configurable document management, and detailed reporting.
Content Availability
Access to over 500′s of curated learning paths, videos, audiobooks, and assessments.
SuccessFactors Limitations
Limitation
Description
Basic UI
The software could be improved with a more innovative and engaging interface.
SuccessFactors Pricing
Although SuccessFactors offers a free trial, the detailed pricing structure is not explicitly mentioned.
SuccessFactors Use Cases
Use case 1: Training Management
With SuccessFactors, organizations can effectively build and manage a plethora of training activities inclusive of online courses, in-person training, and virtual classrooms.
Use case 2: Increased Employee Productivity
By making suitable skills available, SuccessFactors contributes to enhancing employee productivity, making it a strong ally for HR teams.
Use case 3: Seamless Enterprise Integration
The ability of SuccessFactors to connect with other HR and ERP systems facilitates a seamless data flow and performance analysis, making it an appealing prospect for operations and data teams.
Teachable
Established in 2013 by Ankur Nagpal and Conrad Wadowski, Teachable is a No-code platform empowering creators. Loaded with features like course builder, custom course pages, and detailed reports, it’s operational in a myriad of fields ranging from business marketing to technology.
Teachable’s Top Features
Unlimited course creation and student capacity: Design and launch infinite courses, welcoming countless students.
Course Design Templates: Preformatted templates to fast track course creation.
Coaching: Built-in tools for managing coaching business, encompassing milestones, scheduling, and payment processing.
Integration: Seamless automation, and connectivity with external tools via Zapier.
Support: Complemented by weekly coaching sessions, business training courses, and an active creator community.
Monetization
User Engagement
Customizability
Teachable Downsides
Some users have criticized the pricing and perceived lack of transparency in accordance with Teachable’s offerings.
With strong competitors like Thinkific and Zenler, Teachable could face challenges in standing out.
Teachable Pricing
Teachable offers a spectrum of options: Free, Basic ($59/mo), Pro ($159/mo), and Business ($665/mo). It’s free to start with upgradeable options for additional resources.
Teachable Use Cases
Use case 1 – Entrepreneurs
With its ease of use and scalability, Teachable is an excellent tool for entrepreneurs looking to venture into digital education and coaching space.
Use case 2 – Educators
Quizzes, certificates, and notifications foster user engagement, making Teachable a fitting choice for educators aiming for robust online teaching
Use case 3 – Large Enterprises
An ideal fit for Large Enterprises due to its advanced business-centric features, comprehensive reports, and modifiable course design.
Pluralsight
Enter the world of tech-based e-learning with Pluralsight, a versatile platform that bridges the gap between AI mastery and streamlined processes.
Pluralsight Top Features
An extensive catalogue with 4,500+ courses across a wide range of tech-based topics, updated daily
Merit recognition through certificates on course completion
Convenient Single Sign-On feature, varying according to subscription tier
Integrated with top platforms like OneLogin, Azure, Okta
Customizable and analytical solutions for enterprise users
Support mediums span email, phone, live support, hands-on training, and tickets
Type of Viewer
Viewing Options
Tech Aspirants
Web-based, Mobile, Offline
Professionals
IT Admins, Programmers, Designers
Pluralsight Limitations
Learning materials are not consistently organized which can affect seamless learning
A limited range of templates and not fully responsive to device type
Experience glitches intermittently during quiz submissions
Some courses and practices might be outdated over time
Pluralsight Pricing
Choose from Personal ($29/month), Professional ($499/user/month), or Enterprise ($699/user/month) depending on your learning needs.
Pluralsight Use Cases
Use case 1: Skill Enhancement
For individual learners and tech enthusiasts, Pluralsight enables skill development and mastery of complex AI domains.
Use case 2: Enterprise Training
With customization and scalability, Pluralsight is a perfect match for enterprises to upgrade their workforce skills.
Use case 3: Continuing Education
Pluralsight continues to benefit professionals like IT admins, programmers, and design enthusiasts by hosting a wide array of advanced courses.
Udacity
Get introduced to Udacity, an American for-profit educational organization. Co-created by industry luminaries like Sebastian Thrun, David Stavens, and Mike Sokolsky, Udacity has become a formidable platform for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC). The platform’s project-based learning approach has attracted over 17 million learners globally.
Udacity Top Features
Project-Based Learning: Courses are structured around open-ended projects that reflect real-world scenarios.
Expert Mentorship: Learners receive personalized feedback and guidance from industry experts.
Nanodegree Programs: These skill-based educational credentials are taught by industry experts, aiming to increase training compliance and consistency while reducing costs.
Corporate Learning Management Systems (LMS): Udacity provides robust LMS solutions for enterprises.
Job-Specific Curriculum: Udacity’s courses focus on job-specific skills, making it a go-to option for vocational learning for professionals.
Feature
Detail
User-Friendly Interface
Quick registration process and an easy-to-navigate online courses dashboard.
Career Support
Offers certifications, career coaching, and reviews for resumes, CVs, LinkedIn and GitHub.
Real-World Projects
Learners gain practical experience through industry-relevant projects.
Udacity Limitations
The commitment: Udacity’s courses and Nanodegree programs require a substantial time investment.
Pricing: Nanodegree programs start at $399 per month, which could be pricy for some learners.
Udacity Pricing
Nanodegree programs at Udacity are priced starting at $399 per month.
Udacity Use Cases
Use case 1: Professional Upskilling
Professionals seeking to augment their skills in fields such as machine learning, data science, artificial learning, and robotics will find Udacity’s courses highly beneficial. The real-world projects add practical experience to the theoretical knowledge imparted.
Use case 2: Enterprise Learning
Corporations in need of a robust learning management system for employee training can leverage Udacity’s corporate LMS for a streamlined, project-based learning experience.
Use case 3: Career Transition
Individuals transitioning careers can augment their skill sets with Udacity’s job-specific curriculum. The platform provides additional support through career coaching, and resume and social profile reviews.
Codecademy
Established in 2011, Codecademy is a renowned U.S.-based online platform specializing in coding courses. Supporting both professional and beginner programmers, it offers a wide array of courses in 14 programming languages and provides a user-friendly interface for an enriching learning experience.
Codecademy Top Features
User-friendly Interface: Ensuring a smooth learning journey for both beginners and professional programmers.
Rich Course Library: Gaining access to 14 programming languages and a multitude of courses to enhance your career prospects.
Community Support: Benefitting from active community forums backing support, knowledge-sharing, and collaborations.
Hands-on Learning: Engaging in the learning process via a dedicated coding pad, interactive lessons, and quizzes.
Accommodates Learning-on-the-go: The Pro Plan supports flexible learning, practice, portfolio development, and interview preparation.
Custom Course Curation
Courses carefully curated to meet team objectives
Competitions & Challenges
Held regularly for improved community engagement and learning
Real-world Projects
Available on Plus and Pro plans to ensure practical exposure
Codecademy Downsides
Limited offline access to courses.
Not all courses are up-to-date.
Non-accredited certificates.
Ad interruptions in course sessions.
Codecademy Pricing
Codecademy offers three pricing options: Basic-Free, Plus-$17.49/month on the yearly plan or $39.99/month for the monthly plan, and Pro-$29.99/month on yearly or $59.99/month for monthly subscriptions. The pricing is subject to the level of feature access and varies accordingly.
Codecademy Use Cases
Use Case 1: Self-Paced Learning and Online Studies
For those looking to pursue learning at their own pace, Codecademy is an ideal choice. It allows users to access and learn from the courses at their convenience, favoring remote learning amidst the pandemic era.
Use Case 2: Portfolio Development
Codecademy equips professionals with real-world projects allowing them to showcase their skills and build a strong portfolio, especially benefiting those preparing for job interviews.
Use Case 3: Team Training
With features like custom course curation and progress reports, Codecademy is a great tool for teams looking to improve their coding skills collectively.
Udemy
Behold the world of Udemy, a dynamic platform that provides an inclusive learning solution. With its vast reach across diverse industries and an impressive customer base, including 80% of the Fortune 100 companies, this platform is trimmed to the needs of the globally driven workforce.
Udemy Top Features
On-Demand Access: With courses available across technology, marketing, design, personal development and more, you can tap into unlimited course access.
Global Reach: Udemy serves courses in 60 languages in 190 countries, bridging cultural nuances, a testament to digital diversity.
Flexible Learning: The platform operates on iOS, Android, laptops, desktops, tablets, and can be accessed offline. It also supports viewing on Chromecast and Apple TV.
Learning Paths: This specifically designed tool allows sequential lessons, promoting structured learning.
Integrated Analytics
Monitor learner activities, providing insights into trends, behavior and metrics.
Customizability
Uphold your brand identity with customizable interfaces, including unique URLs.
Endorsement of Learning
Gives course completion certificates, endorsing the learner’s achievement.
Udemy Limitations
Hidden Costs: Users have reported unexpected charges.
Quality Disparity: Course quality varies across different offerings, leading to inconsistent experiences.
Lack of Detailed Analytics: Despite the benefits of in-depth insights, users have cited unsatisfactory data analysis.
Udemy Pricing
Prices for courses on Udemy range from free to $200, with an SEO matrix that can make search ranking unpredictable. Udemy for Business, on the other hand, features over 2,000 courses tailored to corporate training and is priced based on an annual subscription contingent on the total number of users.
Udemy Use Cases
Use case 1
For professional development, Udemy offers a wealth of courses for those seeking to augment their skills within their professional pathways.
Use case 2
Organizational training is catered to with tailored courses, serving large corporations like Toyota, Paypal, and T Mobile.
Use case 3
Cross-cultural knowledge expansion is facilitated by the multitude of courses offered in numerous languages, aligning with global impact of digital trends.
Skillshare
An extraordinary foray into the world of online learning, Skillshare is a brilliant platform that serves as a vibrant community for students and teachers of various real-world skills. Conceived in 2010, by Michael Karnjanaprakorn and Malcolm Ong, this incredible platform brings diversity through its sprawling courses.
Top Features of Skillshare
Extensive Course Catalogue: From design, business, marketing, to photography, Skillshare covers a wide gamut of knowledge.
Tailor-Made Learning Experience: This platform allows instructors to create and publish classes with their exclusive class creation tool.
Pro-tech: Offers offline viewing options via Skillshare mobile app.
Teams memberships:
Flexibility to grow and reassign seats, with detailed reporting and analytics for organizations.
Skillshare Affiliate Program:
A boon for additional income opportunities.
Integrations:
Seamless connections with VS, MailChimp, Adobe, and more for an enhanced user experience.
Limitations of Skillshare
Varying course quality.
Potentially high cost for small businesses.
Limited advanced courses available.
Skillshare Pricing
Dive into the realm of knowledge by opting for Skillshare Premium Monthly at $12/month, or take the annual plunge for just $8/month. For new learners, a free version is also available, though the free trial is not.
Skillshare Use Cases
Use case 1 – Professional Development
This wonderful platform allows professionals to continually evolve and polish their skills. It’s a continuous learning curve with Skillshare!
Use case 2 – Team Training
Efficient team training is no more a dream! Skillshare helps you get your team up to speed with the latest trends and skills.
Use case 3 – Creative Outlet
Hone your creative skills or discover new ones! Skillshare offers a wonderful platform for all things creative, from cooking to crafts.
Coursera
Dive into the immersive world of learning with Coursera, an online content library and learning platform that offers a vast array of both free and paid courses, all crafted with precision to cater to different learning desires. With over 53 million registered students, Coursera has created ripples in the global educational landscape.
Coursera Top Features
Offers an impressive selection of over 4,100 classes along with eight MasterTrack certificates, 15 professional certificates, and 17 degrees.
Provides a dynamic and customizable platform for businesses to teach new skills to staff, encompassing everything from arts to sciences, thus boosting employee efficiency.
Empowers learners to showcase their mastery of new skills through certificates, degrees, and MasterTracks.
Comes well-equipped with robust tracking and reporting capabilities that integrate seamlessly with university systems and other learning and central administration programs.
Feature
Description
Course Variety
Coursera boasts a wide range of over 4,100 classes, ranging from arts to sciences.
Customizable Learning Paths
Perfect for businesses that are keen on training staff in-house, saving both time and money.
User-friendly Interface
Coursera’s user-friendly interface makes navigating through courses an enjoyable experience.
Coursera Downsides
Lack of a fully offline mode may hinder learning in areas with unstable internet connections.
Although the platform supports multiple languages, courses are majorly concentrated in English, giving non-English speakers a disadvantage.
Coursera Pricing
Coursera provides both free and paid courses. The pricing varies depending on the course, and often, paid courses offer additional benefits like certificates or degrees.
Coursera Use Cases
Business Training
A prime use case of Coursera is in businesses aiming to upskill their workforce while saving on outsourcing costs. With customizable learning paths for various subjects, enterprises can indeed find a solution to their training needs.
Student Education
For students aiming for mastery in a specific subject, Coursera introduces a rich swath of courses that are university-partnered and self-paced, preparing learners for industry certification exams and offering access to the professional certificate community.
Personal Development
Individuals aiming for personal growth can benefit from Coursera’s wide array of personal development courses. Flexibility in learning enables every eager mind to delve into their areas of interest at their own pace.
LearnUpon
In the world of AR/VR enhanced learning solutions, LearnUpon stands out. With a robust backend, user-friendly frontend, and learner-oriented management, this standard SaaS subscription product garners recognition for its proficient customer service and seamless integrations.
LearnUpon Top Features
Award-winning LMS with industry-leading customer support
Compatible with a variety of platforms including Linux, Mac, and Windows
SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 (3rd and 4th Edition), xAPI/Tin Can API enabled
Active directory/LDAP integration, SAML2/API integration
Custom User Experience
Essential cookies for personalized browsing interface and content personalization
Comprehensive LMS System
Offers a unique blend of customizability, performance, and numerous learning modules
Learner Focused
Accommodates different user categories with specified learning paths
LearnUpon Disadvantages
Learning paths can’t be altered once created
Customization limitations and reporting difficulties
Backend functionality is not fully transactional, which can affect report generation
Lack of support for external surveys without registration
Limited forum capabilities
LearnUpon Pricing
The LearnUpon service starts at $15,000 USD for multiple active users and portals. Note, there is no free version available, but custom report generators are included in the package.
LearnUpon Use Cases
Business Partnerships
For firms seeking to extend their business via collaborations, LearnUpon’s track record of over 1,300 successful partnerships is evidence of effective use-case application. Coupled with its industry-leading uptime and performance, it forms a trustworthy partner for business growth.
Adaptive Learning
Thanks to its AI features, LearnUpon excels in catering to individual learning needs. The platform integrates intelligent recommendations and quiz generation for a more tailored learning experience.
Compliance Training
Companies in need of compliance training can benefit from LearnUpon’s compliance management features. This includes customer training, employee onboarding, and extended enterprise training solutions.
Cornerstone
Redefining the future of education, Cornerstone is a leading online learning platform, offering a diversified learning experience focused on driving engagement and reinforcing continuous growth. With its AI capabilities and gamification techniques, Cornerstone ensures improved user engagement and a dynamic learning journey.
Cornerstone Top Features
AI-enabled Learning: Cornerstone utilizes advanced AI capabilities to provide an enriched learning experience for all users.
E-commerce Support: Cornerstone brings the convenience of online commerce, ensuring a seamless and accessible environment for learners.
Extensive Capabilities: From HR management to recruitment and performance monitoring, Cornerstone encompasses a wide spectrum of features for comprehensive HR solutions.
Advanced Security: Prioritizing user safety, Cornerstone employs 256-bit TLS encryption for robust security measures.
Feature
Description
Worldwide User Base
Cornerstone serves over 42 million users across 192 countries, ensuring global outreach and accessibility.
Multiple Delivery Options
Whether it’s via audio, digital files, video, or VR, Cornerstone provides a plethora of delivery mechanisms to cater to the varied needs of users.
Awards and Recognitions
As a testament to its capabilities, Cornerstone was recognized in the 2020 EdTech Breakthrough Awards, further reinforcing its position in online learning platforms.
Cornerstone Limitations
Customer Service: Users have reported a few issues related to Cornerstone’s customer service, indicating a potential area of improvement.
User Experience: Despite multiple innovative features, some users have pointed out concerns regarding the user experience.
Cornerstone Use Cases
Use case 1
With its gamified learning environment and AI capabilities, Cornerstone is the ideal solution for organizations aiming to drive employee engagement and facilitate continuous improvement.
Use case 2
For global teams, Cornerstone’s widespread reach across 192 countries enables efficient coordination, ensuring a unified learning experience across different regions.
Use case 3
HR professionals can greatly benefit from Cornerstone’s diverse functionalities, ranging from talent acquisition to performance management.
Logan Bellbrook
Content writer @ Aircada with a knack for nature & AR/VR/XR. Blogging the intersection of tech & terrain.
