If you deliver employee training without monitoring it, you can end up with employees who only know half of what you think they do–and cost your company twice as much time and money to retrain.
The good news is that training software can help.
Training software allows you to monitor your employees as they progress, assign learning content as desired, and upload custom courses–all of which help ensure your workers know exactly how to do their jobs before you turn them loose unsupervised.
Below I’ve listed the best training software options available today.
The Top 5 Best Training Software
Litmos — The Best for Employee AccessibilityiSpring Learn — The Best for Developing CoursesTalentLMS — The Best for Gamified LearningRaptivity — The Best for Interactive TrainingLearnUpon — The Best for Customer Support
Now you know my top picks, let’s get started.
#1 – Litmos — The Best for Employee Accessibility
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SAP Litmos is the best training software for employee accessibility.
From motor dealers such as Arnold Clark to the leading dementia charity Alzheimer’s Society, SAP Litmos trains employees—of all skill levels—in customer-focused businesses day in, day out.
Litmos is a cloud-based learning management system (LMS) that lets you launch and track on-demand training sessions whenever you wish.
What stands out is the accessibility on offer with easy and automated user onboarding, the support for over 35 languages, and its suitability for learners of all different abilities and roles.
Its user-friendly nature backs this up, with a clear and simple visual design created for maximum use for as many different users as possible.
When you need to train up employees, the Litmos platform allows you to fully automate specific course assignments and quizzes to make sure learners receive their training and retain it.
You can even offer this training from another integrated environment like a CRM—a place they may well spend a great deal of time anyway.
That’s without mentioning customizable UI branding and dashboards, the built-in content authoring for bespoke courses, and the analytics that allow you to view exactly how each employee is doing with their training. There’s a lot on offer here.
Two key pricing packages are available for SAP Litmos: LMS Only and LMS + Courses. The first package includes the online course builder and content management system, including reporting and tracking, custom branding, and instructor-led training modules.
The second package includes all of that plus access to more than 2500 courses, videos, supplemental learning materials like infographics, and new courses added every month.
No prices are listed, and you’ll have to request a quote directly. A 14-day free trial helps to make up for this.
#2 – iSpring Learn — The Best for Developing Courses
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iSpring Learn is the best training software for developing courses.
Specifically, it features a powerful course editor that allows you to create custom courses however you desire.
While other training software tools do allow you to create bespoke courses, iSpring Learn goes much further with its dedicated iSpring Suite.
iSpring Suite works within PowerPoint, and with it, you can quickly develop courses, quizzes, interactions, and even dialogue simulations for training. You can also add video narration to your courses and can shoot a screencast if required.
You’ll be able to publish your training from PowerPoint to your portal in a single click.
On top of that, iSpring Suite features 14 ready-to-go question templates, branching scenarios, feedback slides, and you can easily record video lectures and tutorials.
If you need to edit videos, you can do so with a built-in video studio, enhancing videos with music, effects, and text. You don’t need additional software to use any of these features.
The software enables a course developer with little to no experience to build high-end interactive eLearning, making it a great choice for all sorts of businesses.
iSpring offers its course developer via two main plans: iSpring Suite and the upgraded iSpring Suite Max. iSpring Suite costs $770 per author per year and includes the whole eLearning authoring experience but with no additional extras.
iSpring Suite Max costs $970 per author per year and includes the entire suite, along with 68,000 content templates, online space for teamwork, and 24/7 technical support.
Volume pricing exists for multiple authors:
If you need a custom number of authors, you can contact iSpring for a personalized quote. A 14-day free trial is also available.
The top-notch iSpring Learn LMS itself includes at least one license for the iSpring Suite and prices itself based on an active-user pricing model:
It costs $3.66 per active user per month for 100 users and costs $2.82 per user per month for 500 users. If you need more users, you can contact iSpring for a custom plan.
#3 – TalentLMS — The Best for Gamified Learning
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Gamification is a popular part of training software as it encourages users to progress with their learning in a fun, game-like environment.
TalentLMS goes further than others in the market as it allows users to adjust and tweak the gamification settings directly.
With the platform’s gamification engine, you can add gaming and other competition elements and configure them for specific scenarios.
For example, you may want to create hidden bonus content that only learners who have reached a certain level can access. It’s about providing additional content and rewards for those that have worked hard during their training.
You can take this further in the form of achievable points and badges to keep employees on track. Employees can view their achievements at any time to see how far they’ve progressed. There are even leaderboards to encourage some healthy and friendly competition among your trainees.
Outside of the gamification features is an intuitive content-builder that allows you to create courses in a few clicks, a dedicated certification management tool to provide accreditation as part of online training, and you can automate tasks such as grading tests and assignments.
TalentLMS gives you a choice when it comes to pricing. You’ll be able to choose between paying for the total number of registered users or active users per month instead.
It costs $59 per month for 40 registered learners and goes up to $429 per month for 1000.
If you want to pay by active users, 40 active users cost $129 a month, and a thousand active users come in at $479 per month.
TalentLMS also offers a free plan for five registered users and 10 courses on the learning portal—a great way to try before you buy.
#4 – Raptivity — The Best for Interactive Training
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Raptivity is the best training software for interactive learning.
It’s software designed for today’s learning preferences with visual interactions the core focus.
While TalentLMS boasts great gamification features, Raptivity is far more about making exercises as responsive as possible. There’s a keen emphasis on visual flair.
Microlearning experiences are the aim of the day that help train up employees in specific areas over short bursts.
For instance, users will find themselves playing a game of darts while being asked questions on a particular topic. Alternatively, they may be climbing a mountain as they answer questions. Each correct answer allows them to progress further.
Unlike TalentLMS, there’s far less focus on things like acquiring badges, achievements, and leaderboards—the core gamification experience. Ideally, then, this is software aimed at highly visual learners that enjoy minigame scenarios.
The learning content itself is accessible on desktops, mobiles, and tablets—you won’t have to worry about making it compatible across devices.
On top of that, Raptivity offers advanced online training, access to the Raptivity community, and premium phone and email support on the higher plans.
In terms of prices, there are four main subscription plans. The first is the free plan available for 14 days with access to almost everything other than premium support, offline access, and advanced online training.
After that, there are three plans based on subscription length: monthly, quarterly, and annual. Monthly costs $30 per month, quarterly costs $60 per quarter, and annual costs $149 per year.
The critical difference between the plans is the amount of storage space you receive for interactions and media assets—it’s 2GB on the free plan, 10GB on the monthly plan, 50GB on the quarterly plan, and 200GB on the annual plan.
Sign up for the free plan today.
#5 – LearnUpon — The Best for Customer Support
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LearnUpon is the best training software for customer support.
While LearnUpon is a great LMS all around, it’s the customer service that shines the most.
LearnUpon’s customer support is available on a global basis 24/7, no questions asked. The support consists of expert and friendly “Technical Support Reps” for various needs, from solving technical issues to knowledge-based requests.
The “Customer Success” team is available to help with anything from implementation to enhancing training itself.
Indeed, the customer support is so good the software has become known through it alone. It’s a recognized leader in the area, so if that’s a key consideration of yours, don’t hesitate.
Moving away from customer support, this is an LMS that’s beautifully presented and easy to use. It’s a customer-focused piece of software from start to finish, with complete employee onboarding, leading sales training, and automated workflows.
You’ll be able to build attractive courses without the need for technical expertise and can access reports to track employee training at each step.
That’s without mentioning the excellent training videos and knowledge base to improve your training even further.
The pricing is available through three plans which all start with a free trial.
The basic plan costs $663 per month for up to 50 active users, and you can upgrade this to the second plan providing 250 active users and two learning portals for $1106 per month. The final plan offers 500 active users and three learning portals for $1873 per month.
The Enterprise plan is also available if you need more active users, but you’ll need to request a quote.
How To Find the Best Training Software for You
Finding the best training software options, known as learning management systems (LMS), can be challenging.
Not only is there a wide range of software available, but each tends to offer something a little bit different from the rest.
To understand the software as a whole, think of it as a group of similar services that ultimately specialize in different areas.
For instance, my list features LMSs that are stronger in critical areas. When it comes to course creation, iSpring Learn provides a comprehensive suite. LearnUpon is an LMS that delivers top customer service, while Litmos is great for employee accessibility.
These specialist areas are a good starting point. Think about what area you need an LMS to concentrate on and go from there.
After you’ve thought about that, here are some other key criteria to consider:
Learning Content Compatibility
Everyone learns differently and has particular preferences. The LMS you pick will provide learning materials and courses in a variety of different ways.
Naturally, you need to think about which content will be a better fit for your employees.
For instance, do you need to use PowerPoint presentations or PDFs for your learning materials? If so, does the LMS allow you to use these materials in the way you want?
Maybe you’re a business that prefers using videos or webinars for staff training. In that case, focus on an LMS that can provide that.
Content compatibility is an important area to think about because your training will be more successful overall.
LMS Pricing Structure
While price is a consideration for everything you buy, the pricing structure for each LMS can vary significantly and is, therefore, an important point of consideration.
The main LMS pricing models are pay-per-learner, pay-per-active-user, pay-as-you-go, lifetime licensing, and annual or monthly subscription plans. Sometimes there’s a mix of models, which can get confusing and trip you up.
It may be cheaper for a large business, for example, to opt for an annual subscription rather than choose an LMS with a per-learner pricing model. This scenario, of course, depends on the number of employees you need to train.
You also need to identify the hidden costs and extra charges that LMSs come with, so take your time to research and try and go for a straightforward pricing model.
Mobile-Friendly Learning Content
Mobile usage is more popular than ever. You need to ensure your LMS offers mobile-friendly learning content consistently.
Some LMSs will have a more substantial offering here than others, but it’s fair to say neglecting mobile learning formats isn’t an approach I’d recommend in this day and age.
After all, your employees don’t just learn on desktops all the time. Nowadays, they’ll need to view the content out and about or when they don’t have access to a computer. Some even prefer learning away from the computer via mobile formats.
Ideally, opt for an LMS with mobile-friendly content designs. Those in which the content is viewable across multiple devices. It’s a move that will pay off in the long run for both you and your employees.
Summary
Employee training software helps take your training to the next level with a host of great features.
If you need software that’s great for employee accessibility, go for Litmos. iSpring Learn more than has you covered for bespoke courses, while TalentLMS is perfect for gamification options.
If visual learning is more of a requirement, opt for Raptivity and its focus on interactivity. Or, if you want a first-rate LMS with leading customer support, LearnUpon won’t disappoint.
Whatever you go for, be sure to think about the content compatibility and pricing model of each, as well as considering the need for mobile-friendly learning content.
