Announcing the Top Rated Learning Management Systems (LMS) for 2019

TrustRadius Top Rated

Today, we awarded the 2019 TrustRadius Top Rated badges for Learning Management Systems (LMS). The TrustRadius Top Rated awards are the most trusted in the industry because they are an unbiased reflection of customer sentiment, based solely on user feedback and satisfaction scores. Top Rated awards are the voice of the market and are not influenced by analyst opinion, the vendor’s company size, popularity, or status as a TrustRadius customer.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

An LMS is a platform that helps instructors manage educational resources, communicate with students outside of class, and conduct online classes. Common LMS features include content creation and management systems, course management tools, grading tools, separate portals for students and instructors, and student data analytics. Some LMS vendors offer additional features such as mobile apps, gamification systems, integration with social media, and learning object repositories (LORs). Most products support standard Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) plugins that add new features or integrate with third-party software like YouTube, Microsoft Office, and Learning.com. Some LMS vendors include support for technology-enhanced items (TEIs), which add interactive elements to assessments. TEIs can be used to ask students to perform tasks such as identifying keywords, labeling images, or completing equations.

Learning Management Systems are typically used in an academic setting, ie, by schools and universities. However, some products can be used in a Corporate LMS setting as well. This post focuses on academic LMS products. When purchasing an LMS, buyers should consider how well the software supports the type of courses it will be used for. For example, K-12 schools may have different needs than a higher education institution, such as parental access to an online dashboard or mobile application. Another key distinction is between open-source vs. commercial LMS solutions. Open-source options typically allow for much more customization, but may not include all of the services (e.g. customer support) that come with paid LMS software.

Here are the winners:

Canvas

Canvas is a cloud-based LMS. It offers a built-in LOR, in-software video recording and conferencing tools, LTI plugin support, course copying and migration, TEI creation tools, and support for complex data analysis. Canvas also includes a mobile app, student-led wiki pages, and tools for aligning courses with educational standards. Many (48%) Canvas users on TrustRadius are from mid-size organizations. Reviewers appreciate Canvas’s intuitive UI, extensive third-party integrations, and support for multimedia communication.

“The multitude of media and apps that can be used in Canvas creates an enhanced learning environment for students. We use Turnitin, publisher platforms like Connect and MyLabs, and many other tools that easily integrate and can be accessed from Canvas.”

– Rita Wheeler | Instructional Technology Specialist | Higher Education Institution

[easy-tweet tweet=”The multitude of media and apps that can be used in Canvas creates an enhanced learning environment.” user=”trustradius” template=”qlite”]

Schoology

Schoology is a cloud-based LMS designed for K-12 school districts. It includes features such as mass communications, TEI creation, district-wide data analysis, LTI plugin support, and a mobile app. Schoology offers social networking features, like class-specific community pages and teachers-only groups where instructors can talk and share classroom resources. Schoology users can join a global network of public groups and access a user-contributed resource library. The majority (56%) of Schoology users on TrustRadius are from mid-size organizations. Reviewers highlight Schoology’s student collaboration tools, student-teacher communication systems, and classroom resource sharing feature.

“Schoology promotes classroom community through discussions and other collaborative features [and] makes it easy for educators to share resources with each other… I have found uses for it in every grade from Kindergarten through Senior Year.”

– Janie Everett | Instructional Technology Specialist | Public School District

[easy-tweet tweet=”Schoology promotes classroom community through discussions and other collaborative features.” user=”trustradius” template=”qlite”]

Google Classroom

Google Classroom is a free cloud-based LMS. It offers features such as grading and feedback tools, student comments on posts and assignments, and integration with other Google applications. The product includes a mobile app, student progress tracking, and organizational tools for classroom materials. Classroom integrates with third-party learning software like Classcraft, Quizizz, and Khan Academy. A majority (54%) of Google Classroom users on TrustRadius are from mid-sized organizations. Reviewers note Classroom’s ease of use and smooth integration with other Google software.

“It is easy to use, simple, quick, and makes teachers’ and students’ lives easier…Teachers can integrate other G-Suite applications easily with Classroom.”

– Haylee Rethman | High School Teacher | Public School District

[easy-tweet tweet=”Google Classroom: It is easy to use, simple, quick, and makes teachers’ and students’ lives easier” user=”trustradius” template=”qlite”]

Edmodo

Edmodo is a free web-based LMS. It offers features such as assignment distribution and grading, direct messaging, custom subdomains for schools and districts, usage analytics, Google Drive integration, and a mobile app for parents. Edmodo also includes a free library of user-submitted classroom materials and a global social network for instructors. A majority (53%) of Edmodo users on TrustRadius are from mid-size organizations. Reviewers value Edmodo’s file sharing capabilities and parent-teacher communication tools.

“Edmodo is great for improving communications among students, teachers, and parents. It is a good one stop shop for anything related to managing a class via an online platform. Whether this means sharing files, giving assignment feedback, etc., it can do whatever you need.”

– Claire Cornell | Math Interventionist | Charter School

[easy-tweet tweet=”Edmodo: It is a good one stop shop for anything related to managing a class via an online platform.” user=”trustradius” template=”qlite”]

Moodle

Moodle is an open-source LMS. It includes features such as bulk course creation, customizable themes, forums and wikis, peer and self-assessments, assignment review and feedback tools, and support for multimedia content. The Moodle plugin directory offers many additional features, such as plagiarism detection, gamification, and attendance logging. Since Moodle is open-source, users can create their own plugins, modify existing plugins, or directly customize Moodle’s core features. About half (50%) of Moodle users on TrustRadius are from mid-size organizations. Reviewers value Moodle’s extensive feature set, customizability, and scalability for large organizations.

“Moodle provides more assignment types, grading, deadlines, and shifting of assignments from one week to the next…Customizing the platform also gives teachers a greater ability to customize courses, calendars, and location of content.”

– Christopher Power | Administrator in Education | Public School System

[easy-tweet tweet=”Moodle: Customizing the platform also gives teachers a greater ability to customize courses” user=”trustradius” template=”qlite”]

Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn is a LMS with cloud hosting or local hosting options. It features internal private and public messaging tools, profile pages for students and teachers, mobile apps, student performance analytics, integration with cloud storage systems like OneDrive and DropBox, and an online gradebook. Learn integrates with other Blackboard products, which provide features such as live remote class sessions, accessibility auditing, and detailed data analysis. Learn also offers extensions to integrate with third-party software like Turnitin and learning resource providers such as Pearson and McGraw-Hill.  A large portion (48%) of Blackboard Learn users on TrustRadius are from enterprise-level organizations. Reviewers highlight Learn’s extensive customization options and centralized communication features.

“Blackboard Learn allows students and instructors to better communicate assignments and grades, and connecting this system directly to our SIS has been hugely successful to increase adoption…It has a lot of options, and may be customized to meet specific needs better than the default options available with competing software.”

– Matthew Deakyne | Academic Services Manager | Higher Education Institution

[easy-tweet tweet=”Blackboard Learn allows students and instructors to better communicate assignments and grades” user=”trustradius” template=”qlite”]

Congratulations to the winners of the Top Rated Learning Management Systems Award!

Top Rated Criteria

Products included in the 2019 Top Rated Learning Management Systems list must have been in the top tier of their category TrustMap as of January 15th, 2019. To qualify for the Learning Management SystemsTop Rated Award, products must have at least 10 reviews written within the past year, a TRScore of at least 7.5 out of 10, and must receive at least 1.5% of the traffic in their category.  Every reviewer is verified and every review is vetted before publication. Products are plotted on the TrustMap based on end-user data, including users’ likelihood to recommend scores as well as buyer research patterns. To learn more about TrustMaps and Top Rated methodology, check out this page.