What users are saying about

Absorb LMS vs Blackboard Learn

Absorb LMS
11 Ratings
Blackboard Learn
Top Rated
176 Ratings

Absorb LMS

11 Ratings
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Score 6.9 out of 100

Based on 11 reviews and ratings

Blackboard Learn

Top Rated
176 Ratings
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Score 7.1 out of 100

Based on 176 reviews and ratings

Likelihood to Recommend

Absorb LMS

Absorb is very well suited for any company looking to standardize training for all employees. It is also best suited when paired with a course vendor to pick specific courses aimed towards employees and their interests. This makes orientation very simple. We used to have a 2-hour orientation conference to cover everything these courses can cover.

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Drew Randles CSSR, CSMR, CIR | TrustRadius Reviewer
Drew Randles CSSR, CSMR, CIR
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Blackboard Learn

I've used Blackboard for many, many years. With each version I remain hopeful that the formatting tools will improve. Battling simple text formatting considerations have looong been a struggle, with the most recent "upgrade" leaving me in total and complete exasperation. No, that's not an exaggeration. Yes, I do understand that importing text, and the process of copying and pasting can often include residual coding which can sometimes create havoc. Sadly however, I'm referring to the direct keystroke entry of content, directly within the Blackboard pane. Plain and simple, it's an absolute buggy nightmare.Even the limited formatting tools that I found here on TrustRadius are:
  • Fabulous by comparison to Blackboard
  • Easy to use
  • Intuitive for the first time user
  • Don't result in a wonky, embarrassing presentation
  • All of the above
Wow, look, even the bullet points and indents worked!Honestly Blackboard, this is getting really, really old. Two words of advise, beta testing.

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Craig Smallish | TrustRadius Reviewer
Craig Smallish
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Feature Rating Comparison

Learning Management

Absorb LMS
9.0
Blackboard Learn
7.1
Course authoring
Absorb LMS
8.0
Blackboard Learn
7.1
Player/Portal
Absorb LMS
8.0
Blackboard Learn
7.1
Mobile friendly
Absorb LMS
7.0
Blackboard Learn
6.1
Progress tracking & certifications
Absorb LMS
10.0
Blackboard Learn
7.6
Assignments
Absorb LMS
10.0
Blackboard Learn
8.2
Compliance management
Absorb LMS
10.0
Blackboard Learn
6.1
Learning administration
Absorb LMS
9.0
Blackboard Learn
8.1
Learning reporting & analytics
Absorb LMS
10.0
Blackboard Learn
6.9
Course catalog or library
Absorb LMS
—
Blackboard Learn
6.6
Learning content
Absorb LMS
—
Blackboard Learn
7.8
Social learning
Absorb LMS
—
Blackboard Learn
6.5

Pros

Absorb LMS

  • Clean interface for learners
  • Logical organization of courses
  • Admin portal is OK

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Ron Massicotte | TrustRadius Reviewer
Ron Massicotte
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Blackboard Learn

  • Provides HTML quality course content that is easily retrievable and viewable.
  • Provides multiple methods of communication: email, threaded discussions, real-time "live" online discussions, as well as grade portal.
  • Allows facilitators multiple methods of grading or providing feedback: threaded discussions, rubric scoring, personal comments, inline viewer, or download/upload attachments.

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Anissa Harris | TrustRadius Reviewer
Anissa Harris
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Cons

Absorb LMS

  • Automated creation of manager groups.
  • Easier way of seeing who employees report to so we can create manager groups.

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Drew Randles CSSR, CSMR, CIR | TrustRadius Reviewer
Drew Randles CSSR, CSMR, CIR
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Blackboard Learn

  • Although the current graphic user interface is easy to use, it can be improved with larger fonts, dynamic menus, and attractive graphics.
  • The system does not include a module to pay the school fee.
  • The roster tab lacks detailed information about students.

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Timothy Sawah | TrustRadius Reviewer
Timothy Sawah
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Likelihood to Renew

Absorb LMS

No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic

Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn 4.6
Based on 11 answers
There are several aspects of Desire2Learn that outweigh the benefits of using Blackboard. I find that the Desire2Learn system is a bit more user friendly and looks more up-to-date. However, the decision to renew systems is not up to me because the entire University uses the same system. Regardless, I think I would choose Desire2Learn over Blackboard because of its improved user interface.

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James Gurney | TrustRadius Reviewer
James Gurney
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Usability

Absorb LMS

No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic

Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn 10.0
Based on 5 answers
It is very usable for both faculty and students. The interface is pretty intuitive and most students can use it without a lot of additional training. Faculty do need some training to effectively use the interface, but they usually get it pretty quickly. We have had to create some additional programming to give faculty a way to delve deeper into the content.

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Inez Whipple | TrustRadius Reviewer
Inez Whipple
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Support Rating

Absorb LMS

Absorb LMS 9.0
Based on 4 answers
Poor response time and generally poor responses.

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Ron Massicotte | TrustRadius Reviewer
Ron Massicotte
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Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn 7.7
Based on 19 answers
Itʻs a good platform for certain things such as tests. Blackboard may not be the most user friendly but there is always room for improvement in any website, business, etc. When used with other platforms such as Google Classroom, Blackboard can be more effective, but when used by itself I feel it is not as impactful from a student perspective.

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Quincy Tamaribuchi | TrustRadius Reviewer
Quincy Tamaribuchi
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Implementation Rating

Absorb LMS

No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic

Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn 10.0
Based on 1 answer
Blackboard's Managed Hosting was top-notch in getting us up and running quickly.

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Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Verified User
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Alternatives Considered

Absorb LMS

At the time of selection, we went with Absorb as they were one of the few that could handle online transactions for courses. We are in the process of migrating to Skilljar and will be discontinuing our subscription to Absorb in 2018.

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Ron Massicotte | TrustRadius Reviewer
Ron Massicotte
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Blackboard Learn

I have used Schoology before, and I think Blackboard Learn has many more features, and is easier to navigate. It is well organized, and easy to customize for each user. Schoology might be better suited for a mobile device, but when the mobile version of Blackboard is not up to par, I have been able to get on a mobile browser on my phone instead.

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Lori Riegel | TrustRadius Reviewer
Lori Riegel
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Return on Investment

Absorb LMS

  • This has been a positive ROI as we can track all course completions for audits as well as cutting costs for travel and training.

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Drew Randles CSSR, CSMR, CIR | TrustRadius Reviewer
Drew Randles CSSR, CSMR, CIR
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Blackboard Learn

  • At one of the institutions that I worked for, the ROI was excellent for the number of users we were serving; however, I could not speak to other instances as I was not aware of the overall cost of the contract.

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Rachel Hudish | TrustRadius Reviewer
Rachel Hudish
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Pricing Details

Absorb LMS

General

Free Trial
—
Free/Freemium Version
—
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—
Entry-level set up fee?
No

Blackboard Learn

General

Free Trial
—
Free/Freemium Version
—
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—
Entry-level set up fee?
No

Rating Summary

Likelihood to Recommend

Absorb LMS
8.0
Blackboard Learn
6.8

Likelihood to Renew

Absorb LMS
—
Blackboard Learn
4.6

Usability

Absorb LMS
—
Blackboard Learn
10.0

Support Rating

Absorb LMS
9.0
Blackboard Learn
7.7

Online Training

Absorb LMS
—
Blackboard Learn
7.0

Implementation Rating

Absorb LMS
—
Blackboard Learn
10.0

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