LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com) vs. Microsoft Viva Goals (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
Lynda.com (now offered as part of LinkedIn Learning) is an elearning course library acquired and now supported by LinkedIn in May 2015.N/A
Microsoft Viva Goals (discontinued)
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft Viva Goals (formerly Ally, or Ally.io) was a Strategic Goal-Planning & Execution Management software. Ally.io became a Microsoft brand after the October 2021 acquisition, and is slated for retirement December 2025.
$108
per year per user
Pricing
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Microsoft Viva Goals (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Microsoft Viva - Learn Module
$48
per year per user
Microsoft Viva - Insights Module
$48
per year per user
Microsoft Viva - Topics Module
$48
per year per user
Microsoft Viva Suite
$108
per year per user
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Microsoft Viva Goals (discontinued)
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details——
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Microsoft Viva Goals (discontinued)
Features
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Microsoft Viva Goals (discontinued)
Learning Management
Comparison of Learning Management features of Product A and Product B
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
7.5
13 Ratings
13% below category average
Microsoft Viva Goals (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Course authoring7.012 Ratings00 Ratings
Course catalog or library8.713 Ratings00 Ratings
Player/Portal8.412 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning content8.913 Ratings00 Ratings
Progress tracking & certifications8.713 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning reporting & analytics6.912 Ratings00 Ratings
Social learning6.210 Ratings00 Ratings
Gamification4.94 Ratings00 Ratings
eLearning Content
Comparison of eLearning Content features of Product A and Product B
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)
6.4
8 Ratings
27% below category average
Microsoft Viva Goals (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Multi-Lingual Support5.55 Ratings00 Ratings
Structured Learning7.28 Ratings00 Ratings
Course Searches7.78 Ratings00 Ratings
Historical Metrics4.96 Ratings00 Ratings
Cloud-Based Content6.86 Ratings00 Ratings
Automation & Integration6.55 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Microsoft Viva Goals (discontinued)
Small Businesses
iSpring Learn
iSpring Learn
Score 9.5 out of 10
Coda by Grammarly
Coda by Grammarly
Score 8.8 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Infosec Skills
Infosec Skills
Score 9.9 out of 10
Bridge Learning Platform
Bridge Learning Platform
Score 8.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Infosec Skills
Infosec Skills
Score 9.9 out of 10
Bridge Learning Platform
Bridge Learning Platform
Score 8.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Microsoft Viva Goals (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
8.6
(41 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.5
(7 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.0
(13 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com)Microsoft Viva Goals (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
LinkedIn
I've learned hundreds of software applications over the last several decades, and trained teams in offices and one-on-one. At one point, books and trade magazines were a great way to get up to speed with an application, but they've become less and less effective for getting started. Video lessons have some strengths; you can get a rapid overview of a program's capabilities and watch an experienced user using its tools efficiently. On rare occasions they'll even point out bugs that could trip you up, but I wish instructors shared more of those issues. However, it takes a very self-motivated learner to sit through training sessions. Most people don't fit that category, and a subscription may end up gathering dust like a pandemic gym membership. My account is sometimes dormant for months, but then I'll be watching lessons continually the following month. I've often wondered if it was worth it for that reason. I have some friends that voraciously devoured class after Lynda.com class, and built successful careers on that training. But many others never use their account. It's helpful to consider whether you're a self-motivated learner. If not, it may not be the best format for you. More complicated software often can't be adequately introduced in a several-hour-long series of videos. I found Final Cut Pro (7) hard to learn online, also Logic Pro. Other somewhat complicated programs like DVD Pro were a snap to learn, and I learned a lot about PHP and Actionscript programming from Lynda.com. Some web and graphics software is exceptionally explained by real experts, such as Lynda's Photoshop classes, which are the best I've seen on that subject. Many of her web production courses will take you every step along the way to creating your own website, even if you haven't coded before. Adobe and Apple have both published similar project-based tutorial classes in book form, and I think they're a bit more polished, but the video instructor can help move you along through all the content more easily. Learning software seems to work better from an online video than a book these days; it's helpful to already be sitting at the computer where you're able to try everything out as it's explained. Most people don't seem to retain software principles unless they're trying them while learning. A bad instructor can make it difficult to sit through a video class. Lynda.com and others generally have a large variety of content creators, so you're not as limited with instructors as you might be at a University, where the same instructor may teach several related applications. Departmental faculty may have much more targeted and creative applications for your software though, while paid corporate software training can be mind-numbingly bad. Continuing ed classes that I've taken usually seemed to just focus on learning the tools in a software product. They often don't or even can't show you how to apply the software for your purposes as full time faculty at a University might. Some Lynda.com instructors weren't great, but most seemed a cut above the continuing ed and corporate software trainers I've learned from or contracted. The majority of the classes seemed to apply the software for an impressive final project. Redundancy is a real drawback among the online lessons. Often the advanced classes repeat many of the concepts from the introductory "Essentials" courses. If you know an earlier version of an application and just want to learn new features, a book may be a faster route to your goal. I originally suggested the "New Features" lessons that Lynda began to offer for updated releases, and I think they're especially helpful. It's much harder to skim through a video than a page of text, so I'd anticipate having to complement your Lynda.com lessons with other instructional materials. Lynda.com didn't have as many of the "fluff" courses that LinkedIn is now offering. These titles read like articles from Cosmo. They might be better served to offer "How to respond to a connection request from a recruiter who works in a field completely unrelated to you."
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Discontinued Products
Well suited for
  • Companies that have experience of using the OKR methodology and have a clear understanding of what it is
  • Companies that are planning to expand/scale the OKR program
  • Companies that are looking to reduce the effort involved in running the OKR program
Ill-suited for:
  • Companies that are using OKRs for the first time and do not have a clear understanding of the methodology
Read full review
Pros
LinkedIn
  • Industry expert authors/instructors - you're learning from people with pedigree.
  • Breadth and depth of catalog - not only is there a wide range of topics and disciplines, but there are frequently several levels of depth within each (eg. Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced).
  • Time needed to complete each course AND each section of a course are included - you know what you're getting into from the first click.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • AI Copilot
  • Task reminder
  • Calendar event reminders
  • Helps me make more efficient and quicker social media post pushes that we do weekly
Read full review
Cons
LinkedIn
  • LinkedIn Learning provides learning paths, but it's left much to be desired. Not enough direction about the why, or learning outcomes.
  • Some courses provide exercises/quizzes. Others do not. There's definitely a missing piece to test comprehension.
  • The library is so large, it's difficult to really build your own learning. I find it better for just-in-time learning.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • Accelerate integrations and add more integrations.
  • Ally.io has room for improvement in providing benchmark in-depth analysis across industries, same-size companies, etc.
  • Ally.io can still improve upon some of its product features and communicating the releases. Videos have been extremely helpful.
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Likelihood to Renew
LinkedIn
It can help all employees learn to strengthen current skills or to learn new skills and then can learn to excel in their current department or they learn a new skills in a new department creating interconnection and cross-departmental value in a company.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Usability
LinkedIn
The platform is very easy to use and navigate, the content is clearly itemised via the Contents section and the video playback speed can be adjusted. It's also useful to have optional captions (I always use them) and a transcript for accessibility purposes.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
LinkedIn
The technical team behind LinkedIn Learning (or Lynda.com) knows their job, and they usually solve problems very quickly. While I haven't had many run-ins with them (thus the low rating), I do find that when we call them, the problem gets resolved in a reasonable amount of time. The flip-side of this comment is that we never have needed to call them with a high-priority issue.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
LinkedIn
By implementation we are able to achieve 1.Skill improvement 2.Reduced burden on training staff 3.Learning new market leading technologies like Generative AI.
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Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
LinkedIn
Our organization has used different webinars, including ones on LinkedIn, to provide similar insight. But it's a totally different ballgame. Lynda.com offers in-depth tutorials rather than just a 2-hour video broadcast. With lynda.com there are more information and experts, as well as so many different courses fit for every need/want. There is also a lot more flexibility with lynda. You can take it on the go, watch on mobile and at anytime, rather than being tied to a certain time slot.
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Discontinued Products
Ally was preferred over the alternatives due to the following:
  • Quick turnaround by reps
  • Detailed product demo
  • Ease of use in comparison other tools
  • Clarity in terms of how Ally.io could resolve Crayon's existing issues
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Return on Investment
LinkedIn
  • I can't think of a negative impact that Lynda.com has when it relates to the extensive library of training software that is available to subscribers. I'm lucky that my job provides a free subscription for instructors. I use Lynda.com to hone in on my technical skills.
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Discontinued Products
  • AI co-pilot makes it easier to be more direct and less "wordy"
  • Teams is a great program and I like how it's seamless and more advanced when you want to convert a file type.
  • Tasks section is great way to keep track of lists that I constantly forget. Now I just use my computer to keep track of my "to-do list"
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