Canvas vs. SumTotal Talent Development

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Canvas
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
Instructure is an educational software company based in Sandy, Utah. It is the developer of the Canvas learning management system, which is a comprehensive software package that competes with such systems as Blackboard Learning System, SumTotal and Saba.N/A
SumTotal Talent Development
Score 7.7 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
The SumTotal Core Platform (formerly elixHR) is a human resource information system (HRIS) integrable with the SumTotal Talent Expansion Suite of software: SumTotal (LMS), and the SumTotal Work workforce management and payroll system. All SumTotal software is now offered and supported by Skillsoft since the October 2014 acquisition.N/A
Pricing
CanvasSumTotal Talent Development
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
CanvasSumTotal Talent Development
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsMust contact vendor for pricing information.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
CanvasSumTotal Talent Development
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
CanvasSumTotal Talent Development
Learning Management
Comparison of Learning Management features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
7.6
41 Ratings
7% below category average
SumTotal Talent Development
-
Ratings
Course authoring8.941 Ratings00 Ratings
Course catalog or library7.138 Ratings00 Ratings
Player/Portal8.032 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning content7.934 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile friendly8.440 Ratings00 Ratings
Progress tracking & certifications8.037 Ratings00 Ratings
Assignments9.041 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance management7.032 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning administration7.936 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning reporting & analytics8.038 Ratings00 Ratings
Social learning7.733 Ratings00 Ratings
Gamification4.32 Ratings00 Ratings
Single Sign On (SSO) Enabled Learning7.22 Ratings00 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
SumTotal Talent Development
1.9
1 Ratings
122% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings2.01 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings2.01 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
SumTotal Talent Development
3.3
1 Ratings
84% below category average
Pay calculation00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings3.01 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
SumTotal Talent Development
6.7
3 Ratings
18% below category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings8.52 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings8.53 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings3.01 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
SumTotal Talent Development
3.0
1 Ratings
92% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings2.01 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings2.01 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
SumTotal Talent Development
7.2
3 Ratings
5% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings7.03 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings6.52 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
SumTotal Talent Development
8.2
2 Ratings
2% above category average
New hire portal00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings8.52 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
SumTotal Talent Development
8.8
1 Ratings
8% above category average
Corporate goal setting00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Individual goal setting00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
SumTotal Talent Development
8.2
2 Ratings
3% above category average
Performance plans00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings7.52 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings8.52 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
SumTotal Talent Development
7.0
1 Ratings
12% below category average
Create succession plans/pools00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Candidate search00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Canvas
-
Ratings
SumTotal Talent Development
7.9
2 Ratings
2% above category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings7.52 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings8.52 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings6.52 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings8.52 Ratings
Best Alternatives
CanvasSumTotal Talent Development
Small Businesses
Tovuti LMS
Tovuti LMS
Score 9.5 out of 10
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Sakai
Sakai
Score 8.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Intellum
Intellum
Score 9.2 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
CanvasSumTotal Talent Development
Likelihood to Recommend
8.2
(83 ratings)
7.5
(9 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.3
(5 ratings)
6.0
(5 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(8 ratings)
2.0
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(11 ratings)
3.0
(2 ratings)
In-Person Training
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.5
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
CanvasSumTotal Talent Development
Likelihood to Recommend
Instructure
It is really well suited for school situations like knowing what [assignments] need to be done when, getting feedback, getting points, finding the slides that the teacher used for explaining an [assignment] or theory. I think It would be less suited in business situations because it's [primarily] made to be a [one-way] communication tool for schools. Businesses need more control on individual levels I think[.]
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SumTotal
Very good for learning and development and training of employees. For Applicant tracking, recuirement, onboarding, and enablement, I prefer SAP SuccessFactors or Skillate. I also found that the SumTotal app is not very friendly on android and crashes sometimes and it is not optimized for mobile. Hence I end up never using it.
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Pros
Instructure
  • Creativity options for teachers to create a virtual space that still has fun graphics and accessibility options.
  • Canvas has versatility in viewing options for assignment due dates such as the calendar built in feature as well as the dashboard options to display upcoming and due assignments.
  • Allowing teachers to create community with each other and collaborate in each-other's space.
  • Discussion platforms within classrooms for students to communicate with each-other and with their teachers.
  • Easy messaging portal within each virtual classroom.
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SumTotal
  • Assign complete learning plans to users so they don't have to spend time searching for courses.
  • Export learner's transcripts so managers can easily see their employee's progress.
  • Embed Social Media feeds that are relevant to their business.
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Cons
Instructure
  • Their integration with Big Blue Button was a bust for distance learning. Would be great to see them collaborate with Zoom or Google Meets.
  • Their "feature request" process is slow and cumbersome at times because it relies on user "up votes" to get ideas addressed by the developers.
  • They seem to have a lot of turn-over with their staff. We get a new Customer Success Manager far more frequently than with other vendors.
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SumTotal
  • Reporting
  • Mass importing of manual checks to be issued in California
  • Ability to fund pay cards immediately
  • Perform gross-up calculations within the payroll system automatically
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Likelihood to Renew
Instructure
The other LMS tools have fallen behind. One reason is they are not able to update their systems, features, toolsets in a timely manner. While other LMS providers release bug fixes and new features several times a year, schools struggle to install and implement them in a timely manner. It is not uncommon for a school to take 6 months to a year to fully install and implement new releases on other LMS platforms. With Canvas, those features are released every 3 weeks, and there is nothing for a school to do other than choose to turn them on once released. This has allowed Instructure to innovate faster, and get new features and tools to customers quicker. Other factors include great pricing, customer support, and the innovative way in which LTI is implemented in the tool.
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SumTotal
I have transitioned from a position who supported the product to a position where I use the product. I continue to be impressed with the robustness of the product and how efficient it is. It is a user friendly software that can be used to navigate and accomplish tasks to meet organizational requirements.
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Usability
Instructure
The functions in Canvas are well integrated and consistent across the application, and mostly intuitive. Overall navigation and setup is streamlined through integrated features and navigation. The feedback we've gotten from our program participants is that it is easy to learn to use. It also integrates well with third party software like Google Docs and Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing software
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SumTotal
I do not find SumTotal to be intuitive. I feel we need to adjust our needs to meet the functionality available in the tool.
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Support Rating
Instructure
I do not personally use Canvas support since we have a central office that helps us. However, our central office always has the answers we need and are always able to solve our issues - so I would assume that get great support from the Canvas team on their end. They also offer great training, which uses materials directly from Canvas
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SumTotal
We have our own IT support to assist in SumTotal issues, however, we have had to log in cases directly. Support is mediocre at best.
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In-Person Training
Instructure
The training sessions were broken down into several days as well as different levels depending upon the knowledge of the user
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SumTotal
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Instructure
The online tutorials and videos are very clear and addressed the issues/questions that I had about using the system.
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SumTotal
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Instructure
Once you purchase and sign the contract there is nothing to install or hardware to buy. You can almost immediately start using it and have courses up and going within weeks. We signed in December and had pilot courses online ready to go for the start of school in January
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SumTotal
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Instructure
Canvas is more secure, has a cleaner design, and has more features. For the features, they have in common canvas still stacks up against [Smart school] by going for the extra mile. Besidfor e that, [the] canvas looks a lot more [professional] than [Smart school]. I didn't make the decision myself to get canvas instead of [Smart school] but I'm happy they did.
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SumTotal
When I came to my company, they had been using a "light" LMS called Articulate. It was cheap and bare bones; i.e. not a lot of features, really just a platform to launch eLearning from and not real interface for student to utilize. When I began to overhaul the training department, this was one of the first things I changed. Articulate would only run courses built in their software, and the software was not 508 compliant. In addition, we had no ability to create learning plans, house transcripts, customize the interface, or manage the students. I made the choice to select and LMS that was a true LMS with all of the features that were critical to our clients' needs. Thus far, SumTotal has been able to support all of our needs, except one; mobile learning that is media rich
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Return on Investment
Instructure
  • Canvas has helped us provide a more robust online component to our courses.
  • Canvas has helped us better adapt to a rapidly changing educational landscape.
  • Canvas has reduced the time that we have to spend training faculty on how to use our learning management system.
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SumTotal
  • Clean front-end user interface for easier course catalog management.
  • Reporting has been more difficult than previous LMS.
  • Audience building has more variables making it more difficult to manage.
  • Slower overall client turnaround due to admin side interface.
Read full review
ScreenShots

SumTotal Talent Development Screenshots

Screenshot of SumTotal Learning Management: Deliver the learning your organization needs including skilling/upskilling/reskilling, career planning & development. All delivered with our engaging learner experience across all modalities (desktop, tablet & mobile) and in the flow of workScreenshot of SumTotal Onboarding: Foster learning before day one with our robust onboarding solution. Build culture, complete necessary paperwork and begin the path to productivity for all your new and returning employees.Screenshot of SumTotal Performance: Performance management that meets the needs of today’s forward-thinking organizations. Align the goals and performance of your entire workforce with those of the broader organization for better business outcomes.Screenshot of SumTotal Succession: Make succession planning an organizational strength. SumTotal allows you to better understand your workforce now and better plan for your future with our intuitive succession planning tools.Screenshot of SumTotal Recruiting: A modern recruiting solution that delivers a powerful candidate experience, recruiter productivity, job matching and internal mobility.Screenshot of SumTotal Compensation: SumTotal makes compensation planning easier and less time consuming. Build a pay for performance culture that meets your organizations goals and objectives while keeping you competitive in the ever-changing marketplace.