An open source learning management system (LMS) is a certificate and course management system built with an open source software by an open community of developers and users. The idea of an open source LMS is to provide collaboration and development opportunities for developers in the community, while allowing them to contribute their ideas and skills back into the product for all to benefit from.
Here is a list of the best online LMS.
Moodle Best open source
Community-driven, this globally supported effort makes one of the largest open source teams in the world. Moodle comes with a full kit of features that allow not only corporates but also educators to create a private learning space online, filled with tools that easily create courses and countless activities – all optimized for collaborative learning.
Moodle Mobile
Access learning at a touch of a button even when offline, thanks to the Moodle Mobile app. Available for both Android and iOS.
Extend Moodle
Browse the extensive Moodle plugins directory for extra activities, blocks, themes, and more.
Support & Community Forums
Get support and share ideas, all in your own language. Experience how efficiently Moodle is globally supported and discover the value of an open, collaborative effort.
Plans And Pricing
Apart from the standard, free plan, there are premium options available, starting from $59 per year.
Achievements
Moodle holds the 19th place on The Best Learning Management Systems based on User Experience list and is 16th among the The Best Learning Management Systems based on Customer Experience.
For more information on Moodle, you can read the reviews here.
Chamilo
An open source LMS that’s here to improve access to education. Backed up by the Chamilo Association, it aims at the maintenance of a clear communication channel and the building of a network of services providers and software contributors. Its features allow users to easily create content, as they’re offered tools for all types of learners.
Mobile-Friendly
Chamilo has online mobile learning support available, making it easy for users to choose their own pace and place for attending courses.
Full Of Support Options
To get support for Chamilo you can turn to the online community, the knowledge base, or one of the several one-on-one options available.
Customizable Interface
Intuitive language and media embedding settings are among the many options offered.
Plans And Pricing
No premium options available. Ask the vendor for more information.
Achievements
Chamilo holds the 15th place on the list of The Best Learning Management Systems based on Customer Experience.
Here you can read eLearning Industry community members’ reviews about Chamilo.
Open edX
The Open edX is a tool empowering learners to access course content, including videos and textbooks, while checking their progress in the course. The Open edX LMS has a discussion forum and a wiki that both learners and course team members can contribute to, whereas the latter can also use an instructor dashboard.
Open edX Studio
The tool for building your courses, creating structure and then adding content. You can also manage the course schedule and the course team, set grading policies, publish different parts of your course, and more.
Community Support
There’s a discussion forum and the Open edX Insights – those are particularly useful as they’re part of the community structure and learners can benefit from interaction with experienced members. The Open edX community includes webinars, upcoming events, and blog posts.
Plans And Pricing
No premium options available.
Achievements
Open edX is 5th on our list of The 20 Best Learning Management Systems (2018 Update) and 8th on the Best Learning Management Systems Based on User Experience list.
Read what other members in the eLearning Industry community say about Open edX.
Totara Learn
A corporate distribution of Moodle, Totara Learn delivers individual learning plans effectively and offers rich functionality which can be implemented quickly and with a significant cost reduction comparing to proprietary solutions. This award-winning open source learning platform is designed to help you develop, train, manage, and engage your staff.
Learning On The Move
Fully responsive by design, the user interface will adjust seamlessly depending on the device. Mobile apps are also available through the partner network and can be extended or fully-branded to be in harmony with the way your LMS looks and interacts.
Learning Plans
Learning plans through which learners can monitor their progress and directly access learning activities. You can manage the process with approval workflows, comment boxes, and notifications.
Flexible Authoring Options
Combine instructor-led, self-paced learning, and social for a blended approach, all in a single course. Roles and permissions, course progression, and group-based activities give you all the flexibility you need.
Plans And Pricing
No premium options available.
Achievements
Totara Learn is in the 5 Top Open-Source Learning Management Systems in our list of The 20 Best Learning Management Systems (2018 Update) , no7 on the list of The Best 20 Learning Management Systems Offering An LMS Demo, and no13 on the list of The Top 20 Extended Enterprise Learning Management Systems. It also lands on the 13th position among the Best Learning Management Systems based on User Experience and the 14th position among the Best Learning Management Systems based on Customer Experience.
If you want to find out what customers say about Totara Learn, take a look at the reviews here.
Canvas
An open source LMS that is free for instructors. It makes teaching and learning easier in terms of implementation, adoption, customer support, and success. It is adaptable, reliable, and customizable. With interface and features crafted to save you time and effort, this open source LMS is designed to get out of your way and let you do your thing.
Powerful Community
Over 300,000 Canvas users are involved in sharing, collaborating, and shaping Canvas.
Easy To Use
This LMS does what learners and instructors need it to do. Simple mobile use and a time-saver that gets adopted in growing rates.
Easy Plug-In For Third-Party Tools
Its extensive, open API, published to the world, paves the way for third-party apps to plug right into Canvas, pulling and pushing its data.
Personalized Support
In-house Canvas experts are there to ensure the speediest, most frictionless interactions.
Plans And Pricing
You’ll need to ask the vendor for a quote.
Achievements
Canves is on the 4th place among the 5 Top Open-Source Learning Management Systems in our list of The 20 Best Learning Management Systems (2018 Update).
Forma
An open source, web-based, award-winning eLearning platform that grades high on managing and delivering online training courses. Forma’s design focuses on corporate training and it is made to fit your company needs and processes. Easy integration with any intranet software allows you to extend functionalities with a wide range of plugins. Forma is developed by a network of companies and backed by a strong and active community.
Report System
Extensive reports can be exported through the built-in wizard in different formats and sent with the email scheduler.
Sell Courses Online
Native eCommerce functionalities with cart and PayPal integration.
API Integration
Easily integrated with any other system through powerful APIs and connectors.
Plans And Pricing
No premium options available.
Check the latest reviews about Forma LMS.
Effectus
Focusing on the learner to improve engagement, mobility, and collaboration. The Effectus LMS is designed with you and your learners in mind, making it a comprehensive training management suite for business of all sizes. For the most part it has proven to be an incredibly simple and economical way to host, manage, and deliver training programs.
Gamify Learning
Effectus incorporates features such as scores, badges, and leaderboards.
Report Real-Time
Get access to rich data and customize reports to suit your very own analysis requirements – this way you measure the impact of training on your learners’ performance.
Intuitive User Interface
An interface that is designed based on the latest research on User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX) and Interface Design for Learning (IDL) standards.
Plans And Pricing
Three options, starting from $129 per month and billed annually.
Achievements
Effectus holds the 17th place on our The Top 20 Extended Enterprise Learning Management Systems list.
Wondering how others are experiencing the software? Read Effectus LMS reviews here.
Odoo offers Odoo eLearning as an e-learning platform that allows you to create online courses and learning material. Odoo also allows you to track the progress of the employees. Thanks to the instant feedback feature, employees can compare their answers with the right ones as soon as the assessment is over. Competitiveness is also enhanced as it displays the profiles of the best performers.
With Open edX, you can create various online courses, and your employees can access training resources and engage in active discussions among themselves.
Open edX is free to use.
ATutor allows users to browse through course content, take tests and review their performance. They can also exit a test midway and resume later. With the content editor, you can create content in HTML and plain text. ATutor is absolutely free.
Forma LMS caters particularly to the business class of users as it helps employers train employees through webinars, self-paced courses, and instructor-led training sessions.
You get to group employees based on their departments and role, and then assign courses to them, after which they are given certificates. Forma LMS is free, although if you are just getting registered as a member of the association, you have to pay a standard fee.
Conclusion
Knowledge & Skill Management is a critical part of business. Open Source Learning Management Systems will help you set up as per needs as there are many open source learning management systems.