10 Best learning management systems for small business

Many small businesses struggle to find a learning management system that's affordable, user-friendly, and effective. With these 10 best learning management systems for small businesses, you can overcome these obstacles and provide effective training without breaking the bank.

Learning management system #1: SC Training

Larger enterprises are usually the ones that have the resources to look for more advanced training solutions. This is why learning management systems were built with bigger teams in mind. However, this design makes it harder to find the best learning management system for a small business. 

An affordable LMS that addresses this is SC Training. This LMS gives you free access to all its features for up to 10 learners. Each additional learner will then cost you a small fee of 5 USD per learner, offering scalable pricing so you only pay for what you need. 

Once you’ve chosen the right plan for your team, you will be able to use a diverse set of tools to create as many courses as you want. If you’re not sure where to start, SC Training’s Create with AI can help you skip the brainstorming so you won’t have to make your content from scratch.

Create a more effective training experience with microlearning templates that keep lessons short and sweet. Paired with gamification features that blur the lines between work and play, your team can stay engaged and recall their learnings much better.

Cost: Free (up to 10 users)

Key features: 

• Scalable pricing
• Create with AI
• Gamification features
• Microlearning templates

Discover the cost-effective LMS that has all the course creation tools your small business needs. Join SC Training today.

Learning management system #2: LearnWorlds

If you’re looking for other budget-friendly options, LearnWorlds is one of the best learning management systems for small businesses. It enables you to make revenue from your courses and offers a scalable pricing solution for every successful enrollment. The fixed monthly price for their lowest-tier plan starts at 29 USD per month.

LearnWorlds finds ways to make learning more engaging for your team. It has a social community that encourages them to interact with other learners and discuss what they’ve learned. Sharing their insights can help them understand the course better and make the most out of their training.

Cost: Starts at 29 USD/month, plus 5 USD per enrollment

Key features:

• Affordable plans with scalable pricing based on enrollment
• Social community for peer learning

Learning management system #3: Coassemble

Many organizations feel frustrated that most LMS solutions limit the number of courses they can create, even on a paid plan. Coassemble allows its users to create unlimited courses even on their free plan. The downside is that your team might see Coassemble branding in the course, which can be removed on a paid plan.

With Coassemble, your team can complete courses smoothly without signing up or downloading any app. These extra steps often discourage team members from getting started on their training, so the ability to deploy courses instantly through links is a handy feature to have.

Cost: Free (with limited features)

Key features:

• Freemium pricing model
• Straightforward, hassle-free course completion

Learning management system #4: BrainCert

Another option if you don’t want to be locked behind a limited number of courses is BrainCert. The lowest-tier plan for this LMS starts at 59 USD/month, but under this plan, you can create as many courses as possible for your team using their suite of course creation tools. 

On top of that, they also have built-in virtual classrooms for video conferencing in case your team needs extra support for their training. Since these are hosted within BrainCert, you can expect more stable connections and uninterrupted training sessions.

Cost: 59 USD/month

Key features:

• Large set of course creation tools on lowest-tier plan
• Built-in virtual classrooms
• Webinars and live streaming

Learning management system #5: Tovuti LMS

Small businesses benefit from a more efficient process. It saves you time and resources, allowing you to make the most out of your budget. Tovuti LMS is all about efficiency. It has a row of tools to automate repetitive tasks and take shortcuts without compromising the quality of your training.

Its Dizi AI generates course content in seconds, with images and interactive quizzes to keep your team engaged. It also lets you duplicate existing courses in your library and edit them in bulk, which is a great solution in case you need to do a quick update to your content.

Cost: Contact for pricing

Key features:

• Task automation
• AI-powered course creation
• Course duplication and bulk editing

Learning management system #6: 360Learning

Just because you’re working with a smaller team doesn’t mean it’s any easier to train them. 360Learning’s collaborative learning platform takes the load off your shoulders with knowledge sharing. It encourages experts in your team to share what they know and gives learners an opportunity to be vocal about their upskilling needs.

Say goodbye to boring surveys and pulse checks. This LMS lets your team upvote and rate course relevance so you can easily identify what topics they want to learn about next. You can also ping team experts on that topic through the in-course commenting feature so they know what to cover in the next course. 

Cost: 8 USD/month per user (up to 100 users)

Key features:

• In-course commenting and Q&A
• Learner suggestions and upvoting
• Learner relevance scoring

Learning management system #7: LearnUpon

Deliver high-quality enterprise training to your teams without the technical expertise with LearnUpon. This learning management system brings you an intuitive and user-friendly interface. It features a drag-and-drop functionality that makes course creation less daunting for beginners.

To make things even easier for you, LearnUpon also has pre-built templates to get you started in your course creation journey. Don’t worry if your mind is drawing a blank on how to deliver your training. These templates can give you enough inspiration and push you in the right direction.

Cost: Book a demo for pricing

Key features:

• User-friendly interface
• Pre-built templates

Learning management system #8: Docebo

Docebo can reduce turnover rates by personalizing the onboarding process for your new team members. 

Once they get to their dashboard, they’ll be automatically enrolled in the training they need for their role. This makes sure they’re getting the relevant training to help them adjust better and excel in their job. Giving them this type of support can make them feel valued, building trust and loyalty within the organization. 

On top of this, Docebo also has other automation features to remove the burden of administrative tasks. This can lower the costs allotted for administrative work, so you can focus on core activities that provide more value to the team and the company. 

Cost: Contact for pricing

Key features:

• Automated enrollments
• Automation of administrative tasks

Learning management system #9: GyrusAim

GyrusAim is a notable employee training software for small businesses in heavily regulated industries. Designed with compliance training in mind, it helps document accomplished training modules and certifications, acting like an audit trail for the next inspection that comes around.

To further enhance security, GyrusAim gives you the option for a cloud-hosted LMS. These are much easier to set up, keeping your data secure despite the lack of technical expertise needed to maintain it. 

Cost: 5,500 USD/year

Key features:

• Documentation and audit trail
• Cloud-hosting option

Learning management system #10: ProProfs Training Maker

Another budget-friendly LMS for small companies is ProProfs Training Maker. It offers a free plan that lets you create unlimited courses for up to 10 users. Beyond that, it costs an affordable price of 2.99 USD/month per user for small businesses with 100 active learners or fewer.

The free plan also comes with tons of other features. One of their highlight features is their AI course generation tool. It helps speed up the course creation process, kicking things off for those days when you’re not sure where to start.

Cost: Free (for up to 10 users)

Key features:

• Affordable and scalable pricing
• Freemium pricing model
• AI-powered course creation

How to choose the right LMS for small business?

Employee training statistics show that the average company can end up spending 1,286 USD on each employee’s training every year. Making sure you’re choosing the best LMS for small business becomes crucial, especially for those who have a tighter budget. Here are some tips to help you determine which LMS is for you:

• Identify your needs: Start by figuring out your training goals. Do you need help with onboarding, compliance, or skills development? Knowing your audience helps determine your non-negotiables.
• Budget considerations: Be clear about your budget and look for options that won’t break the bank. Remember, it’s about finding good value for the features you’re looking for.
• Features and functionality: Look for an LMS that’s easy to use for everyone. Customization options can help strengthen your brand’s identity, helping your team feel connected to the company’s culture as they train.
• Scalability: Choose an LMS that can grow with your business. You want something that can handle more users and courses as you expand.
• Support and Training: Assess the quality of customer support and the availability of training resources. A helpful support team can make a big difference when mishaps happen.
• User Reviews and Recommendations: Don’t forget to check out what other users are saying. Their experiences can provide valuable insights into the reliability of the platform.